Kitchen food scraps, the non-greasy variety, are a good source of compost material. In this photo of my counter-top container you can see some apple cores, chopped onion stalks, tomato scraps, banana peels and coffee grounds, including the filter. Meat products and greasy stuff are no-no’s because they are extremely slow to break down into usable humus, and, they are inclined to attract nuisance critters.

...Composting
AN EASY WAY TO GO GREEN--

Composting will happen naturally whether you do anything or not. Just take a peek in the woods. Nature’s annual cycle of leaf/needle formation, then disposal, layers the forest floor with an abundant supply of organic material.

Periodically it rains. There are lots of insects and earthworms, and, there are a bazillion million microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi—the real soldiers in this recipe which ultimately leads to that marvelous “woods dirt” all gardeners crave.

That deliciously, nutrient-rich dark humus found on the floor of woods everywhere is natural compost—the Earth’s way of replenishing its own skin, so to speak. It’s commonly called top soil.

The fastest way to create your own form of compost is to burn a pile of leaves. That huge pile can be reduced to a tiny amount of ashes in minutes. But, that is not always practical or legal. Besides, it adds to the problem of air pollution.

Your compost pile works much slower than your bon-fire but it is much more environmentally friendly. After all, we are trying to “Go Green.”

Here’s how; and this is a good time of year to start. Start your compost pile in a convenient corner someplace, or, in a commercially available container designed for this purpose.

Add a layer of those leaves. Add a layer of those last grass clippings. Add a layer of those annual plants and debris from this year’s flower garden. Meanwhile collect your organic household waste; no grease, no fish, no meat or bones please. But, most everything else organic will work just fine.

Toss in your coffee grounds, paper filter and all. Toss in the contents of your sweeper bag. Pet hair, human hair and all those “science projects” your vacuum nabs are likely organic too. Crush your eggshells and chop up your fruit peels and add them to your heap.

Do not buy any “Compost starter” or other such silliness offered at your local garden center. Just toss a few shovels full of soil into your pile here and there. A pile of this random mixture will heat up and begin to decompose quite naturally.

If your pile starts to show evidence of lots of white mold or some sliminess it is not getting enough oxygen. Take your pitch fork and mix it up a bit. The moisture content of your pile should be about the same as a well wrung-out sponge.

With just a little effort you can be part of the magic process that turns household and natural waste around your property into rich, new humus that will be an extraordinarily valuable addition to your soil or garden and dispose of lots of your waste products in the process.

Still curious, click here! for the EPA’s take on this subject.

And, for a marvelous paperback primer on the delightful art and science of composting I recommend this book highly: Let It Rot, by Stu Campbell, Storey Books, Pownal, VT 05261 http://www.storey.com/

And, here is the finished product; incredibly nutrient-rich, soil-like humus. You can achieve this composted waste in a month or so if you simply keep your pile at the correct moisture content and turn it once in awhile with a favorite garden tool. If you produce lots of it, chisel it into your garden soil as a marvelous and natural source of fertilizer. If your production is more modest it can be a delightful supplement to your flower gardening.