The Do’s and Don’ts of Composting

The Benefits of Composting

           Composting does wonders for your garden and lawn and lessens your carbon footprint, and you don’t need to be a farmer to see the benefits and consider making your own. It’s easy to start your own pile as long as you know the fundamentals. So here are some rules to live by so your pile breaks down fast and produces usable compost quickly. 

Composting Fundamentals

DO:

• Chop all the materials you use into smaller pieces

• Cover your pile if your area gets a lot of rain or sunshine 

• Add nitrogen fertilizer if your pile has too many brown materials

• Add crushed egg shells so your finished compost is calcium-rich 

DON’T: 

• Don’t leave food scraps at the top of your pile, it can attract insects and rodents

• Don’t put plant roots, pesticide-infected plant matter, or diseased plants into your pile

• Don’t include animal manure in compost that will be used on food crops

What is Composting Hygiene?

           It’s a must to practice good composting hygiene. Make sure to cover fresh nitrogen-rich material with carbon-based material. Nitrogen materials can release unpleasant odors when overly exposed to air. Your brown materials generally give off a fresh and woody smell. If there’s any confusion on which is which, we made an easy-to-read guide on what’s what, and how much to use. 

What Can I Compost?

Here are 21 items you absolutely can compost!

• Wood Chips/Pellets/Wood Ash: Carbon (Make sure they’re from clean materials and oil-free. Sprinkle lightly and use sparingly.) 

• Tea Leaves/Bags: Nitrogen

• Table Scraps: Nitrogen (Add with dry carbon items.) 

• Straw/Hay: Carbon (Straw is best, hay with seeds is not ideal. The goal of your pile is decomposition, not growth.)

• Shredded Newspaper/Paper: Carbon (Avoid glossy paper and colored inks, black and white print is best.)

• Shrub Pruning: Carbon (Woody prunings are slow to break down, make sure you cut them into very small pieces.)

• Pine Needles: Carbon (They’re very acidic so use them in moderation.)

• Seaweed/Kelp: Nitrogen (Add in thin layers. Very good source of minerals.)

• Sawdust Pellets: Carbon (Add in layers to avoid clumping.)

• Leaves: Carbon (Best shredded to speed up breakdown.)

• Lawn Weeds: Nitrogen (It’s very important that you only use weeds that haven’t gone to seed.)

• Grass Clippings: Nitrogen (Add in thin layers so they don’t clump making it difficult to break down.)

• Green Comfrey Leaves: Nitrogen (These are an excellent way to jumpstart your pile.)

• Fruit/Vegetable Scraps: Nitrogen (Top with dry carbon items)

• Garden Plants: Neutral (Make sure to only use disease-free plants so you don’t spread it when you use your compost.)

• Flowers/Trimmings: Nitrogen (Chop up any woody stems, the smaller the pieces the quicker they break down.)

• Egg Shells: Neutral (Best crushed.)

• Dryer Lint: Carbon (Use from natural fibers, non-synthetic)

• Corn Cob/Corn Stalks: Carbon (Slow to decompose, needs to be broken up.)

• Coffee Grounds: Carbon (Filters can be included.)

• Cardboard: Carbon (Best to shred.)

What Can I Not Compost?

• Dairy products, bones, and meat

• Foods rich in fats and oils; mayonnaise, peanut butter, salad dressings, and vegetable oils

• Animal (or human) waste

• Garden waste treated with pesticides

• Garden waste from sick plants

• Plastics, even biodegradable ones 

• Raspberry brambles 

• Large sticks or branches

• Pressure-treated wood

• Leaves or sticks from black walnut trees

How does Composting Work Towards Sustainability?

           Now that you know what’s best to add to your pile, and in what amounts, you’re ready to get started. For more information on how to start your own pile, check out our other blogs! By starting your own pile you’re doing your part to lessen the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, and by keeping them from filling up we keep our other spaces from being used for garbage as well. Keeping wilderness wild, now that’s something we can all get behind.  

Four Roots and Food Access For All

           Four Roots is based out of Spokane Washington and is a veteran and women-owned business. We source produce and other foodstuffs from local farmers and ranchers and distribute their goods to local hunger relief organizations and those in need within our community and state. If you’re interested in bringing some of those goodies home for you and your family check out our events page for public distribution days. Or if you would like to order a nice box click here!