RESOURCES WHY COMPOST?

COMPOST WORKS FOR YOU

BROCHURES
BASIC Composting is natures Not only does composting help the environment, but

COMPOSTING
way of recycling. It is a it can help your garden, yard, and house plants too!
Composting Fruit and Vegetable Trimmings satisfying way to turn When compost looks like soil and smells sweet and
Compost Bins Sources and Designs your fruit, vegetable earthy, it is ready to use. Here are some of the
and yard trimmings most common ways to use compost:
BOOKS into a dark, crumbly,
Backyard Composting, 1992. Harmonious sweet-smelling soil
conditioner.
IN THE GARDEN
Technologies, Harmonious Press, Ojai, CA,
Before planting, mix a
96 pp. 4" to 8" layer of
COMPOSTING:
Let It Rot!, 1975. Stu Campbell, Garden Way compost into newly
Saves you money by lowering garbage bills
Publishing, Pownal, VT, 144 pp. reclaimed or poor soils.
and replacing store-bought soil conditioners.
Mix a 1/2" to 3" layer of
Helps garden and house plants by improving
Rodale Book of Composting, 1992. G. compost into annual
the fertility and health of your soil.
Gershuny, Saint Martins Press, New York, garden beds at least once
Saves water by helping the soil hold moisture
NY, 278 pp. a year. Compost will add nutrients and beneficial
and reducing water runoff.
microbes, hold water, and improve plant growth.
Benefits the environment by recycling
Worms Eat My Garbage, 1982. Mary
valuable organic resources and extending the
Appelhof, Flower Press, Kalamazoo, MI, life of our landfill. AROUND
100 pp.
THE YARD
Spread a 1" to 6" layer
THE 4 RS OF THE YARD of coarse compost on
soil as a mulch, or

R EDUCE the amount of yard trimmings you

make by planting slow-growing, drought-
tolerant plants.
spread a 1/2" layer of
sifted, weed-seed-free
compost on turfgrass as a
top dressing. These can be done any time of year

R EUSE yard trimmings by grasscycling

(mowing more often, and leaving the clippings
to improve soil fertility and reduce watering needs.

T
on the lawn) and by mulching fallen leaves and
URN YOUR GARBAGE chipped prunings (spread them 6" deep on paths ON HOUSE PLANTS
INTO GOLD! ITS EASY, and around trees and shrubs). Sprinkle a thin layer of
ITS SMART, ITS RECYCLING.
compost over house-plant

R ECYCLE remaining yard trimmings by

composting. This brochure shows you how.
soil to provide nutrients.
You can also make a great
potting soil by mixing one

Your Program,
Company Name
R ESTORE the environment with thriving
gardens. It all starts at home!
part compost with two parts
sand and/or soil.

and DONT HAVE A GARDEN?

Logo Here
You can still make compost and use it on a house
plant, give it to a friend, sprinkle it around a street
tree, or use it in a community garden.
 CHOOSE A SYSTEM FOLLOW THE BASICS
SYSTEMS FOR FOOD AND YARD Thanks to friendly bugs and worms, composting is a recipe for open rules
TRIMMINGS as easy as 1-2-3 - no matter which recipe you use!

