A Composter's Christmas Carol

 As the holiday nears, I love spending time going over some favorite festive movies, and how I can apply lessons from the characters to my own life. A classic Christmas tale: A Christmas Carol, uses the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future to teach us lessons. But what advice could these ghosts have for Confessions of a Composter?

Well, the Ghost of Christmas Past has a few reminders about your compost pile from last year. You remember? That finished, turned, compost that’s been curing in your bin? It may be a good idea to find storage for this compost, as composting takes longer in the winter, so you may need some extra space in your compost bins to accommodate the extra material. 

The Ghost of Christmas Present reminds us to make choices during the holiday season that keep materials out of the landfill and to make mindful purchases, while still enjoying the holiday season and celebrating. Buy wrapping paper that is compostable: without glitter or foil. You can also make all sorts of compostable decorations. Stick to natural garland, and try out making decorations from dried orange peels or from cranberries, which would be welcome additions to your compost pile after the holiday comes to a close.

The Ghost of Christmas Future is planning ahead, but is still keeping the Christmas spirit by thinking of others. Would someone that you know want to receive a compost bin as a Christmas present this year? It may be a good idea, but maybe isn’t the best to keep as a surprise. If you are considering gifting a backyard compost bin to a friend, ask to make sure they are ready to commit to taking care of it- but if they are, you just helped a friend begin a new, eco friendly practice that keeps on giving.

Guest Blogger: Sam Plante

Your Compost Pile's Uninvited Thanksgiving Guests

 Thanksgiving is a time to gather with the people you are closest to, but when it comes to your compost bin, there are some guests that you would rather NOT see. Here’s how to avoid some of your uninvited visitors.

1.       .   Racoons, rats, and squirrels love to feast on uncovered foods. Specifically, any meats and creamy or buttery dishes that you may put in your compost pile. As a rule, avoid putting your leftover turkey or bones in your compost bin, as well as your creamy and buttery dishes, to let the critters know your compost is not on their holiday menu. 

2.       .   Fruit flies  may not harm your compost, but they can be a nuisance to have around. If you do not want to mingle with them every time you take out your compost, bury your food waste with leaves or paper scraps. Fruit flies won’t burrow to lay eggs, so a nice layer of carbon should prevent them from settling in.

3.       Anaerobic bacteria is another guest, that while it doesn’t directly harm the compost, isn’t a sign of a healthy compost pile. It can create a swampy smell that you (and your neighbors) may not appreciate. Remember to turn your compost to aerate your soil! Having a healthy balance of greens vs browns, maintaining balanced moisture levels (you want your compost to be lightly damp but not drenched), and frequently turning your compost will keep your compost bin from being the host with the most.

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving! Please reference our previous articles on other tips to keep your Thanksgiving compost-friendly:

Top Ten Turkey Day Tips

How to Train Your Thanksgiving Guests

Save the Food’s GUEST-IMATOR is Thanksgiving’s BFF

Guest blogger, Sam Plante

An Abundance of Thanks…. and of Leaves

 

While students are making turkey hats and local farmers are capping off their annual fall harvest, we like to take time to give thanks in the abundance of good that has come in the last year. For many of us, we see an abundance of leaves around this time as well. If you were able to make enough upcycled leaf bins referenced in the previous post, you may be all set, but for many, the trees just kept giving. What can you do with what’s left?

1. Mow them down and leave them. The leaves make a great home for local pollinators that need a warmer, insulated habitat through the winter. Mowing the leaves down may help them decompose faster before spring and prevent them from taking over your yard. The leaf matter that is left will help your yard or greenspace the following year, as it keeps nutrients in the soil and helps suppress weeds.
2. Check if your neighborhood offers a local yard waste collection program. You can check your neighborhood website, and if not, feel free to drop off your excess leaves at one of the Hamilton County Drop Off sites!
3. Share the wealth! Do you know any composters looking for some extra carbon for their compost pile? Check with a neighbor, a community garden, or a local business that may be composting to see if they could use your leafy matter.

