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By Carol Jo Morgan, MSW, MS
Environmental Outreach Coordinator
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Perhaps you read the last newsletter article about establishing a compost pile where you can recycle yard and kitchen "wastes" into rich natural fertilizers for your yard and garden. Once a good site is selected, you can make layers of "browns" and "greens" and let the decomposers begin to do their jobs. If you have an open compost pile sited on soil, the hungry decomposers will move right in, but you'll need to add red wigglers (available at Sailfin Pet Shop in Champaign, bait shops and Wal-Mart) to a closed compost bin.
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Special limited offer: Make your garden happy by buying and applying a bag of rich, ready-to-use "black gold" compost from Carol Jo's home system at The I.D.E.A. Store starting Saturday, May 19.
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As in nature, a successful compost system relies on achieving balance, in this case between carbon- and nitrogen-rich ingredients. The recommended ratio is 2:1 of browns to greens. We have found that as we add greens to our pile, covering them with a thin layer of browns works well. "Browns" provide carbon to the pile, and can include dry leaves, dead garden plants, straw, sawdust (free of paint, varnishes and other finishers or preservers), coffee grounds and filters, teabags, newspapers, unbleached paper napkins and towels, and paper-pulp food containers. They play an important role by ensuring that the pile doesn't get too wet, preventing mold and odors.
"Greens" are fresher and wetter, and include grass clippings; green leaves and garden plants; fruit and vegetable peelings, rinds, cores, tops and leftovers. Other good ingredients are inedible bread, plain rice and other grains, stale sugar-free cereals and crackers, and crushed eggshells. Some people do add sweets like stale doughnuts and cookies to their compost piles, but I don't because it attracts bees, to which I am allergic!
There are no-no's, too, and these are equally important to remember! Generally, meat products, dairy items and oily foods should not be put in your compost pile because they will smell, attracting neighborhood rodents and other critters.
Once your compost system is established, you'll want to turn it occasionally (just three times per year at our house) and add moisture if there is a long dry spell. Tips to speed up the process, troubleshoot and harvest are readily available online and through library books on composting, but my favorite reference is the booklet called "Home Composting Made Easy," which you can purchase at Urbana's Common Ground Food Co-op for $3.95.
On display at The I.D.E.A Store from Wednesday, May 16 - Saturday, May 26:
A made-from-reused-materials compost pile for teaching creative arts and science. Stop by and take a look!
