How to Begin and What to Add
- Intro
- How to Begin
- Making and Managing your Compost
- Troubleshooting and Composting in Alaska
- When is My Compost Finished, How Can I use it, Additional Resources
HOW TO BEGIN
Although it is not required when composting, containing
the compost in some sort of structure can speed up
the process, save space, and keep critters away from
your pile. Your pile should be at least 3 feet
long, 3 feet wide, and 3 feet high so plan accordingly. Homemade
bins can be constructed out of scrap wood, chicken
wire, snow fencing or even old garbage cans (with
holes punched in the sides and bottom). Manufactured
bins can also be purchased. It may be helpful to build
a bin with several compartments or to have three separate
bins to store your grass clippings and other greens
as well as your browns until they are ready to be
added. When selecting a compost site look for
a level, well-drained area, with adequate sun exposure,
and shelter to protect from freezing cold winds which
could slow down the decaying process. Build
the pile over soil or lawn rather than concrete or
asphalt; you will need easy access for the earthworms,
microbes, and other decomposers to begin decomposing
your pile.
WHAT TO ADD
Once you have a designated area for your compost pile, you should start thinking of things you can add to your pile. Almost any organic material is suitable for a compost pile. The main thing you want to keep in mind is to maintain a balance between carbon-rich materials or “browns” and nitrogen-rich materials or “greens.” The ideal ratio is about 25 parts brown to 1 part greens, judging the amounts roughly equal by weight.
Browns can include:
- Straw and hay
- Dead or dried leaves
- Wood chips and sawdust
- Coffee grounds and filters
- Dry plant stems and twigs
- Scrunched up paper
- Torn up cardboard (e.g. from cereal
boxes, egg cartons, toilet rolls etc.) - Pet and human hair
- Egg shells
Greens can include:
- Grass clippings
- Leaves
- Pine needles
- Weeds/nettles (avoid weed seeds if possible)
- Manure
- Raw fruit and vegetables
- Fresh plants
- Tea leaves
- Seaweed, algae and garden pond cleanings
- Wood/peat ashes
WHAT NOT TO ADD
- Chemically treated wood products
- Diseased plants
- Human wastes
- Meat, bones, and fatty food wastes
- Pernicious weeds
- Pet wastes
HELPFUL HINTS WHEN ADDING
- Egg shells decompose slowly so should be crushed before adding.
- Meat, meat products, dairy products, and high-fat foods like salad dressings and peanut butter preferably shouldn’t be added to the pile, they are slow to decompose and might smell bad in the process as well as attract pests.
- All additions to the compost will decompose more quickly if they are chopped up some before adding.
- Wood ashes from a wood burning stove or fireplace can be added to the compost pile but no more than 2 gallon-sized buckets full to a pile with 3’x3’x3’ dimensions. Be sure not to use coal ashes they contain large amounts of sulfur and iron that can injure plants.
- Most weeds and weed seeds are killed when the pile reaches an internal temperature above 130 degrees, but those with persistent root systems and weeds that are going to seed may survive, avoid adding these weeds to your pile.
- Manure can be added to the pile as a green but should come from vegetarian animals like bats, sheep, ducks, pigs, goats, or cows. Avoid manure from carnivores it can contain dangerous pathogens. In addition, manure should be left to age a little before adding as it can overheat your pile and kill off earthworms and friendly bacteria. Be sure to layer manure with carbon-rich brown materials such as straw or leaves to keep your pile in balance.
- When adding seaweed to your pile wash off the salt before sending it to the compost.
- Avoid adding lime to your compost it can kill composting action.
| Type of Material | Use it? | Carbon/ Nitrogen | Details |
| Algae, seaweed and lake moss | Yes | N | Good nutrient source. |
| Ashes from coal or charcoal | No | n/a | May contain materials bad for plants. |
| Ashes from untreated, unpainted wood | Careful | Neutral | Fine amounts at most. Can make the pile too alkaline and suppress composting. |
| Beverages, kitchen rinse water | Yes | Neutral | Good to moisten the middle of the pile. Don't over-moisten the pile. |
| Bird droppings | Careful | N | May contain weed seeds or disease organisms. |
| Cardboard | Yes | C | Shred into small pieces if you use it. Wetting it makes it easier to tear. If you have a lot, consider recycling instead. |
| Cat droppings or cat litter | No | n/a | May contain disease organisms. Avoid. |
| Coffee ground and filters | Yes | N | Worms love coffee grounds and coffee filters. |
| Compost activator | Not required, but ok. | Neutral | You don't really need it, but it doesn't hurt. |
| Cornstalks, corn cobs | Yes | C | Best if shredded and mixed well with nitrogen rich materials. |
| Diseased plants | Careful | N | If your pile doesn't get hot enough, it might not kill the organisms, so be careful. Let it cure several months, and don't use resulting compost near the type of plant that was diseased. |
| Dog droppings | No | n/a | Avoid. |
| Dryer lint | Yes | C | Compost away! Moistening helps. |
| Eggshells | Yes | O | Break down slowly. Crushing shells helps. |
| Fish scraps | No | n/a | Can attract rodents and cause a stinky pile. |
| Hair | Yes | N | Scatter so it isn't in clumps. |
| Lime | No | n/a | Can kill composting action. Avoid. |
| Manure (horse, cow, pig, sheep, goat, chicken, rabbit) | Yes | N | Great source of nitrogen. Mix with carbon rich materials so it breaks down better. |
| Meat, fat, grease, oils, bones | No | n/a | Avoid. |
| Milk, cheese, yogurt | Careful | Neutral | Put it deep in the pile to avoid attracting animals. |
| Newspaper | Yes | C | Shred it so it breaks down easier. It is easy to add too much newspaper, so recycle instead if you have a lot. Don't add slick colored pages. |
| Oak leaves | Yes | C | Shredding leaves helps them break down faster. They decompose slowly. Acidic. |
| Sawdust and wood shavings (untreated wood) | Yes | C | You'll need a lot of nitrogen materials to make up for the high carbon content. Don't use too much, and don't use treated woods. |
| Pine needles and cones | Yes | C | Don't overload the pile. Also acidic and decomposes slowly. |
| Weeds | Careful | N | Dry them out on the pavement, then add later. |
| Sod | Careful | N | Make sure the pile is hot enough, so grass doesn't continue growing. |
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