For additional information, refer to the following internet resources:

Transcription

1 For additional information, refer to the following internet resources: _ This manual was completed with input from the following: The Talking Farm Ecology Center Office of Sustainability Collective Resource Submit questions or comments to or

2 is the decayed remains of organic compounds (vegetable and animal matter) that have broken down into a natural fertilizer. Gardeners call it black gold, because it is so rich in nutrients and adds so much value when incorporated into your soil. is one of nature s best mulches and soil amendments, and it can be used instead of artificial commercial fertilizers. Perhaps best of all, compost is inexpensive and can be made at home without spending any money. The City of is conducting a composting pilot program, which provides containers to residents that can be used for composting. For the pilot program, there will be a limited number of compost containers available which are made from repurposed, 95-gallon refuse carts. condition, few, if any, other soil amendments need to be added. In addition to the benefits to your garden, composting can help reduce the amount of material going to landfills and reclaim valuable properties left behind in our yard and food waste. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the following facts and figures are true of the municipal solid waste in the United States. Over 8% of the waste that each person generates each day could be recovered for composting. Using homemade compost in your garden improves soil structure, texture, aera- That works out to over 140 lbs per person, per year! tion, water-holding capacity, the ph value and adds nutrients. Because of its open, crumbly texture, compost both loosens heavy clay soils so that they drain better and helps light sandy soils retain water. improves soil fertility because its organic matter provides food for microorganisms, which in turn provide nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and minerals in an available form for plant uptake and stimulates healthy root development. By keeping the soil in a healthy, balanced ing allows your household to reduce the 65 million tons of food and yard waste that would normally go into a landfill by instead turning these materials into fertilizer. Yard waste and trimmings account for nearly 5% of municipal solid waste in Illinois. This waste consists of grass, leaves, tree, and brush trimmings - adding up to approximately one million tons each year. Approximately 10% of the municipal solid waste in the state of Illinois is food scraps. While it may seem like a small percentage, it equals nearly 1.8 million tons per year in Illinois alone, and 32 million tons per year across the United States. Like yard waste, food waste scraps can also be composted. 2 3

3 ing is environmentally and ecologically sound especially in urban areas. Benefits of creating your own compost include: Reduces use of water Reduces use of trash bags Cuts cost of pick-up Reduces need for disposal Reduces need for artificial soil conditioners When you use compost as a soil conditioner, rather than a fertilizer, the following benefits can be realized: Improves soil structure Aids in nutrient retention and their slow release Invites worms into soil Increases microorganisms in soil Increases heat absorption Improves retention of soil (from rain and wind) Helps neutralize soil ph ing itself is cheap and easy to learn. While there is a bit of an art to it that comes with practice, we encourage you to jump right in and begin with the following guidelines. Breaking down organic waste requires the right amount of moisture, heat, aeration, and a proper mix of starting materials. When the first four (wet and dry, brown and green) are in proper balance, they create the ideal environment and temperature for the fifth critical component, decomposers, to work. The decomposers are nature s magicians, reducing the brown and green organic material, over a period of time, by a 70-89% volume into crumbly, sweet-smelling humus. To make compost, you need five basic components: moisture (wet) air or oxygen (dry) woody and dead organic matter - high in carbon content (brown) recently cut vegetation and organic material high in nitrogen content (green) decomposers Select a Bin: bins consolidate the naturally occurring soil microorganisms that break down organic material like yard and garden debris and kitchen scraps into one central spot. It can take years for full decomposition to occur in the wild, but a well managed compost bin or pile can do the job in months or even weeks. The amount of time for decomposition is reduced by providing optimal conditions for the microorganisms. A compost container can either be purchased or constructed out of simple materials. Simple, stationary holding units are an easy, passive style of composting, while tumbling units provide compost more quickly with frequent rotation. Containers provided for the compost pilot program are made from repurposed, 95-gallon refuse carts. The refuse carts have been washed and retrofitted to serve as a stationary composting container. They have ½ diameter holes drilled on the sides to provide air and holes drilled on the bottom to provide drainage. The containers have been spray painted with compost on them and the wheels have been removed to distinguish them. 4 5

