Backyard Composting

What is Compost?

Composting is the natural process of decomposition and recycling of organic material into a humus (which is a rich soil amendment known as compost).

Why Compost?

• Benefits the Environment: Over 50% of the waste stream in the United States is comprised of organic material. These materials can easily be recycled (COMPOSTED) at home instead of landfilled.
• Saves YOU Money: Lessens the need for store bought soil amendments and reduces your garbage bill.
• Helps Your Garden Grow: Improves clay soils by adding bulk and nutrients.
• It’s Fun!

Utensils Needed:

• Buckets – 5- or 10-gallon buckets are great for apartment complex composting.
• Bins – there are a variety of compost bins for sale, visit the following websites for information:
  Composters.com
  Ez Compost
  Or call Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful to purchase a compost bin at (706) 613-3501, extension 312.

Make your own bins

• Pallet composter – place four pallets upright to form a square bin then connect the four corners together with rope, wire or chain.
• Trash can composter – Convert an old trash can into a composter cut the bottom out of a trash can and drill about 24 to 48 ¼ -inch holes in the sides of the can to increase air flow. Bury the bottom of the can a few inches below the soil and press the loosened soil around the sides to secure.
• Hoops – Wire bins can easily be made from fencing, chicken wire or hardware clothe. Obtain an eleven-foot length of 2”x 4”x 36” fence wire and form into a round hoop and tie the ends together with wire or string.
• Heaps/Piles – Simply pile or heap yard material in a corner of the the yard. Turn the pile once in a while and compost will be produced in one to two years. Visit the Backyard Gardener for additional homemade compost bin ideas.

Ingredients:

Air
Water
2/3 Browns
1/3 Greens

Directions:

Begin with about 6 inches of browns in the bottom of the compost bin. Add a layer of greens a few inches thick. Shovel some soil on top of the browns and greens. Finally, just add water until moist (like a wrung-out sponge). Maintain your compost bin by adding more greens, browns, and water and mix the pile about once every two weeks to ensure air and water is equally distributed throughout the pile. You have just created a habitat for organisms like bacteria, pill bugs, and worms. These critters will digest your discards and create humus for you to use in your garden.

Do NOT compost the following items:

Meat
Bones
Dairy Products
Fish
Greasy Foods
Dog and cat feces
Unchopped, woody wastes
Diseased Plants
Coated paper

Additional Resources (click on the following links for composting resources):

Click on the following for additional information:

Composting at Home in Georgia brochure
Small Scale or Backyard Composting Information
Composting with Worms (Vermicomposting)
Composting in Schools – Cornell