The ABCs of Backyard Composting, Part 1

Are you thinking of starting home composting, or are you already doing it, but it’s not producing the desired results? I invite you to read this short guide to home composting. It’ll tell you everything you need to know about this eco-friendly practice, just the way I like it. And if you’re looking for arguments to convince the members of your clan, read my previous article Choose Home Composting!.

What Is Compost?

Compost is the result of the controlled decomposition of organic matter.

In nature, organic matter decomposes naturally. In a natural woodland, for example, leaves fall to the ground, mixing with existing vegetation, dead animals and their excrement. Whether we like it or not, all this organic matter decomposes thanks to the participation of a host of small creatures, including micro-organisms and earthworms. The result is humus (beautiful, black, sweet-smelling earth), which in turn feeds existing plants.

When we compost, we imitate nature by opting for strategies designed to speed up the natural decomposition process, so that we can use the resulting compost, aptly dubbed “the gardener’s brown gold”. It’s all about providing good working conditions for the little critters I like to call “our little volunteer employees”.

Compostable Materials

The materials that can be used in home composting are organic materials of plant origin. They are not to be confused with those accepted at municipal collection. The latter are destined to be recycled through high-volume composting or biomethanization.

To make home composting easier to manage, compostable materials are divided into two categories: nitrogen-rich materials, commonly known as green materials, and carbon-rich materials, or brown materials. Green materials are not always green, and brown materials are not always brown.

Green materials	Brown materials
Fruit and vegetable residues (raw or cooked) Coffee residues (including paper filters) Tea and herbal tea residues (including paper bags) Green garden waste: wilted flowers, tree and shrub prunings, weeds (with some exceptions) Animal hair	Dead leaves (remember to stock up in autumn) Twigs Thinly cut or shredded branches Shavings and sawdust Conifer needles Newspaper Straw Uncolored natural fiber fabrics

Materials to Avoid in Home Composting

When it comes to home composting, the last thing you want is to attract vermin or generate odor problems, which is why certain materials are off-limits. Other materials should be avoided because they slow down the decomposition process or contaminate our “brown gold”.

Materials to avoid are:

• Meat and bones
• Fish, shellfish and crustaceans
• Dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese)
• Oils and fats Plants treated with pesticides
• Invasive weeds harmful to the environment or to humans (ragweed, poison ivy, Japanese knotweed, Common reed, Giant hogweed)
• Rhubarb leaves
• Wood ash
• Vacuum cleaner bag contents
• Dryer lint
• Pet droppings and litter
• Human excrement

Materials to Be Composted With Care

Sick plants, plants in seed, plants with rhizomes and grass clippings should be composted with care.

In the composting process, the temperature doesn’t rise very much, so the pathogenic organisms responsible for plant diseases may not be destroyed. You’ll need to pay special attention to plants that have been very sick during the season, as in the case of tomatoes, for example. On the other hand, I have no qualms about composting maple leaves affected by tar spot. In the first instance, this disease is unlikely to affect other plants than maples. What’s more, the disease is so prevalent in the environment that it won’t make any difference whether we use the affected leaves or not.

Whether weeds or cultivated plants, if they contain seeds, these can survive home composting if you don’t follow proper practices. On the other hand, if you manage your compost well, i.e. keep it constantly moist (more on this later), potentially viable seeds will germinate in the compost, and the resulting seedlings will decompose with the rest of the material.

If you come across plants with rhizomes while weeding, a good strategy is to dry them on the composter lid before putting them in. This will prevent rhizomes from proliferating in the composter.

Lawn clippings that are composted in large quantities are often responsible for the resulting odour problems. The best strategy for dealing with grass clippings is to leave them in place when mowing. This is called herbicycling.

The Kitchen Compost Bin

You probably already have two garbage cans in your kitchen. One for ultimate waste (waste that cannot be recovered, recycled or reused) and another for recycling. If you don’t already have one, now’s the time to add a third container for home composting.

This kitchen waste collection container, or kitchen compost bin, can be made of plastic (remember to collect pet food containers) or stainless steel. It should have a capacity of 4 to 8 liters and be fitted with a lid and handle.

Choosing a Compost Bin

The type of composter I recommend is relatively simple. It’s a plastic or wooden container with no bottom (it’s important for the compost to be in contact with the soil’s living organisms), rigid but ventilated sides (composting must take place in the presence of air), a relatively airtight lid (to control the vagaries of the weather) and a system at the front to facilitate compost harvesting.

Plastic composters are more widely available on the market. You can find them at hardware stores and garden centers. Better still, take a look in the classifieds for used composters in good condition.

Plastic composters are lightweight and easy to transport and install, often without tools. What’s more, they resist decomposition.

But this latter characteristic is often seen as negative, given that decomposition takes place over hundreds of years or more. On the other hand, plastic is made from petroleum. Despite these disadvantages, I’m convinced that it’s better to compost in plastic composters than not to compost at all.

Wooden Composters

Wooden compost bins are a good choice for the environment, as they are made from renewable materials. Unfortunately, they are harder to find on the market. They are usually manufactured and marketed by local social economy enterprises. But you still have to find them.

If you’re a DIY enthusiast, consider making your own wooden composter. What’s more, if you use wood you’ve already got on hand, you’ll be doing your bit for the environment.

Of course, wooden composters are exposed to decomposition, since they are made of organic matter. Fortunately, here are some strategies for extending the life of a wooden composter.

• Opt for composters made from rot-resistant wood such as cedar or larch.
• Place four bricks or four flat stones at the four corners of the composter. Push them in so that they protrude 1 to 2 centimetres (1/2″) before placing the composter on top. This way, the contents will be in contact with the soil, but the composter won’t be resting directly on top. It will therefore be less exposed to humidity.
• Leave the composter open (top and front opening) for at least 24 hours after harvesting, to allow the wood to dry.

One Composter Is Good, Two Is Better!

It’s much easier to make compost with two composters. Of course, you can start with just one composter, but there will come a time when it’s full and it’s not yet time to harvest the compost. That’s when the second composter should come into play.

Tomorrow, in The ABCs of Backyard Composting, Part 2, discover the methods, essential maintenance and seasonal strategies for successfully mastering the art of composting.