Composting – nature’s lifecycle

composting

1. Composting – Nature’s Lifecycle
“Everything returns to the Earth”

2. What is Compost?
Compost is organic material that over time
has been consumed by animals of all sizes,
from larger mammals, birds and rodents to
worms, insects, and microscopic organisms.
The result of this natural lifecycle is compost,
a combination of digested and
undigested food that is left
on the forest floor to create
rich, soft, sweet-smelling soil.

3. Why Compost Our Food Waste?
•Return nutrients to the soil
•Create the best mulch/fertilizer for free
•Reduce the amount of trash that you send to the
landfill, where it creates
CO2, does not break down
and becomes toxic
•Feed your plants
•Think about the impact on the next 7
generations, as Native Americans do

4. Look what we waste!!!!

5. Anyone Can Compost
•Home dwellers – locate compost bin next to
trashcans for convenience, or near backdoor.
•Apartment dwellers – talk to landlord about
having a compost bin by the trashcans, and/or
set up your own vermicomposting system
•It doesn’t cost anything to set up a compost
system and it’s a simple thing to do, yet has a
large result!
•What is your level of courage?

6. Why is Compost So Good?
•Adds nutrients to the soil, which in turn supports
healthier and more productive plants. Compost
provides virtually all of the essential nutrients for plant
growth, and more importantly, it releases these
nutrients over time to give a slow, steady consistent
intake of essential elements needed for growth.
•Improves the structure of soil, making it able to hold
water, yet it creates pockets of air that plant roots
need as well.
•Eliminates the need for synthetic fertilizers which
leach chemicals into the groundwater and pollute our
streams and lakes.

7. Anatomy of a Landfill

8. Why doesn’t food compost
in the landfill?
•No oxygen – mummifies waste
•Mixed with non-organic plastics and waste
•Built to encapsulate waste, no breakdown
•Monitored for 30 years to watch for toxins

9. Anatomy of Compost

10. How big should the bin be?
•3 foot by 3 foot is optimal
•Organic matter needs a balance of air, water
and nitrogen/carbon to heat up and begin the
composting process

11. Compost Lasagna
•Brown Layer (noodles)
•Green Layer (spinach)
•Water (sauce)
•Air
•Time

12. Greens (Nitrogen-rich)
•Kitchen scraps
•Ground eggshells
•Grass clippings
•Used coffee grounds/filters
and teabags
•Leaves and garden waste
•Pulverized bones
•Manure from herbivores (hamsters, horses, rabbits,
chickens)
•Compostable packing materials (made from corn)
•Feathers and hair
•Old flower bouquets

13. Browns (Carbon-rich)
Fall leaves (shredded preferably)
Spent plants
Dry grass clippings
Shredded paper/cardboard/newspapers
Sawdust
Pine needles
Old potting soil
Food-soiled paper napkins/towels
Stale flour, cereals, spices
Nutshells
Vacuum bag contents
Paper based egg cartons

14. What NOT to put in bin
•Meat
•Dairy products
•Pet waste
•Clay kitty litter
•A lot of garden soil
•Weeds with seed heads

15. Do I have to purchase a bin?
•Pallets -or-
•Snow fencing -or-
•Chicken wire -or-
•A plastic trash can -or-
•A wine barrel ala Terracycle
Reuse/recycle materials you have at home if
possible. Most cities have bins for sale as well,
made from recycled plastic.

16. What a beautiful compost bin!

17. Simple wood compost bins for
living in the ‘country’

18. This one is similar to mine

19. Very nice backyard
tumbling composter

20. This would be easy to make!

21. As simple as this wire bin

22. Bins come in all shapes and sizes

23. Other Forms of Composting
•Vermicomposting
•Bokashi
•Windrow composting (commercial)
•Sheet composting
•Pet Waste composter
•Indoor composter

24. Vermicomposting
aka Indoor Composting
•Rubbermaid bin
•Shredded cardboard, some shredded
newspaper
•Kitchen scraps
•Worms
•Spray bottle of water
•www.wormmainea.com
•www.redwormcomposting.com

25. Bokashi Composting
Bokashi composting for
kitchen waste is an
odorless and simple
method of composting
everything from veggie
scraps to meat, bones
and dairy products

26. Windrow Composting
This method of
composting is
used for
processing large
amounts of
compost, mostly
for commercial
productions.

27. Sheet Composting
aka Lasagna Gardening
•Best to do this in the fall
•Slow method of composting
•Carbon rich ingredients will
take nitrogen from the soil to break down
•Layers of newspaper and kitchen waste create
your ‘lasagna’ and in the spring you have a
garden bed ready for planting

28. The Dog Waste Composter
•Take and old garbage can and drill a dozen
or so holes in the side.
•Cut out the bottom
(A keyhole saw works great for this.)
•Dig a hole in the ground, deep enough for the garbage can.
•Toss some rocks or gravel in the hole for drainage and position the
garbage can so it's a little higher than the soil level.
•Place the lid on top (you might want to paint it with something like Dog
Waste Composter.)
•When you scoop some poop, put it in the hole and sprinkle in some
septic starter (available at hardware stores) and add some water.

29. Indoor Composter
•Nature Mill Composter
•Creates compost in two weeks
•$299.00

30. Do I need a compost accelerator?
•You may add:
septic tank enzymes
old beer or wine
graywater
urine (it’s aseptic and will not smell up the
pile, I promise)
old fruit juice or sour milk
cooking water

31. Addition Helpful Tools
•Pitchfork or turning fork
•Shovel
•Compost Thermometer

32. Black Gold!!!

33. What can I do with my compost?
•Seed starting. It’s light and airy, and allows quick
growth. You can add it to commercial potting mix,
which is primary made up of peat moss, which has
virtually no nutrients, so compost gives it a great
boost.
•Mulch, to hold in moisture for established plants, and
nourish them as the compost continues to break
down.
•Lawn food, as it’s a slow release food that will help
your lawn resist diseases. You’ll have no chemical run-
off and you’ll save money, as well as make your lawn
come alive with earthworms and beneficial microbes.

34. Go Forth and Compost!
•Choose your method
•Make from materials on hand to save money
and reuse/recycle
•Share what you’ve
learned
•Enrich your garden
and the planet!