Composting - Make it happen: A guide to backyard composting

[music] You want a lush green lawn? You want a garden with lots of beautiful flowers and hearty vegetables? Of course! and composting can help [leaves and grass in compost bin] Composting is easy as long as you follow a few simple steps. Anyone can do it Trust me you really don't need to be an expert, and it's a great family project. Today you'll learn about the process and why you should compost, the four elements of composting, what materials to add and not to add, types of bins available, how to build and maintain a compost bin, and solutions to common composting challenges. We'll even tell you how you can get a composting bin at no additional charge from Montgomery County. Let's get started! Spending a small amount of time on this process makes compost that's good for your lawn, garden, plants, and even your wallet and you won't have to place yard trim materials such as leaves and grass clippings at the curb for recycling collection and processing by Montgomery County. If these reasons aren't enough making your own natural fertilizer protects the environment. Using compost reduces runoff from rain and melting snow and you don't have to purchase or use commercial fertilizers that are harmful if not applied correctly. Again, composting is easy and everyone can do it. But how does it work? Let's take a closer look! Composting is a biological process your yard trim materials breakdown and become a dark, nutrient-rich, sweet-smelling soil conditioner. This process happens naturally with the help of good insects, bacteria and micro-organisms. While that may not sound all that appetizing to us, it is a tasty combination for plants and lawns, and they will reward you for it. There are four things needed to create ideal conditions for finished compost. nitrogen carbon moisture, and oxygen. Nitrogen helps build cell structure and comes from green material such as grass clippings, flowers, and plant trimmings. Carbon provides the energy source in the composting process and comes from brown materials, including dry leaves, wood chips, straw and sawdust. Water is a critical component since the micro-organisms need moisture to live. And, oxygen supports the insects and microorganisms in the pile which are needed to break down the organic materials. [Music] Let's talk about some of the materials that you can compost in your own backyard. Most materials can be described as either brown or green. brown materials are high and carbon and include dry leaves wood chips straw and sawdust. You can also add shredded cotton rags dryer lint and limited amounts of oak leaves and wood ash. green materials are high in nitrogen and include grass clippings flowers and plant trimmings. You can also include fresh hay, prunings and nut shells. would you leave out of a compost bin is almost as important as what you put in. It's important to keep the following materials out of your compost bin: dairy products fats, grease, lard, or oils, meat, fish, or bones and vegetable scraps, since these can attract pests such as rodents and unwanted insects diseased or insect-ridden plants and pet waste. These may have diseases unwanted insects parasites bacteria or viruses that are harmful to humans or can be transferred to other plants black walnut, oleander castor bean, hemlock, and eucalyptus leaves or twigs and coal or charcoil ash. These contain poisons or substances that may harm soil life or kill other plants plants or weeds that have gone to seed seeds can get into the finished compost and grow where you don't want them. Pine needles and magnolia leaves take a much longer amount of time to compost so use them for mulch on top of the soil instead so remember leave these materials out of your compost bin to keep away pests such as rodents and insects stop the spread of weeds and prevent potential harm to your plants and even your health when in doubt leave it out [Music] a good rule of thumb is three parts brown material to one part green material brown materials alone will take a long time to come post but mixing in some green materials will speed up the decomposition process But don't worry about getting it exactly right you'll still end up with good compost Composting works best when you use a bin and there are many different types and styles available so what type of right for you? this depends on the amount of space in your yard how much material you'll be composting how fast you want to get finished compost and your personal taste and style an ideal compost bin is approximately three feet high by three feet wide this size ensures the most efficient rate of composting compost piles must be large enough to prevent the rapid loss of heat and moisture but small enough for proper air circulation you can purchase a compost bin, build your own, or save time and money by getting one from the Montgomery County Division of Solid Waste Services at no additional charge. compost bins are available for county residents at a number of locations countywide. these easy-to-use compost bins can be placed anywhere on your property there are some important points to consider when setting up a compost bin: area selection, materials, mixing, and watering pick a convenient location that is not too close to your house and at least one foot away from any wooden structure such as a fence or wood 0:06:51.749,0:06:52.759 pile you can set up your compost bin in either a sunny or shady location if placed in full sun, remember to check the moisture of the pile more frequently set your compost bin directly on the ground. to improve drainage you can place a small layer of twigs on the bottom of the bin. after you add brown and green materials into the compost bin you'll need to mix it up. then, add water. if you have mostly dry leaves, you'll need to add more water. Yup, that's it Your job is over now sit back and let the insects bacteria and micro-organisms do theirs during the composting process there are a few tips to keep the process working keeping the pile moist but not wet will promote beneficial bacterial growth make a depression with top of the pile to collect rainwater if you're pile gets too dry add some water or green materials which have high moisture content if your compost pile gets too wet the excess moisture can slow down the composting process so adding some brown material such as dry leaves will soak up extra moisture stirring and turning your compost pile will allow needed oxygen to enter into the pile turn your compost pile every week or two moving the dry materials from the edges to the center as you add materials, be sure to mix them and thoroughly especially grass clippings. the optimal temperature range for a compost pile is about a hundred and twenty to a hundred and forty degrees Fahrenheit keeping the pile in this range for a period of five days creates an ideal environment for the insects bacteria and micro-organisms to do their work if the pile gets too hot it will slow down the composting process mix the pile and it will cool down naturally during colder months the composting process slows down but you can continue to add material throughout the year depending on your particular setup and how much attention you pay to your compost pile you'll get finished compost in six to nine months What happens if something goes wrong with your compost? Here are fixes to common issues you may have the compost pile feels to dry bacteria need moisture to live so you need to add water and/or green materials such as grass clippings you want the compost to feel moist to the touch like a damp sponge If the compost pile is too wet you need to add dry brown materials such as leaves, straw, or sawdust to soak up the extra moisture. Tt doesn't look like anything is happening if the pile feels warm it's working to speed up the process you need to add green materials and turn the pile to aerate it the compost pile smells bad adding only grass clippings or mostly green material to a compost pile can create unpleasant odors so you need to add brown materials to minimize these. compost is ready to use when it's crumbly, sweet-smelling, and has turned a rich dark brown color like this. you can use your finished compost in gardens and planting beds spread about three inches of finished compost and then mix it into the top six inches of soil it's a great natural fertilizer and will provide you with better soil consistency another great way to use your compost is to make potting soil just mix equal parts of compost, sand, and topsoil also in the fall, adding a quarter-inch of fresh compost on your lawn will improve the health of your lawn so there you have it! Composting is simple. Tt's nature's fertilizer, containing most of the nutrients needed for plant growth releasing them slowly over several years. Compost improves soil texture reduces runoff, retains moisture, and will make your plants and lawn healthier. To learn more about composting and to find out where you can get a compost bin at no additional charge, you should contact the Montgomery County Division of Solid Waste Services. Remember, compost is good for your lawn and garden saves you money the and helps you protect the environment. So, now that you know, compost make it happen!