1
RODENT-RESISTANT BINS CHOP materials if you want them to break active COMPOST
For fruit, vegetable and down more quickly.
For yard trimmings ONLY. In open piles & simple bins,
yard trimmings (using active maintenance prevents animal nesting.
Mixed compost recipe)
For yard trimmings alone
(using No-Fuss recipe)
2 MIX "browns" (dry, woody materials) with
"greens" (moist, green materials).
RECIPES FOR RODENT-RESISTANT BINS
ingredients:
Yard timmings only (browns & greens),
Bins require a lid, floor and
no holes bigger than 1/4" 3 MAINTAIN air and water balance by keeping
compost as moist as a wrung-out sponge. NO-FUSS COMPOST
water as needed
directions:
Feed yard trimmings to your compost
Browns, Greens, Air and Water are the "big four" For yard trimmings ONLY. Requires a rodent-resistant bin
OPEN PILES to prevent animal nesting. by chopping them first into pieces 6 or
that will keep every compost pile happy. smaller, then mixing them into the pile. Feed as often as you
& SIMPLE BINS
ingredients: like. Be sure to balance browns with greens.
For yard trimmings ONLY
Requires Active Yard trimmings only (browns & Maintain pile by turning or mixing it about once a week.
composting (chopping and DO COMPOST: DON'T COMPOST: greens), water as needed. Keep it as moist as a wrung-out sponge. Covering it with
weekly turning to keep plastic tarp will help keep it moist.
b Most sawdusts Meat, bones or fish directions:
animals out) Harvest rich, brown, finished compost by sifting out coarse,
r Chopped, woody Dairy products or Feed chipped or unchopped
Usually inexpensive or free yard trimmings into bin as you generate them.
unfinished materials after 3 to 8 months.
o grease
w prunings
Maintain compost by keeping it as moist as a wrung-out
n Pine needles Grains, beans or
SYSTEMS FOR JUST FOOD TRIMMINGS s sponge.
Fallen leaves breads
For more information about the following, see the Harvest rich, brown, finished compost from the bottom and
Dog, cat or bird feces center of the pile after 12 to 18 months. troubleshooting
Composting Fruit & Vegetable Trimmings brochure.
Tea bags Sawdust from
g symptoms problems Solutions
Worm Bins r Citrus rinds plywood/treated wood
Most fun! Takes some e Diseased plants (in Pile not Too dry Add water until
time and effort e Coffee grounds & composting slightly damp & turn
cold piles) mixed COMPOST
For indoors or outdoors n filters (mix)
Produces excellent fertilizer
s
Lawn clippings & Fruit & vegetable For fruit, vegetable & yard trimmings together. This recipe Too much brown Add fresh green
young weeds trimmings (in open requires a rodent-resistant bin and active maintenance to matter matter or organic
Closed-Air Systems piles/simple bins) prevent animal nesting and feeding. nitrogen fertilizer &
Fruit & vegetable
Low maintenance turn
trimmings ingredients:
Prone to odor & insect
problems Herbivore manures Fruit, vegetable and yard Pile smells Too wet/too Turn & add browns
timmings (browns & greens), rotten/attracts many food (dry, woody
Underground Composting water as needed flies scraps or lawn materials) or dry
clippings soil
Requires digging a hole each directions:
time you add new materials HOT COMPOST HAPPENS when you follow the Food scraps Bury & mix food
Feed yard trimmings to your
No harvesting necessary basic 1-2-3 carefully, and the pile is about a cubic yard exposed scraps into pile
pile as you generate them by chopping them first into pieces
(3x3x3'). Heat can accelerate composting and kill weed 6 or smaller. Food scraps need to be buried and mixed into
REMEMBER . . .Whenever you compost fruit seeds and plant diseases, but is not necessary. Cold, the center of the pile. Never dump and run! Be sure to mix Non- Remove meat,
dairy, grease, etc. &
slow piles are just as good. If your pile is large enough, in enough browns to balance your greens. Feed as often as compostables
and vegetable trimmings, the Health Department turn
moist, and well chopped, but not heating up, you can you like.
requires a rodent-resistant system. Use a container turn it and mix in some greens like grass clippings or an Maintain compost by turning or mixing it about once a Rodents in pile Food scraps in Use traps or baits,
with a lid, a floor, and no holes bigger than 1/4 inch, organic nitrogen fertilizer. For faster hot composting and open bin/ holes rodent-proof bin,
week. Keep it as moist as a wrung-out sponge.
or bury food scraps at least one foot under he soil better weed-seed kill, turn or mix your hot pile about larger than 1/4 remove meat,
surface. For more information about bins, see the once a week. Harvest rich, brown, finished compost by sifting out coarse, inch/non- grease, etc. & turn
unfinished materials after 3 to 8 months. compostables
Compost Bins Sources and Designs brochure.