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| Source: Kessner Photography |
It helps to reduce pollution, our carbon footprint, and disposal costs, while also improving the environment and keeping organic matter in the ecological cycle.
And did we mention that it'll
reduce the need to store (increasingly) smelly garbage indoors until
garbage collection day?
What
You'll Need
Backyard
Composter
Kitchen food scraps
Dry (brown) material
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Your
compost bin works through the power of bacteria -- all you need to
do is create the right conditions for the bacteria in the bin to
thrive, and they will produce rich, earthy-smelling compost using
just food scraps.
Bacteria
need three things:
1)
An equal mix of carbon-rich ("brown") and nitrogen-rich
("green") material.
For
every bucket of kitchen scraps or lawn clippings, add an equal
volume of fallen leaves or paper products. Always cover "green"
material with a 3- to 4-inch layer of "brown" material.
2)
Oxygen
Oxygen-loving
(or aerobic) bacteria transform organic material into compost
without producing bad odours. Add oxygen at least once a week to
your compost using a pitchfork or strong stick or a special
aerating tool. The more you aerate, the faster you will have
finished compost. If the contents of your compost bin get too
compacted, anaerobic bacteria will ferment your food scraps,
creating ammonia, or rotten egg, odours.
3)
Moisture
Without
water, living organisms die. The contents of your compost bin
should be moist like a damp, wrung-out sponge. The fresh "green"
material you add to your bin will usually provide enough moisture;
however, if your bin is in the sun, you are using a lot of dry
"brown" material, or if it is a particularly hot
outside, you may need to water the contents of the bin to keep the
bacteria and other decomposers alive.
What
do I need to compost?
These
10 easy steps will get you composting in no time!
1)
Choose a flat, partly-sunny area with good drainage.
2)
Purchase a compost bin -- you can get one from your municipality
or from a store -- or build your own rodent-proof compost bin.
Keeping a lid on your bin will help keep out rain and wildlife.
The ideal size for a bin is one cubic metre; this will help the
bin retain the heat it generates.
3)
Create a 6 to 10 cm base layer using straw, leaves, or woody
brushy material to promote air circulation.
4)
Alternate layers of "green" and "brown"
materials.
5)
Whenever you add a layer of food scraps, top it off with a layer
of "brown" material, about 5o to 8 cm high. If you use
only "green" material (e.g. kitchen scraps), your
compost will likely be wet and will break down more slowly.
6)
Mix the contents of your compost bin every week or two. This
allows air into the bin and helps the bin to heat up again so that
the contents decompose faster.
7)
The moisture content of your compost should be damp like a
wrung-out sponge or dishcloth. Only add water if the contents of
the bin are very dry after mixing.
8)
As your pile of compost shrinks, continue to add layers of "green"
and "brown" materials until the bin is almost full.
9)
Your compost will typically be ready after 2 to 3 months, though
ageing the compost for an additional 1 to 2 months is recommended.
10)
Harvest your compost when the compost at the bottom and centre is
decomposed, full of healthy worms, and moist. Dig out the compost
with a shovel. In a commercial bin, use the door at the bottom of
the bin. If you built your own bin, move the top layers aside and
dig the compost out from the centre layers.
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Nitrogen
provides the protein for bacteria to grow and multiply, while
carbon provides the energy that bacteria need to do the work of
composting.
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Click
here for a list of "green", "brown" materials,
and other compostable materials.
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For
more on aerating your compost bin, click here.
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Tip:
To ensure you have plenty of "brown" material throughout
the year, collect dry leaves in the fall in an old garbage
container and use them as needed.
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Whether you're an avid home
gardener (cheap fertilizer!) or just looking for a way to use those
food scraps, if you have some yard space to spare, keeping a backyard
compost bin can be a good way to reduce garbage going to our
landfills while also producing a valuable resource.
Resources
Metro
Vancouver
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