This is also a great time to appreciate all the community composters and neighborhood groups who work hard to keep natural materials out of landfills and return nutrients to the local soil. For many of you- that’s you! So, thank you.

Guest blogger, Sam Plante

Addams Family Composting

 "Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.” -Morticia Addams

Who better to share their composting secrets this Halloween than a spooky and kooky family with a literal cemetery in their backyard?

We interviewed a few members of the Addams family and pulled together their top three tips for creating beautiful, crumbly compost for your garden.

• Wednesday: “I don’t bury hatchets. I sharpen them.” A nice sharp spade will do wonders whether you are digging a grave or harvesting compost. Having the right tools for the job makes a big difference.
• Uncle Fester: “My name is Fester. It means “to rot””. Every day we create food scraps such as apple cores, banana peels, and coffee grounds that we can collect for composting. Every little bit adds up to an important source of energy for the microbes “rotting” our scraps into compost.
• Addams Family Motto: “We gladly feast on those who would subdue us.” Ignore the naysayers and keep on composting. You know the value of all of the yard trimmings and food scraps breaking down into an important soil amendment for your garden.

Now snap twice and get composting.

Wishing you all a spooky Halloween and Happy Composting! If you love Halloween as much as me and want to check out the previous year’s posts, see the links below.

·                  Did the Boogeyman Snatch Your Compost Blogger

·                  Fall Composting Tips from a Mummy 

·                  The Headless Horseman’s Guide to Backyard Composting 

·                  Compost Lessons from the Swamp Monster 

·                  Three Reasons Werewolves Make Terrible Composters 

·                  Compost Ghost 

·                  Was Frankenstein an Outstanding Composter? 

·                  How to Practice Compost Witchcraft 

·                  Compost Like a Vampire 

·                  Three Warning Signs Your Compost is a Zombie 

·                  Smashing Pumpkins 

 

 

The Seasons are Turning and So Should Your Compost

This is not a drill, people. 

Pumpkin Spice Latte’s are peeking around the autumn-hued corner and before you know it, we will have more leaves than we can we handle piling up in our yards. This year, I am planning to be ready by taking a few steps now.

1. Aerating my compost bins. I prefer a pitchfork or a wingdigger to add air to my compost pile. Adding air gives those microorganisms a boost and speeds up decomposition, which means more room for those fall leaves.
2. Finish off those leaves. Still have crispy leaves from last year? I do. I am going to add water to those leaves and stop at a local coffee shop to pick up a latte for me and a large bag of spent grounds for my compost. The infusion of water added with nitrogen from the grounds will further speed up the composting.
3. Make upcycled leaf bins.  Last year I ran out of space even with three seasonal leaf bins so I plan on stopping by a local reuse store to see if they have any fencing material that might do the job.

Maybe my excitement for sweater-weather is going to my head, but I am looking forward to completing my September Composting To Do List. What are your fall-time resolutions?

When Life Gives You Lemons….Think Before Composting the Peels!

Lemons and oranges are tasty citrus fruits, especially during these hot summer months. After making lemonade, orange juice, or some other treat, you’ll probably want to toss the peels into your compost bin. While this is a perfectly acceptable practice, have you ever considered using the peels to make something new?

When it comes to food waste, it’s important for us composters to get creative before we chuck everything in our backyard bins. Composting is pretty awesome for your garden and for the earth, but food should always be eaten if possible! Need some ideas to get you started? Well, pull up a lawn chair, put on some sunglasses, and learn about how you can upcycle citrus peels this summer:

1. Let’s start simple…. use the zest! Zesting a lemon or orange is a great way to extract its delicious flavor for deserts and other recipes. If you don’t need the zest immediately, you can freeze it for future use. Feel free to compost whatever is left of the fruit after you zest it.

2. Let’s get fancy…. make a marmalade! Orange and lemon marmalades are a yummy breakfast addition. You can even make St.Clement's Marmalade (orange and lemon combined), which is quite popular in the U.K. Best of all, most marmalade recipes use nearly the whole fruit!