4 A stationary unit requires layering wastes into a pile or bin as they are generated. Non-woody materials such as grass clippings, food and crop wastes, garden weeds, and leaves work best in these systems. Openings in the sides of the container need to be large enough to permit plenty of air, but small enough to contain the composting materials so that they don t spill out. Several stationary bins can be grouped together so that one bin is used to accept new materials and the others are decomposing older materials. A tumbling unit allows wastes to be conveniently mixed for aeration on a regular basis which speeds the decomposition. Select a Site: A fter a compost container is selected, you should select a site for your compost. Important considerations when selecting a site: Choose a level, well-drained area Keep it accessible to the back door if adding kitchen scraps Keep the pile in a sunny place to trap solar heat Provide some shelter to protect from freezing and drying winds Build directly over soil to take advantage of earthworms, beneficial microbes and other decomposers that can easily enter the bin Building on soil also allows for better drainage discreetly if neighbors are close by. Use distance and visual barriers between pile and neighbors Accesories: There are several tools and accesories that will help you be successful with composting. Consider the following tools that help in the process. pail with lid to collect kitchen scraps; this can sit on the kitchen counter or under the sink or even be kept in the freezer Aerator a long rod with collapsible wings on one end that is jabbed into the compost pile and then pulled out so that it mixes, loosens and aerates the pile Thermometer to check the internal temperature the pile should ideally be between 130 and 160 degrees sifter a mesh or screen to separate out the finer compost particles to use for houseplants or new seedlings Electric shredder/chipper to reduce the size of the brown and green vegetative matter so that they decompose quicker Spade or shovel to turn material in the compost bin or for transferring material into and out of the bin Due to the large size of the compost containers provided in the pilot program, the container will become heavy as it is filled with material and may be difficult to move. It will be important to find a location for your container that has adequate air flow and enough space to empty the compost. It may be necessary to turn the compost container on its side in order to remove finished compost. The compost can be mixed using an aerator (described on this page) or by turning the container on its side and rolling it on the ground. As part of the pilot program, each container comes with 4 zip ties. Reusable zip ties can be purchased at your local hardware store. 6 7

5 8 Once the compost bin is in place, it is time to start feeding the bin. Refer to the table on the following pages for a list of what can and cannot be composted. Microbes that break down compost need plenty of cellulose-rich, carbon material (brown) along with nitrogen rich kitchen and garden scraps (green). Feed yard trimmings and kitchen scraps to your bin as you generate them and make sure to chop them into pieces 6-inches or smaller. Food scraps and grass clippings need to be buried or mixed into the center of the pile. Add a layer of carbon/brown material after each green layer. The ideal mix is approximately 75% carbon/brown material and 25% nitrogen/ green scraps by volume, or 3 inches of carbon rich materials to 1 inch of nitrogen rich materials. It can be helpful to dedicate a second container or yard bag to store leaves collected in the fall. Coffee grounds along with cut up coffee filters, black and white news print, and a shovel full or two of native soil is a good recipe to avoid odors and keep fruit flies at bay. Using Finish : Your compost will be finished when it is fine and crumbly like coarse potting soil or fine mulch. You can sift out any larger particles that have not broken down and add them back to the bin for the next match. The amount of time required to make compost will vary widely depending upon the materials, the outdoor temperature, and the frequency of turning or mixing the material. Remove the finished compost from the container and it is ready to be used as a soil amendment, mulch or as a component in a home blended potting media. To achieve optimal conditions, you should focus on drainage, air flow, insulation, and a good mix of various ingredients. Drainage: The compost must maintain a balance between completely dry and sopping wet. A good rule of thumb is that your compost material should have the same level of moisture as a recently wrung out sponge. A good composting bin will have both a lid to restrict water intake as well as a drain to allow for quick drainage when too much water is introduced to your composting material. Air Flow: Many compost bins are designed to maximize air flow and circulation because oxygen keeps away anaerobic microbes that can otherwise create odors. Oxygen is also the fuel for the aerobic microbes that break down waste into finished compost. In short, providing ample airflow to your compost bin will both manage any odors while also expediting the process. Insulation: The fastest decomposition occurs between 130 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit but some breakdown will occur as long as the compost is kept above freezing. Should the compost freeze, it will again start decomposing when the temperatures warm up. Microbes generate their own heat as they work, so keeping the compost bin warm is all about proper insulation. Diverse Ingredients: The ingredients of your compost are also important. Microbes that break down compost do well on a mix of different food sources. They need plenty of cellulose-rich, carbon material (brown) along with nitrogen rich kitchen scraps (green). The ideal mix is 75% carbon/brown material and 25% nitrogen/ green scraps by volume, or 3 inches of carbon rich materials to 1 inch of nitrogen rich materials. If you are doing it by weight, it should be a 50 / 50 mix of nitrogen rich and carbon rich materials. In short, for every pound of kitchen scraps, it s good to have a pound of leaves. 9

