How to Become a Composting Guru
Posted on 23. Nov, 2008 by Chris Baskind in Home & Garden
With more municipalities going to curbside recycling, running a compost heap isn’t just for the crunchy set anymore. Here’s how to know what belongs in the pile.
Composting isn’t just for kitchen scraps anymore. Or just for hardcore Greens. Learning how to get a compost heap running has become an important way to both enrich our garden soil and reduce the amount of organic waste which ends up at your local landfill. But how do you know what should, and — perhaps more importantly — shouldn’t go into the pile?
That’s where Compost This comes in. A companion to the popular recycling and repurposing site Recycle This, Compost This is the brainchild of Louisa Parry and John Leach. The couple is also responsible for the UK-based celebrity mashup Fametastic.
Composting may not be quite as glamorous as chasing the latest dish on Angelina Jolie, but there’s a certain sexiness to knowing whether or not you can compost dryer lint (yes, but too many dryer sheets will add unwanted chemical residue to the pile). And that’s how Compost This works — it’s an indexed guide that says yes, no, or maybe to things you might want to compost.
A sample:
- Cardboard. You bet, but it breaks down best if it’s wet and shredded.
Baked beans. Nope, worms don’t don’t fancy them. You’d like the earthworms to feel right at home.
Cat waste and litter. Definitely not. Cat waste might contain organisms dangerous to humans.
Shredded paper. Yes, but refrain from shiny stocks.
Potatoes. Absolutely — though whole ones are pretty stubborn and might regrow. Free potatoes for everyone.
You get the idea. It’s a one-stop shop for the prospective composter. Be good to the Earth and the make the garbage man’s job a little easier at Compost This.
8 Responses to “How to Become a Composting Guru”
Leave a Reply
Additional comments powered by BackType
Are you sure about the baked beans? Sounds like maybe what they mean is that baked beans would not work out in a worm bin. But no reason they wouldn't work in a composter which works by bacterial action, not necessarily worm action.
Are you sure about the baked beans? Sounds like maybe what they mean is that baked beans would not work out in a worm bin. But no reason they wouldn't work in a composter which works by bacterial action, not necessarily worm action.
Baked beans are a bit salty, but I suppose you could compost them if your pile didn't have any worms. Mine do: big fat ones. So we'll just make sure there are no leftovers.
Baked beans are a bit salty, but I suppose you could compost them if your pile didn't have any worms. Mine do: big fat ones. So we'll just make sure there are no leftovers.
I grow veggies with my compost every season, and manage to reduce my grocery bill enough to make it worth while! Just as a footnote, not a recommendation, the reason most Asian cities are surrounded by green rings of vegetation , they use humanure to grow veggies for the city folk! yuucck! We must turn our “humanure” into radiated (prevent disease spread) fertilizer for huge hemp farms on semi-arable land, to make paper and bio-diesel, saving both forests and fuel costs and getting rid of that other stuff all for a profit. America, this is the dream, you make it happen!
I grow veggies with my compost every season, and manage to reduce my grocery bill enough to make it worth while! Just as a footnote, not a recommendation, the reason most Asian cities are surrounded by green rings of vegetation , they use humanure to grow veggies for the city folk! yuucck! We must turn our “humanure” into radiated (prevent disease spread) fertilizer for huge hemp farms on semi-arable land, to make paper and bio-diesel, saving both forests and fuel costs and getting rid of that other stuff all for a profit. America, this is the dream, you make it happen!
screening compost is important , speeds up cycle , or sifting after product for use , http://www.originalwheelbarrowscreener.com , just a helpful tip , kevin , yes we are solar powered since 94 check out a real green company
Great article on composting. People living in apartments can do it as well and it is especially feasible in apartments with balconies or rooftops.