Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
1. Choose a bin
2. Choose a location, preferably near a water source.
HOT Composting requires more effort with quick
results. A HOT pile that has the right blend of carbon,
BACKYARD
COMPOSTING
nitrogen, air and water and is turned regularly will
You can compost in sun or shade,
heat up to 120ºF TO 150ºF. The high temperature
on dirt or concrete
will kill most weed seeds and speed up the
3. Gather equal weights of carbon/brown and
decomposition process so that the compost may be
nitrogen/green materials.
ready in 3 months or less.
4. Layer around a holey pipe:
• Carbon/ brown materials
WARM composting can be done more casually
• Nitrogen/Green materials WARM piles work if you add yard waste, bury your
• Sprinkle with water food wastes, water sporadically and wait. The pile
• Add a bucket of finished compost or soil to won’t get hot enough to kill weed seeds. WARM,
activate casual composting can take up to 12 months.
• Repeat layers topping with carbon/brown
materials Is it done yet?
• Cover optional depending on your bin Compost may be finished if it looks dark and crumbly
5. Check it in about a week. Dig around and you’ll and smells earthy instead of moldy or rotten. More
find that your pile will have warm spots. details are in our Using Compost flyer.
6. Add more waste as it becomes available.
BUGS and other PROBLEMS
Bugs, ants, earthworms, slugs,
A compost pile may not and other insects will appear
appear to be active as the after the initial hotter stages. COMPOSTING
outer layers are acting as They are good for the pile, is nature’s way of recycling.
insulation; most activity is especially the soldier fly whose
happening inside. grayish larvae will appear when
Gardeners can turn fruit, vegetable
the conditions are right. and yard waste into
Maggots, on the other hand, dark, crumbly, sweet-smelling
usually mean that you forgot to
bury the food waste. You can make ants disappear
soil amendment.
by disturbing their nests with water or by turning the
HOW LONG DOES IT pile.
TAKE
Yard Waste Only with 50-50 balance of Carbon and Rodents can generally be controlled by turning the
Nitrogen, monitor air and water with no additional pile and disturbing their nest. Use non-toxic Rodetrol
turning : 12 months or more for bait if necessary. If problem persists, do not add
Sponsored by
food scraps or use an animal-proof compost bin. See
Yard Waste Only: as above but turned once a week www.ourwaterourworld.org for less-toxic gardening. The City of Vallejo
and/or adding alternative air sources: 3 to 8 months &
Keep your Compost Happy
Yard Waste and Food Wastes: with 50-50 balance of Rotten or ammonia odors are the most common
Carbon and Nitrogen, monitor air and water. Turned complaint from composters. Your pile does not have
once a week and/or adding alternative air sources: 3 enough oxygen and may be too wet. Turn the pile
to 8 months. and add dry materials. www.VALCORErecycling.org
The more you fuss with and turn the pile the Most backyard compost piles don’t heat up because information:
faster your compost will happen. bins are too small. You can get more heat by adding www.recycle-guide.com
a little water while turning the pile. Cover the pile with COMPOSTING HOTLINE
© Bogner 2006 – Recycled paper, of course
a tarp or old carpet. You can also add more
Wiggle E Worm © 1993 Ecology Action
nitrogen/green materials.
707 55-EARTH