3. Let’s get fancier…. make a flavored olive oil! Lemon and orange olive oils can be fun and fresh alternatives to traditional olive oil. Just make sure to carefully strain the excess oil out of the citrus peels before you compost them!

Hopefully these summery recipes inspire you to use your citrus peels before (or instead of) backyard composting them. For more tips on how to reduce food waste at home, you can visit the Wasted Food Stops With Us website and subscribe to Tony’s blog!

Guest blogger and sucker for citrus: Abigail Miller

Want to Compost Your Old Houseplants? Do Some Detective Work First!

If you like to compost, odds are you like to take care of plants. But what do you do when your beloved plants pass away? It seems only fitting to return them to the earth as compost that will nourish a new generation of plants.

However, there are some things to keep in mind before you put your old houseplants in your backyard bin. As a rule of thumb, do some step-by-step sleuthing before you give your plant a proper burial…

Check for a pulse. Can you resuscitate your houseplant?

Even if your houseplant looks like it’s passed on, you may be able to revive it with some good old-fashioned sunlight and water. Check out this article for tips.

Identify the victim. What kind of plant was it?

Some houseplants, (pothos, snake plant, varieties of succulents, etc.) propagate easily. This means that when you compost your old plant, little plant babies (volunteers) may come up in your bin and eventually in your garden. It’s best to chop up these troublemakers before backyard composting them.

Find the culprit. Why did your houseplant die?

If your late plant fell victim to disease or pest infestation, do NOT put it in your compost bin! Most backyard compost bins don’t reach the temperature needed to kill pathogens, and the same pests that caused your houseplant’s demise could make their way into your compost and wreak havoc.

So, whether you feel like a criminal for killing your plant or you’re mourning its natural demise, you may be able turn your houseplant into compost. Just make sure it’s actually dead, cut up your plant if necessary, and avoid composting diseased or infested houseplants. Stay safe out there, detectives!

And some fun plant art just because…

Guest blogger and houseplant hoarder: Abigail Miller

So You Can’t Compost at Home…Don’t Give Up!

Let’s face it, not everyone has the time or resources to compost in their backyard (or even has a backyard). So, what do you do if you want to put your food waste to good use but have decided that backyard composting just isn’t your jam? Well, fear not, because we’re here to help composters of all kinds.

If backyard composting is off the table, your best option is a food scrap drop-off or pick-up program.

First, let’s meet Hamilton County’s professional composters who can make it happen!

•          CompostNow
•           Back2TheDirt
•          Findlay Market Residential Composting
•          GoZERO
•         Queen City Commons
•          Plus a few others!

Next, it’s time to decide if a drop-off or pick-up service makes more sense for you.

Food Scrap Drop-Off

This is when you take your food scraps and other compostable materials to a designated collection site.

All the composters listed above operate drop-off sites.

Some drop-off locations are free to the public, and others require a modest subscription fee. You can see all food scrap drop-off sites in Hamilton County on the map below. Click to reach the interactive version and learn about each location.

Food Scrap Pick-Up

This is when you pay for a composting service to pick up your food scraps on a regular basis.

Compost Now and Back2The Dirt are the only pick-up services operating in the area.

So, to sum it up, you don’t have to have a backyard bin to be a killer composter. Check out the map to decide what service is right for you. Before you commit to a drop-off or pickup location, make sure to carefully read what they do and do not accept, as well as any other conditions that the service may have.

Being environmentally conscious looks different for all of us. When it comes to composting, in the words of Fleetwood Mac, “you can go your own way!”

Guest blogger and soon-to-be backyardless college student: Abigail Miller

Composting is Truly a Tale as Old as Time

Some things never change or, at least, composting hasn’t. Turns out us composters are following in the footsteps of ancient farmers who understood the benefits of adding organic waste to their crops. To get an idea of just how far back it goes, here are a few facts about composting around the world in the olden days:

• The use of animal waste as fertilizer in Scotland dates as far back as the Stone Age.
• The first written record of composting can be found on clay tablets from the Akkadian Empire in Mesopotamia around 2,000 BCE.
• Ancient Mediterranean civilizations were known to compost agricultural scraps.
• The Aztecs used human feces and guano to fertilize their island farms, or Chinampas (check out the image below).
• Chinese farmers historically used “night soil” (human feces collected at night) on their farms.
• Native Americans wrapped seeds in fish pieces to add nutrients.
• George Washington built the USA’s first composting bin (read more here).

