Backyard Composting · Composting is a tool that allows us to control and speed up the natural...
Transcript of Backyard Composting · Composting is a tool that allows us to control and speed up the natural...
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Backyard Composting
Image Citation: ENRI Task Force
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Happy Earth Day!
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•What is composting?•Why compost?•How composting works•Hot vs. cold method•Using finished compost•FAQs
Outline
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What is composting?Composting is a tool that allows us to control and speed up the natural decomposition process of organic materials.
Image Citation: ENRI Task Force
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Why compost?
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Soil Benefits
45%
25%
25%
5%
Minerals Pores (Water) Pores (Air) Organic Matter
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Major Components of Soil
40%
25%
25%
10%
Minerals Pores (Water) Pores (Air) Organic Matter
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Benefits of Organic Matter
•Increases soils ability to hold nutrients•Improves soil structure
•Improves aeration•Improves drainage•Reduces erosion
•Increases the amount of available water for plants
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Reduce Waste
Composting decreases the amount of waste sent to landfills!
On average, Americans produce over 4 pounds of waste per person per day. Roughly,
1.5 pounds is recycled and composted resulting in over 2.5 pounds being sent to
landfills or incinerators.
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Food Waste21%
Glass5%
Metals9%
Other4%
Paper & Paperboard
15%
Plastics18%
Rubber, Leather, &
Textiles11%
Wood8%
Yard Trimmings
9%
Total Municipal Solid Waste Discarded in 2012(164 Million Tons Discarded After Recycling and
Composting)Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
38% is compostable at home!
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Image Citation: KY Division of Waste Management
Each year in Kentucky over 600,000 tons of food waste is sent to landfills.
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How does composting
work?
Image Citation: Mark Coyne, UK
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Natural process – It’s alive!
• Requires food, air, water, and temp• Bacteria, fungi, worms, beetles, nematodes all
work to break down the waste
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Providing the Right Food
Greens (High in Nitrogen)Vegetable and Fruit WasteFresh-Cut Grass
Browns (High in Carbon)Dry GrassDry LeavesNewspaper
25-30 Parts Brown 1 Part Green
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Items that can be added to compost:
•Fruit and vegetable waste•Eggshells•Coffee grounds and tea bags•Clothes dryer lint•Paper and newspaper •Hair•Cardboard rolls•Yard waste (such as leaves, grass clippings, etc.)•Straw and hay•Sawdust (in small amounts)
Providing the Right Food
Image Citation: ENRI Task Force
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Items that can NOT be added to compost:
•Meats, meat products, bones, and fish•Fats, greases, and oils•Baked goods (such as breads, cakes, cookies, pies)•Dairy products (such as milk, cheeses, yogurts)•Pet waste and kitty litter•Hard to kill weeds and weeds that have gone to seed•Diseased plants•Black walnut leaves and twigs•Yard waste treated with chemicals•Coal and charcoal ashes
Providing the Right Food
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Providing the Right Amount of Moisture
Compost with the correct amount of moisture (~50-60%) should have the
consistency of a wrung-out, damp sponge.
•Add water if the compost is too dry. •If the compost is too wet, turn it more frequently until it air-dries to the proper moisture content.
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Keeping Microbes Warm
3 feet per side
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Composting Bins
Wood Compost Unit
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Composting Bins
Closed Composter Tumblers
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Composting Bins
Wood and Wire Three Bin Compost Unit
Three Bin Compost UnitMade From Pallets
Image Citation: ENRI Task Force
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Hot (Fast) vs. Cold (Slow) Method
Hot (Fast) Cold (Slow)
Produces high temperatures Produces cooler temperatures
Takes least amount of time Takes longer
Requires the most labor Requires the least effort
Good at killing weed seeds and pathogens
Poor at killing weed seeds and pathogens
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Hot (Fast) Method
1 Part Green25-30 Parts Brown
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Curing Compost
Three Bin Compost Unit
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Cold (Slow) Method
Composting can be as hands-off as you want.
Image Citation: ENRI Task Force
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Using Compost
Compost 2% N, 2% P2O5,1% K2O(Fertilizer equivalent 2–2–1)
½ - 1 inch layer is sufficient for most flower and vegetable gardens
Releases all of nutrients slowly over 5 years
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Questions?Other UK ResourcesHO-75 Home Composting: A Guide to Managing Yard WasteENRI-311 Constructing a Garbage Can Compost Bin ENRI-307 Constructing a Wire-Mesh Compost BinENRI-141 How to Build a Vermicompost Bin