Composting Made Easy

Do’s:
· Do water your compost pile if it is too dry. Watering helps the heap break down and compost faster. You want your compost to be damp, but not soggy.
· Do compost the right material. Leaves, weeds, kitchen scraps, manure, lawn clippings and sawdust are all acceptable composting material.
· Do put your compost in a sunny spot. The more heat your pile can generate, the better the decomposition.
· Do turn your compost regularly. Circulating the air in your compost helps maintain the odors and also encourages a faster breakdown.
· Do cut up larger items. This enables them to decompose more rapidly.
· Do cover any food scraps with loose dirt if your compost is open. If you have a lid or closed compost, you should be ok. However, layering is good and many resources recommend a green layer followed by a brown layer to even out the contents of the compost.
· Do make as big of a pile of compost as your space allows. The bigger the pile, the better breakdown of the compost. Larger piles hold in the heat more, causing faster deterioration of the material.
Don’ts
· Don’t compost meats, dairy products, grease, or any feces.
· Don’t put weed seeds into the compost. These can survive and would be counterproductive to your gardening efforts when you use your compost.
· Don’t compost items that are not compost material (like plastics and other synthetic materials)
· Don’t compost any plant that might have a disease. This disease might infect the compost and could ultimately be transplanted back into your garden when you use your compost material.

Source: “Create Your Own Compost” flier available at The Butterfly Pavilion; www.butterflies.org