I've started a compost pile in my backyard and I'd love some advice on what sorts of household waste would be good to kickstart things. Right now, I basically have a bunch of leaves, clay dirt, sticks and logs, and assorted yard waste.
Any ecological gardeners on here that could steer me in the right direction? Thanks in advance!
@Joshua Tabor @Azhar and Gabe (Atplanta) @Thyme to Party
Great question, Tres! We meet a lot of people that have a 'compost pile' that is more of a yard waste pile, so you aren't alone in your quest for compost. Typically when composting you want to reach the perfect ratio of nitrogen rich materials (often referred to as 'greens') and carbon rich materials (often referred to as 'browns'). Once you hit the perfect ratio of greens to browns, the microorganism in the compost will start to thrive, multiply, and produce heat as a byproduct - which is why you can look at an active compost pile in the winter and see it steaming. All that to say... you want about twice as many browns as greens. Common household greens include: - Veggie scraps
- Coffee grounds
- Grass clippings
Common household browns include - - Leaves
- Shedded paper
- Small twigs
- Straw For our compost pile at home, we have a yard bag of leaves that we snagged from a neighbor in the fall, and we add about twice as many leaves every time we dump out kitchen scraps to the pile- effectively creating layers of browns and greens. If it has been really dry, adding water to keep it damp is also helpful. If you're still having trouble getting it to break down, a compost thermometer can also be helpful. If the thermometer says the compost pile isn't 'active' - aka producing heat... it probably needs more greens. If it is 'very active'... it probably needs to be turned with a shovel or pitch fork so that it doesn't get too hot. Hope that helps! Compost on, Daniel