As you can see, composting is as old as, well, dirt, and is pretty much ubiquitous. However, you’ll also notice that the ancients primarily composted nitrogen-rich human and animal waste. We now know that a 1/3 green to 2/3 brown ratio is ideal for your compost bin, so don’t get too old school with your composting. Make sure you have enough carbon-rich materials like leaves and paper, and refrain from composting dog and cat poop (and human poop, for that matter). For the complete do's and don’ts of composting animal waste, see this post. 

In conclusion, the next time you’re turning your compost pile, remember all the composting pioneers of the past, and let’s be especially grateful to Cleopatra, who loved vermicomposting so much that she made the killing of earthworms punishable by death. Keep up the noble work, composters!

Guest blogger and infrequent history nerd: Abigail Miller

Composting Algae: Slimy and Surprising Solutions

Do you have a pond or aquarium at home? I don’t know about you, but the only pets I was allowed to have as a kid were fish and the occasional frog. These aquatic critters were pretty low maintenance, but I did have to clean algae out of their tanks from time to time. What I didn’t know back then was that algae are compostable! Due to their high nitrogen content, algae are a perfect addition to the “green” layer of your compost bin.

So, to all of you with fishy friends, you can compost your excess algae and old aquarium plants. For the pond-owners out there, feel free to skim the top of your pond, drain the excess water, and put the scum in your compost pile.

Right now you might be thinking, “hold on, I put chemicals in my fish tank and pond. Surely that can’t be safe to compost!” Well, if you’re like most fish owners, the only chemical you add is a water conditioner, which is simply used to remove chlorine and heavy metals from the water. If this is the case, algae and plants from your tank/pond are totally safe to compost. However, it would be best to check what water chemicals you’re using, just to be sure.

Make sure to balance the wet, high-nitrogen algae with a dry, carbon rich material like leaves so the pile doesn’t start to smell.

Happy composting, my fair fishy friends!

Guest blogger and part-time mermaid: Abigail Miller

Hamilton County R3Source’s Spring Compost Seminars

Many of you are compost connoisseurs, so this is a request to spread the word to others that our Backyard Composting Seminars will be returning in April and May.

This year, we are offering six in-person options throughout Hamilton County and two virtual options.

Each seminar will last one hour with a presentation and Q&A time. The information will be geared toward beginners as well as those who want a refresher on backyard composting. We will discuss the benefits, what structures can be used, how to start, what to compost, how to maintain the compost, how to troubleshoot, and how to use the compost at home. 

All attendees will receive a free kitchen scrap collector and a composting booklet. As a bonus for those who attend the in-person seminars, we will draw a name at each location and that attendee will win a free compost bin!!

 

In-Person Backyard Composting Seminar - 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 13 at Civic Garden Center, 2715 Reading Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45206 

Tuesday, April 18 at Miami Township Community Center, 3780 Shady Ln, North Bend, OH 45052

Tuesday, April 25 at Deer Park Branch Library, 4020 E. Galbraith Rd, Cincy, OH 45236

Thursday, May 4 at Forest Park Senior Center, 11555 Winton Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45240

Tuesday, May 9 at Anderson Center Room B, 7850 Five Mile Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45230

Wednesday, May 18 at Swaim Lodge, 7650 Cooper Rd, Montgomery, OH 45242

 

Virtual Backyard Composting Seminars

Thursday, April 27 at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom

Tuesday May 23 at 12:00 p.m. on Zoom

To register for a seminar or share with a friend, click or send them this link!  

 

Guest blogger and compost educator extraordinaire, Elise Roalef