Compost springs eternal - finally! The temperature is
climbing and the sun is shining. I’m your friendly Backyard Compost Pile and
it’s time to get this party started. Like the brown bear, I’m emerging from
hibernation and I’m hungry! Here are some tips to keep me productive.
- Turn me please! My contents have slowly compacted over the winter. Turning and stirring those brown leaves creates air pockets so I can breathe.
- Feed me! If you choose to rake or mower-bag your grass trimmings, deposit them into your compost pile. To be productive, I need a nice mix of brown and green material.
- Give me snacks! That’s right, a daily snack of fruit and veggie scraps makes for a healthy compost pile.
- Let nature run its course: the springtime pattern of April showers and sunny days helps me grow.
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| Guest Blogger Joy Landry, Public Relations Specialist |
We are promoting composting @ Christ Church Glendale. Questions are flowing. Are wood chips from arborist projects as effective as leaves for browns? What is the best ratio of browns to greens?
ReplyDeleteGreat questions, Mike. Wood chips are much, much slower to break down than leaves in a compost pile. You can compost them, but it will probably take a few years. I have found that the "blasted" wood chips break down easier than the squarish looking ones.
DeleteYou want three parts brown to one part green, especially when you are first starting composting.
If you want to have someone from our office come out and give a talk, send me an email at michelle.balz@hamilton-co.org.