Composting

Composting Photo

Why Compost?

One person creates 360 pounds of food and yard waste per year. Instead of going to a landfill, this waste can be transformed into rich fertilizer in your own backyard. Composting uses natural processes to encourage the rapid decomposition of yard clippings, leaves, and food. Compost can be mixed into soil or put around plants to add more organic material and nutrients and to help them grow.

Tips on composting:

Leaves, grass clippings, fruits, vegetables, coffee grounds, eggshells, nutshells, saw dust (in limited amounts) and wood ash (in limited amounts) can all be included in a compost pile or bin. Meat, fish, dairy, animal fat, human or animal feces, and poisonous plants (i.e. poison ivy) should not be put in a compost pile (or compost bin). In addition, materials that attract pests and nuisance animals should be avoided.

Compost piles that contain food scraps should be kept in an enclosure of some sort. This enclosure needs to allow for occasional mixing. You can build your own or check your local hardware stores for pre-made compost structures. Some of the links below provide instructions for building your own compost bin.

The type of materials that you put in your compost bin will affect the decomposition rate. For best results, be sure to add both leaves and nitrogen-rich food and grass. Materials such as fresh-cut grass and food waste require a lot of oxygen to decompose; whereas, materials such as dead leaves and dry hay do not. A balance of the two is necessary for good compost.

Try the following techniques to hasten the decomposition process:

  • Place the pile in a warm place.
  • Keep the pile relatively damp.
  • Shred materials before placing them in the pile.
  • Aerate the pile to increase the amount of oxygen. Mixing the pile occasionally will speed up the rate of decay. Mixing can occur as frequently as every three days or as infrequently as every six weeks.

For More Information:
You can get more information about composting from the PA Department of Environmental Protection or your local library. Information on composting can also be found on the following websites:

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension
Ohio State University Cooperative Extension
NRCS Backyard Conservation Composting Information