! "#$!%#!&'%()*!+,-!.+,+/'!+!&%+%0#,+12!3+452+1-!6#7*#8%!30,!!

1
"#$!%#!&'%()*!+,-!.+,+/'!+!!
&%+%0#,+12!3+452+1-!6#7*#8%!30,!
!"#$%&'(#)%"*#%*+%,-%.#)"/*
012#*).*+%,-%.#)"/3

ComposLlng ls an aeroblc (oxygen-uslng) process LhaL speeds up naLural decay Lo Lransform
organlc wasLes such as vegeLable peels and newspaper lnLo a valuable soll amendmenL called
bomos. 8y conLrolllng alr-flow, LemperaLure, molsLure, and food lnpuLs, Lhe user acceleraLes
Lhe decay process Lo converL organlc wasLe lnLo a beneflclal soll condlLloner. As a resulL,
composLlng ls a naLural recycllng process LhaL ellmlnaLes organlc maLerlal from Lhe wasLe
sLream, a componenL LhaL accounLs for up Lo 30 of landfllled maLerlal.
014*).*+%,-%.#)"/*56"67)()283*

ComposLlng dlverLs recyclable wasLe from landfllls, whlch noL only preserves valuable landflll
space for non-recyclable maLerlals, buL also reduces wasLe dlsposal cosLs for lndlvlduals and
communlLles. AddlLlonally, composLlng generaLes a flnlshed nuLrlenL-rlch mulch/Lopsoll producL
wlLhln 3 Lo 4 monLhs LhaL lmproves soll sLrucLure, and, ln Lurn, enhances garden producLlvlLy.
?ou can use composLlng producLs ln your garden as a naLural, low-cosL alLernaLlve Lo expenslve,
sLore-boughL Lopsoll and synLheLlc ferLlllzers.
96##)"/*:#2$#6&*
!; 012#*!#6,.<=%%8.*>%*!*?66&*#%*:#2$#*+%,-%.#)"/3*
x A plasLlc sLaLlonary composL bln (llgure 1.)
x A shovel/rake
x 5@A0? organlc wasLes
x 9@BB? organlc wasLes
x Cardenlng gloves (opLlonal)
x aper shredder or sclssors (opLlonal)

llgure 1. SLaLlonary ComposL 8ln

! "#$!%#!&'%()*!+,-!.+,+/'!+!&%+%0#,+12!3+452+1-!6#7*#8%!30,!! 2
*
!!; C%D*>%*!*:6#*E-*F4*+%,-%.#*5)"3*

1. SeL-up your composL bln ln your yard on a level, well-JtoloeJ soll surface LhaL recelves moxlmom
soollqbt exposure
*AvolJ steep-slopeJ sotfoces. SLeep angles may cause Lhe bln Lo Llp over.

*AvolJ sotototeJ oteos. 1he composLlng organlsms are aeroblc (requlre oxygen), lf Lhe
bln ls placed ln an lnadequaLely dralned (waLer saLuraLed) area, Lhe waLer wlll creaLe
anaeroblc (no oxygen) condlLlons responslble for foul odors.
*AvolJ sboJeJ oteos. SunllghL exposure speeds up Lhe composLlng process by
warmlng Lhe bln, alLhough composLlng organlsms can work ln cool condlLlons, Lhelr
acLlvlLy (decomposlLlon) ls enhanced wlLh warm condlLlons.

2. Cnce you have chosen Lhe locaLlon for your composL bln, place Lhe bln flrmly onLo Lhe ground.
Lnsure conLacL wlLh Lhe ground under Lhe enLlre clrcumference of Lhe composL bln.
3. llll ln any holes wlLh soll Lo prevenL small anlmals from enLerlng Lhe composL bln.

