COMPOSTING 101

I'm trying to get my head around composting. I think it's time to start making a concerted effort to do it. With all the gardening, cooking, and CSA supporting we've been doing lately, I feel more and more responsible and compelled to compost. I've been researching and talking with friends about their methods which span the gamut. At the very least, our town's trash service just changed vendors and we now have a designated compost can. Still, I think I'd like to be able to use some for our own garden. My guess is that composting like most things works when it becomes a habit.

What is composting? Composting is the decomposition of plant remains and other once-living materials to make an earthy, dark, soil-like substance that is excellent for adding to/enriching garden soil. Compost provides the essential nutrients for healthy plant growth, and it almost always releases those nutrients over time to give plants a slow, steady, consistent intake of nutrients essential for growth. Compost also improves soil structure making it easier for soil to hold and use the right amount of moisture and air. And, it can even reduce harmful greenhouse gases. “Organics that break down in a landfill produce methane gas, which is about 120 times more harmful than carbon dioxide,” says Cary Oshins, assistant director for programs at the United States Composting Council, in Ronkonkoma, New York. So why not help the planet and your yard by piling it on? Plus, "If everyone did it, it could divert 36 million tons of food waste from landfills annually in the U.S." (source). The bottom line is that composting is an awesome way to recycle your kitchen and yard waste, and is a critical step in reducing the volume of garbage needlessly sent to landfills for disposal. Win-win.

I consulted my friend Christa who has been composting for 20 years. She is an expert. She lives In Berkeley with her family and Berkeley as many of you know can be a fussy city when it comes to things like this. For example, the town sometimes has contests where they go through your regular garbage can to see if you should/could have put any of the trash into the recycle or green can! Woah. Might make you think twice about what you are throwing in there. Right? Our town isn't at that level (yet) but I do admire and respect the awareness.

Christa uses a stacking compost bin (purchased from Smith and Hawken years ago - photo below). What goes into her compost?

YES

• vegetable trimmings

• fruit trimmings

• coffee grinds (She is a firm believer in coffee grinds: her soil has a dark rich color.)

• yard materials such as leaves and periodic garden trimmings

• Christa's husband Mike makes wine. After harvest, they also add the stemmed/crushed grape leftovers. The pile begins to smell like a wine cellar for weeks afterward but the resulting soil is wonderful.

NO

• No meat

• No poultry

• No fish

• No eggshells

• no avocado pits

• no stone fruit pits (pits take too long to break down)

Once all the materials are in the bin, the method becomes "set-and-rest". Christa says that she really doesn't do anything else -- no turning, no adding water -- she just lets the organic matter break down. Since she uses a stationery composter, the worms seem to come in on their own. She said that people often times have to add their own worms, particularly when using an elevated turning compost bin. When she is ready to plant, she just scoops out as much as she needs and either mixes it into the garden bed before planting/replanting or just adds the compost as mulch on top afterward. She says that it "feels so good to reuse/recycle!"

I asked Christa how she knew when the compost was ready to use. She said that the compost is ready to go when it looks like soil - similar to a bag of compost or mulch bought at a garden supply store. Hers smells super rich, like hiking in the redwood forest after a rain -- a vibrantly earthy smell. The soil she yields is very dark, which is likely a result of lots of coffee grounds being added. All of her organic matter breaks down quickly and is generally usable within 6-8 weeks after she adds material. [The photos above are about 10 days old, and the material that was fresh that day is already looking much browner today - it really happens fast.]

She's even got her son involved -- pretty darn cool if you ask me. It sure seems like a great way to start early environmental and kitchen habits.

I will keep you posted on our efforts/what we decide to do. Christa and Kit make it look easy which is half the battle, no? I can almost feel my mom rolling her eyes...and bet she's wondering if we'll be getting chickens next. Hey, never say never... but I digress! If you are still interested click here for more info: Howtocompost.org !

#composting