6 The following items can be composted: Brown: Autumn leaves (best if chopped and wintered over for spring inclusion) Cardboard paper rolls Clean paper Coffee grounds & filters Cotton rags (no mixed or polyester cloth) Eggshells, crushed Fireplace ashes from wood only, no coal ashes Hair & fur Straw, chopped and hay that is free of weed seeds Nut shells Sawdust, untreated wood only Shredded newspaper, not glossy/colored Tea bags Wood chips, untreated wood only Wool rags Green: Animal (herbivore only!) manure Corn Cobs Fruit & vegetable kitchen scraps Houseplants & leaves, not diseased Grass clippings (not treated with herbicides or insecticides) Yard trimmings, well chopped and free of disease or destructive insects The following items cannot be composted: Black walnut tree leaves or twigs Coal or charcoal ash Dairy products Milk Sour cream Yogurt Etc. Eggs Diseased or insect-ridden plants Fats, grease, lard, or oils Home grown tomatoes or tomato leaves which may harbor hidden wilt, mold or blight Meat or fish bones and scraps Pet wastes Dog & Cat feces Soiled cat litter Etc. Yard trimmings treated with chemicals/ pesticides/herbicides 10 11

7 is not heating up: Issue: Lack of air, nitrogen, moisture; pile too small. Solution: Aerate your compost by turning pile, add nitrogen and/or water; build a bigger pile. Pile smells gross : Problem: Pile too wet, lacks oxygen, compacted. Solution: Turn pile to aerate, add dry material. Pile smells like ammonia: Issue: Your compost has excess nitrogen (green content). Solution: Turn pile and add carbon (brown) and some soil. Pile attracts pests, flies and neighbors complaints: Issue: Attractive kitchen scraps near the surface. Solution: When adding kitchen scraps, bury them in the middle of the pile; keep meat, dairy and inappropriate organic matter out of pile. Containers provided for the pilot program are over 3-feet tall and may need to be emptied by tipping them onto their side. Keep this in mind when setting a location for your compost container and when preparing to empty the container. Pile has stopped steaming and shrinking and is brown and earthy smelling: Issue: is finished! Solution: Remove from pile or bin! The 35 Illinois Administrative Code Section 830 provides standards for compost facilities across the State. In Illinois, composting is allowed if the following requirements are met: Garden Operation is allowed if it contains no more than 25* cubic yards of landscape waste, composting material or end-product compost on-site at any one time and the property is not engaging in commercial activity. Landscape Operation is allowed if it includes landscape wastes generated by such facility s own activities which are stored, treated or disposed of within the site where such wastes are generated. The City of does not have additional regulations for composting within the community so composting operations must follow the state regulations. If you are new to composting, start out with a compost container that is a size which you feel comfortable maintaining and you are prepared to use the amount of finished compost that it will produce. Most residential households generate far more kitchen and landscape waste than can be composted on-site. Use the first season of composting as your very own pilot project and expand the compost operation in subsequent years. * - How much is 25 cubic yards? One cubic yard is a measure of volume that can be represented by a shape that is 3 feet wide by 3 feet deep by 3 feet tall. To put that into perspective, the city s larger size residential garbage container is 95 gallons or around 0.5 cubic yards