*
!!!; 012#*F2#6$)28.*:1%'8&*!*G&&*#%*F4*+%,-%.#*5)"3*

1he organlsms LhaL decompose organlc maLerlal requlre a comblnaLlon of nlLrogen-rlch maLerlals
(9@BB?:) and carbon-rlch maLerlals (5@A0?:) for maxlmum efflclency.
!
9@BB?: lnclude:
x vegeLable peels
x Lgg shells
x Seeds and plLs
x Coffee grounds/Lea bags
x 8anana peels
x lresh grass cllpplngs
!
5@A0?: lnclude:
x napklns
x newspaper
x SawdusL
x Cfflce paper
x Lnvelopes
x ury leaves


"#$%&!#'!GHA!>:

x MeaL producLs (bones, skln, eLc.): wlll coose fool oJots ooJ otttoct wllJllfe
x Weeds: locompletely composteJ seeJs wlll qetmloote wbeo oJJeJ to qotJeo
x Large wood chlps/sLlcks: wlll toke o vety looq tlme to bteok Jowo
x Shlny/wax coaLed paper ([unk mall, orange [ulce conLalners): wlll loblblt Jecomposltloo
x Puman wasLe: boctetlo lo fecol mottet wlll oot be kllleJ lo tbe compostloq ptocess
x AnyLhlng LhaL has never llved (plasLlc, SLyrofoam, chemlcals, glass, eLc.): wlll oot bteok Jowo

! "#$!%#!&'%()*!+,-!.+,+/'!+!&%+%0#,+12!3+452+1-!6#7*#8%!30,!! 3
!H; C%D*>%*!*I$%-6$84*+%886(#<I$6-2$6*9$66".*2"&*5$%D".*7%$*F4*
+%,-%.#*5)"3**

9@BB?:*
1. cot op/sbteJ qteeos loto pleces oo blqqet tboo J locbes lo Jlometet (llqote 2). Shreddlng
composL addlLlons lncreases mlcroblal access Lo nuLrlenLs, speedlng up Lhe composLlng
process.
2. lot cooveoleoce, collect qteeos lo o smoll (qolloo-slzeJ) cootoloet lo yoot kltcbeo (socb os
--lloe). Add maLerlals Lo Lhe
composL bln once your klLchen bln ls full.
*
5@A0?:*
1. cot op/sbteJ btowos to pleces oo blqqet tboo J locbes lo wlJtb (llqote 2). Shreddlng
composL addlLlons lncreases mlcroblal access Lo nuLrlenLs, speedlng up Lhe composLlng
process.
2. uompeo (bot Jo oot sototote) Jty oJJltloos befote oJJloq tbem to tbe compost blo.
Mlcroblal decomposers requlre a molsL envlronmenL Lo decompose organlc maLLer.


J*)"(16.*
llgure 2. lor rapld decomposlLlon, shred addlLlons lnLo pleces no larger Lhan 3 lnches
*
=16*+%,-%.#)"/*I$%(6..*
H; C%D*:1%'8&*!*G&&*F2#6$)28.*2"&*F2)"#2)"*F4*+%,-%.#*5)"3*

1. uosctew tbe llJ of tbe compost blo.
2. uomp yoot motetlols ovet tbe sotfoce of tbe blo.
J. 5ctew tbe llJ tlqbtly to pteveot oolmols ftom occessloq tbe compost. lloe op tbe olt veot boles oo
tbe llJ to molotolo oo oetoblc eovltoomeot.
4. AJJ opptoxlmotely epool omooot of 8kOwN5 ooJ CkN5 to yoot compost blo ovet tbe looq-
tetm. Lqual amounLs of 88CWnS and C8LLnS saLlsfy Lhe nuLrlenL requlremenLs for Lhe
composLlng mlcrobes.
3. AJJ motetlols lo loctemeots. MaLerlals can be added aL your convenlence: dally, every few days,
or even blweekly.
6. lot toplJ Jecomposltloo, stlt tbe compost wltb o toke ot sbovel evety J-4 Joys. 8tloq ootet
(Jtlet) motetlols to tbe ceotet of tbe plle ooJ btloq ceotet (molst) motetlol to tbe sotfoce.
SLlrrlng dlsLrlbuLes molsLure and enhances composL aeraLlon LhroughouL Lhe composL plle Lo
sLlmulaLe mlcroblal acLlvlLy (l.e. lncrease decomposlLlon raLe).

