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