Composting at Home

What is compost & composting?
What are the benefits of compost?
What can I compost?
10 Steps to successful composting
And when it's done...
Troubleshooting
Where can I get a composter?
Winter composting
More questions?

What is compost & composting?

Compost is a dark, crumbly, earthy smelling material that is great for your garden. Composting is the natural breakdown of organic material (kitchen and yard materials) by micro-organisms (bacteria and fungi), insects and worms.

What are the benefits of compost?

Composting is nature's way of recycling. Compost is a natural process and returns nutrients and organic matter to the soil, and feeds beneficial micro-organisms, insects and worms. It improves the texture, oxygen-retaining capabilities and moisture-holding capacity of the soil. Compost is a soil conditioner and a source of fertilizing nutrients. It conditions and improves the overall structure of soils by adding organic matter. Compost contains fertilizing nutrients that are released slowly over time. This can reduce, if not eliminate, the need for chemical fertilizers.

Beyond its benefit to gardens, there's another compelling reason to have some form of composting system in your yard. Putting garden and kitchen material in a compost bin removes these materials from curbside waste collection and saves landfill space. Approximately 30% of household waste in Ontario is consists of yard material or food waste that is compostable. Composting reduces greenhouse gases that are produced when organic material decomposes in a landfill without oxygen.

What can I compost?

Compostable material is split into two categories:

1. "Greens" - Nitrogen Rich Materials

Kitchen scraps including vegetables and fruit scraps, crushed egg shells, tea bags, coffee grounds with filters and paper towels
Garden and yard materials
Grass clippings - or leave this natural fertilizer on the lawn

2. "Browns" - Carbon Rich Materials

Dry leaves
Bread, pasta and rice
Sawdust and shavings
Finely ground wood chips
Well shredded paper
Shredded egg cartons and cardboard

Materials that do not go in the backyard composter include:

Pet manure or litter
Weeds that have gone to seed
Any diseased plants
Meat, fish, fowl or the bones
Fats or oils: e.g. dairy products, eggs, peanut butter, spreads (these materials breakdown more slowly than plant material and may attract pests or cause odours)
Ash, sawdust or shavings from chemically treated or painted wood

10 Steps to successful composting

Locate the composting bin in an area with good drainage and one that is accessible year round (partial shade is preferred).
Loosen the soil over the area on which you are going to place your backyard composter. This will allow soil organisms (insects and worms) to move up the pile.
Put down a thick layer (4 cm/10 in) of browns, such as dry leaves or shredded paper.
Add a layer of greens, such as kitchen scraps, garden trimmings or grass clippings and spread evenly (6 cm/2 in).
Cover green material with browns (10 cm/4 in). This reduces fruit flies and odours. A layer of soil or compost will work in place of the browns. Soil and compost has the added benefit of supplying "starter" micro-organisms to accelerate the process.
Continue to alternate layers of green & brown until your compost bin is full. Tip!! Save some bags of dry leaves every fall.
Turning: When the backyard composter is full, mix and add air to the pile by turning with a garden fork or turning tool. Alternatively, lift compost bin off pile and place in a new location. Fork material back into bin, mixing it well.
Monitor moisture: it should be like a wrung out sponge - damp but not soaking. Add water if pile is dry. If too wet, add some browns.
Continue to mix the pile every 10-14 days. Note: Pile may heat up and shrink after being turned.
After 3-4 turnings, the compost should be ready. It should be crumbly, moist, dark coloured and have an earthy smell. Allow this material to mature for a couple of months before using.

During the winter months, continue with Steps 4 and 5 (save fall leaves for step 5). Click here for more details on winter composting.

Controlled and speedy decomposition is all about balance. If your compost pile is too full of browns, then your pile will be slow to decompose. On the other hand, if the pile is too full of greens, it will turn slimy and smell bad. The goal is to have roughly equal amounts, by weight, of browns and greens.

And when it's done ...

You'll know your compost is ready when it looks and smells like soil. Dig it out or lift the entire compost bin off, screen out any small bits of undigested materials (throw these back in). Spread compost throughout the garden. Top-dress your lawn with a thin layer, dig it into beds, or mound it around the base of plants. You’ll soon discover, as committed compost enthusiasts have, that you can never have enough.

Troubleshooting

The backyard composter has a bad odour

The pile does not have enough air or is too wet. Turn the pile and add some dry brown materials like dry leaves.

Nothing is happening

The pile will not heat up and may not have enough nitrogen-rich green materials. Mix in a natural nitrogen source like fresh grass clippings, kitchen scraps, bone or blood meal. If the pile is too dry, add some moisture and mix. Small piles may not heat up.

There are insects hovering around the backyard composter

Insects are interested in the food in your backyard composter. Always bury kitchen scraps with a layer of dry leaves. If brown materials are not available, cover with a layer of compost or soil. Plan ahead for the next season by saving some bags of fall leaves to add to the composter throughout the year.

The pile is dug up and disturbed

Animals may be getting in to the pile. Make sure you do not add meat or fat to the pile. You can animal proof your backyard composter by installing a tight fitting or hinged lid and by wrapping hardware cloth (wire mesh) at ground level and up the sides of the bin.

Where can I get a composter?

Backyard composters are available for City of London residents to purchase ($30 each, taxes included, cash only please) either the Clarke Rd or Oxford St EnviroDepots (See City of London Depots). You may also purchase a composter at your local hardware store or garden centre.

Winter composting

There are many benefits to backyard composting. Regular use of compost will improve your garden soil and help keep your lawn healthy. There's minimal maintenance and you can make it yourself. Compost is one of the best all around materials for soil improvement. For more information, see the Composting section of the website.

Benefits of Winter Composting

You help the environment all year
You enjoy the beautiy of a winter garden
You will have compost ready for the spring

Cool Winter Tips

Save fall leaves to add to the compost pile over the winter and into spring.
With a mulching mower you can eliminate fall raking. Mulch and bag your leaves and use them later in the composter.
If your neighbours don't compost yet, ask them for their leaves.
Keep bags of dry leaves beside the composter and fold down the tops to keep them dry.
Empty your composter in the fall to make room for winter materials. Partially rotten compost can be dug into vegetable beds as feed for the earthworms.
The warmer the composter is the better it will work so adding leaves will help to insulate the pile. Choose a sunny location or pile straw and leaves around the composter.
Make sure it has a secure lid (a garbage can will work).
To help soak up fluids and balance the nitrogen/carbon mix add a layer of coffee, shredded paper, sawdust or coffee grounds every week.

In the Spring...

When the spring arrives, the best way to empty the composter is to lift it off the pile. Move the empty composter to a new location. Compost is ready when it looks and smells like dirt. There may be some compost in the pile that is not yet ready for use. Shovel the unfinished compost back into the empty composter and add more dry leaves.

The finished compost can be spread throughout your yard and garden. An inch each year of high-quality compost provides the perfect amount of food for every plant.
Raking that inch into the grass either in spring or fall, will improve the soil. Or dig it into your garden beds, or mound it around plants as mulch.

Help the environment all year - remember to keep composting even as the outside temperature begins to drop.