! "#$!%#!&'%()*!+,-!.+,+/'!+!&%+%0#,+12!3+452+1-!6#7*#8%!30,!! 4
H!; =$%'K86.1%%#)"/<L$6M'6"#84*G.N6&*O'6.#)%".*
014*).*F4*+%,-%.#*5)"*:#62,)"/3*
AfLer 2-3 feeL of composL maLerlals has accumulaLed ln your bln, Lhe cenLer of Lhe plle wlll glve
off heaL and may begln Lo sLeam. As mlcrobes meLabollze (breakdown) Lhe organlc maLerlal,
heaL ls released lnLo Lhe envlronmenL, more heaL lndlcaLes lncreased mlcroblal acLlvlLy.
014*).*F4*+%,-%.#*?%#*C62#)"/*E-3*
1he composL may be Loo dry or does noL yeL have enough maLerlal for mlcroblal acLlon. lf your
plle ls Lhree feeL hlgh and sLlll does noL heaL up, feel Lhe composL plle wlLh your hand Lo assess
Lhe molsLure conLenL. lf Lhe maLerlal ls dry, lncremenLally add a small amounL of waLer (2-3
cups aL a Llme) and sLlr lL lnLo Lhe plle wlLh a rake/shovel. ConLlnue Lhls process unLll Lhe enLlre
plle ls damp.
C%D*P%"/*0)88*)#*=2N6*#%*96#*L)").16&*+%,-%.#3*
1he composLlng processlng Llme varles based on Lhe maLerlals added, Lhe LemperaLure, Lhe level
of aeraLlon, and frequency of sLlmulaLlon. ln warm, well-aeraLed (sLlrred frequenLly) condlLlons,
Lhe compleLed composL producL may be produce ln as llLLle as slx weeks. Powever, under
cooler, less sLlmulaLed condlLlons, flnlshed composL may Lake a year or more for compleLlon.
C%D*>%*!*Q"%D*016"*F4*+%,-%.#*).*L)").16&3**
1he f) wlll have an

brown/black. llnlshed composL wlll have no ldenLlflable resldues remalnlng (l.e. whole seeds,
peels, paper pleces, eLc.).
C%D*>%*!*E.6*F4*L)").16&*+%,-%.#*I$%&'(#3*
Cnce Lhe composL maLerlal saLlsfles Lhe above descrlpLlon, remove Lhe maLerlal from your bln.
used flnlshed composL as a mulch or soll amendmenL for your garden, Lhe sLable composL
producL adds nuLrlenLs Lo Lhe soll and lmproves soll sLrucLure by encouraglng alr and waLer
pores.
!.*!#*:276*#%*B2#*L%%&*9$%D"*0)#1*+%,-%.#3*
?es. As long composLlng guldellnes have been followed, all vegeLables, herbs, and frulLs grown
ln wlLh a composL amendmenL are safe for human consumpLlon.
014*>%6.*F4*+%,-%.#*5)"*:,688*P)N6*92$K2/6*2"&*C%D*>%*!*L)R*=1).*I$%K86,3*
1he composL ls Loo weL and has enLered anaeroblc condlLlons. Add some dry, shredded
maLerlal Lo Lhe composL bln and sLlr Lhe composL wlLh a rake or shovel Lo enhance aeraLlon.
ulsconLlnue Lhe addlLlon of molsLure-rlch componenLs unLll Lhe bln has drled ouL and no longer
has an odor.
0)88*F4*+%,-%.#*5)"*0%$N*)"*#16*0)"#6$3*
8elow 40
o
l, decomposlng mlcrobes wlll become dormanL (sLop breaklng down maLerlals).
Powever, you can conLlnue Lo add composL maLerlals LhroughouL Lhe wlnLer because as soon as
warmer LemperaLures reLurn ln Lhe sprlng, Lhe mlcrobes wlLh be acLlvaLed and feasL on Lhese
maLerlals.