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Backyard Composting
USES FOR FINISHED COMPOST | FOUR EASY STEPS TO FASTER COMPOST
WEBSITES | KIDS' STUFF
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Backyard Composting Workshops are sometimes made available to Blair County residents. Want to schedule a composting workshop or have composting questions? Give us a call at 696-4620 or
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USES FOR FINISHED COMPOST
Compost can be used as a conditioner to improve the moisture-retention properties of soil. In addition, compost adds valuable nutrients to soil to promote healthy plant growth.
Potential uses include:
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Home gardening – Incorporate it into the soil for vegetable and flower gardening or use it when potting houseplants.
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Greenhouses – Use it in combination with peat moss, sand, or soilless mix when planting or starting seeds.
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Landscaping – Use compost as a mulch around shrubs, trees, and bushes or work it into the soil before planting.
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Soil top-dressing – Apply a layer of compost on top of your grass and work it in with a rake or apply it as a mulch around flowerbeds.
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COMPOST TEA can be made by combining one part compost to five parts water. Let this steep for three to seven days then strain through cheesecloth. This mixture can be diluted to a weak-tea color and used in a sprayer or poured. Compost tea feeds plants, enhances soil microorganisms, and controls foliar diseases such as Fusarium wilt, Downy and powdery mildews, grey mould, and late blight on potato and tomato plants.
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FOUR EASY STEPS TO FASTER COMPOST
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Either using a pre-made compost bin or making a compost bin out of pallets, the size of the working area should be about 3’ high by 3 ‘ wide by 3’ deep.
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Have the right combination (3:1) of dry/brown (carbon) elements to wet/green (nitrogen) material and have them the right size. Some examples of carbon sources are: dry leaves, straw, dry grass clippings, paper towels, junk mail (no glossy paper), and bank statements. Some nitrogen sources are: fresh grass clippings, kitchen waste (lettuce leaves, tea bags, coffee grounds, vegetable peelings), old flowers or plants, and soft hedge trimmings. Don’t add pet waste, grease, or dairy products to your compost pile: you’ll attract vermin and the odor won’t be too pleasing. Large chunks of food waste or whole leaves take more time to break down so cut up the food, scrunch up the egg shells, run over the dry leaves with a mower or use hedge trimmers, and shred the bank statements.
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After you’ve added the correct ratio of ingredients, be sure to add some water. You can use gray water (from your laundry or sink, as long as the detergent is environmentally-friendly), too. Make the ingredients moist, not dripping wet. This would be a good time to add a shovel-full of garden soil. Just to get things working!
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Take your compost’s temperature and if it’s between 113° and 158° turn the pile using an aerator (looks like a metal stick with a flange at the end) or a pitchfork. Don’t have a thermometer? Stick your hand in it. If it’s hot, it’s working. It’s time to mix that pile of compost using your pitchfork or the aerator.
The PA-DEP website has listings for composting, worm bin composting (vermicomposting) and recycling, too. Visit the main page at http://www.dep.state.pa.us and type in “compost” or “recycling” in the space provided.
- Pick a regional area in the US and find local composting programs, or read instructions and articles. With message boards and teacher resources.
www.mastercomposter.com
- Cornell Composting
Access a variety of composting educational materials and programs developed at Cornell University.
http://compost.css.cornell.edu/index.html
- Composting At Home
Learn about the composting process and find instructions for making compost. Includes diagrams of compost bins and a troubleshooting guide.
www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~ohioline/hyg-fact/1000/1189.html
- Howstuffworks.com - How Composting Works
Craig C. Freudenrich, Ph.D. provides the basics of composting. Learn about composting biology, making compost and compost columns, and trash auditing.
http://home.howstuffworks.com/composting.htm
- US Composting Council
US government sponsored source of composting information includes current research information, a FAQ, .PDF article archive, and organization membership facts.
http://compostingcouncil.org/
- Don't Bag It Leaf Management Compost
View a slide show designed to encourage composting as a means of reducing the amount of waste dumped in community landfills.
aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthknd/compost/compost.html
- NCSU Extension - Composting for Home Gardens
Describes techniques for home garden composting. Provided by North Carolina State University.
www.ces.ncsu.edu/hil/hil-8100.html
- Compost Heap, The
Features compost recipes, recycling tips, links to organic gardening manuals, activities for kids and a list of recommended books.
www.silverlf.com/barrick
- Pioneer Thinking - Composting
Provides an overview of steps involved in composting. Also offers compost bin design ideas.
www.pioneerthinking.com/composting.html
- Sunset - A Compost Bin With a College Degree
Examine the directions for this compost bin that was created by horticulturists. The estimated time to build is two to three hours.
www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m1216/4_205/65651558/p1/article.jhtml
- The Compost Resource Page
This site is intended to serve as a hub of information for anyone interested in the various aspects of composting. Occasional updates on what's new at the site, notes from the admin, and a featured Editor's Choice site.
www.oldgrowth.org/compost
- Composting: Journey to Forever organic garden - how to turn wastes into clean, healthy food, making compost, compost bin
... Garden guides often describe composting as "nature's way" of recycling. ...
www.journeytoforever.org/compost.html
- Worm Composting
Tips and advice, with information on worm bins and maintenance from Urban Agriculture Notes. ... Worm composting is a method for recycling food waste into a rich, dark, earth-smelling soil conditioner. ...
www.cityfarmer.org/wormcomp61.html
- Go Self Sufficient
If you're worried about your impact on the environment or simply want to be self sufficient, let this information help you.
http://www.goselfsufficient.co.uk
- A helpful online resouce for information on raising worms for vermicomposting. Find the answers to the usual problems and know how vermicomposting can help you, your garden and the environment... http://www.gardenworms.com/blog
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KIDS' STUFF
- One of the best composting sites for kids is www.kidsgardening.com sponsored by the National Gardening Association. Visit them often for class suggestions.
- Recipes for Composting
Kids' educational page offers basic information and tips on making slow and fast compost.
www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/earth/recycle/compost_waste.htm
- ET 4/98: Kids and composting
Kids and composting were made for each other. ...
www.sdearthtimes.com/et0498/et0498s10.html
- The Compost Heap For Kids! Gardening, Recycling and Composting Ideas for Kids :-)
... Composting, Recycling & Gardening For Kids. It is vital to our future to include the children in our efforts to protect ...
www.silverlf.com/barrick/kidsgarden.htm
- Composting Worms in the Classroom
Good resource for purchasing. Acorn Naturalists offers a wide selection of activity books, videos, supplies and kits for composting as well as resources for studying the many organisms that live in compost.
www.acornnaturalists.com
- http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/compost.html
- Vermicomposting: http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/compost/withworm.htm
- http://www.kidsgardening.com/Dig/DigDetail.taf?ID=1152&Type=Art
- KIDS AND COMPOSTING
Whatever the method, be sure to educate yourself. There are a variety of composting courses and resources throughout the county, from your local library to the county agriculture office. Also try the Internet.
www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/sdkids2.htm
- Recycling & Composting Lesson Plans and Resources for Teachers to Use in the Classroom
Find online resources and lesson plans for teaching recycling and composting for Earth Day, learning about the environment. ... Composting for Kids Slide Show. Kids can follow this slide show to learn about why composting is important, how to do it, ...
www.atozteacherstuff.com/themes/recycling_composting.shtml
- RAIN BARREL CONSTRUCTION: montgomeryconservation.org/barrel.htm
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