For those of you who are seasoned composters, there's no more snow on the ground to keep you from getting outside to dump your organic food scraps into a bin in your back yard. We also understand that some of you may be new to composting. Composting is an excellent way to recycle and re-purpose your kitchen food scraps.
To get your compost started, stop in and pick up an Earth Machine Composter. This composter is America's favorite for many reasons: the black [recycled!] plastic heats up to speed the breakdown of the organic matter as do holes around the cylindrical container, the top locks on to keep critters out, a closing door at the bottom allows removal of compost once it is ready for use, and the composter has been redesigned once again to now include a grated bottom, to keep burrowers from getting into the bin.
Now, we understand that for some, the term “composting” can sound intimidating. They may wonder - how does one recycle food? It seems to carry lots of rules, smell and mess. But composting is in fact very easy, doesn't take a lot of room, and can reap many benefits. For those of you who are unfamiliar with composting, some tips and answers to commonly asked composting questions are provided below.
What can I put in my compost?
The key to composting is using equal parts brown and green ingredients. Brown items are high carbon and green are high nitrogen.
Browns include wood, bark, cardboard, leaves, fruit waste, straw, pine needles, peanut shells, and straw. Greens include alfalfa, clover, grass clippings, food waste, garden waste, and hays.
It’s important to avoid putting in meat, bones, fish, fats, and dairy. Also, keep your inorganic materials (aluminum foil, glass, plastics, and metals) in the trash. Hopefully in your green household you dispose of minimal amounts of these products anyways.
To get started, try using an empty coffee can, an old ice bucket or pail. You will want something that can be covered inside to keep smells at bay. Place the composting pail either on your counter near the sink or where you cut and wash vegetables, or under the sink, but near enough so that it gets used on a regular basis. We do have some very simple composting pails with tight fitting lids made of recycled plastic available in the 'g' shop for about $15. Its a neutral color, and be hung on the back of our sink cabinet door if you like.
Do I need worms?
No, you do not need worms. If you do your best to keep your green and brown levels relatively equal, you should have beautiful soil in several months. If you do want to use worms, you will need to find an appropriate container. Give us a call and we can help you out.
Will my backyard smell? Isn’t compost unsightly?
Not anymore! Come on in to ‘g’ and check out the Earth Machine. This great compost bin is America’s best selling for a reason. The Earth Machine produces an all-natural soil conditioner, which adds nutrients and helps soil retain moisture. Its 80-gallon capacity is easily accessed through the convenient harvest door. More effective, less mess, and no smell, we see no downside to this amazing recycled plastic bin.
You can use your composted materials as a mulch before winter, and you can add it to your soil in the spring (realistically, the compost you start collecting this spring will not be fully broken down until the end of the season, but is a great way to add nutrients to your soil to prep next season's beds). Either way, it is of great benefit to your flower and vegetable beds. What are you waiting for? Come on in to ‘g’ and we’ll get you set up with your new Earth Machine and compost pail. You’ll be on your way to easy composting in no time!
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