How to compost?
Good composting is a matter of providing the proper environmental conditions for microbial life. Compost is made by billion of microbes that digest the yard and kitchen wastes you provide for them. However, these living microbes need air, water, food and heat. As long as you maintain proper conditions your waste will quickly turn into compost.
AIR
Composting microbes are aerobic (air needing), without air, anaerobic (non-air needing) microbes take over the pile and though they do cause slow decomposition, they also tend to smell like rotting garbage.
Maintaining air passageways into the pile is essential and is one of the reasons for our patented air tube system. In addition, air passageway can be created by adding straw or wood chips, for example, that doesn`t mat down easily and also by consistently turning the ECOmpostertm and breaking down and ingredients that might mat down and exclude air.
WATER
ideally; your compost pile should be as moist as a dump towel to insure a good microbial habitat. If your pile is drier, composting will be slowed down. If it is much wetter, on the other hand, the ingredients tend to mat down and exclude air, resulting in a slower and smellier process.
The air tube system also allows moisture in the forms of dew and rain to penetrate into the pile, though water still may be needed, depending on the content of the pile and the weather where the is located.
When using dry ingredients, such as dry leaves or shredded paper, you will need to wet them as you are adding them to the pile. Moisture can be checked at any time, simply by turning the ECOmpostertm (in order to mix the pile). Opening the lid and touching the pile with your hand.
FOOD
In broad terms, there are two kinds of food that composting microbes need. Browns and greens.
`Browns` are dry and dead plant materials such as straw, dry brown leaves, wood chips, paper bags or shredded cardboard. These are a source of energy for the composting microbes and help promote good aeration, but they tend to be dry, and so brown often need to be moistened before they are add into the ECOmpostertm.
`Greens` are fresh (and often green) plant material, such as fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grinds and tea bags, green leaves and flowers. Greens are high in moisture and have more nitrogen in them, which is critical source of protein for the microbes.
A balance of browns and greens is crucial in creating a successful composting system.
TEMPERATURE
The temperature of your pile is an important factor for successful compost. As the microbes work on digesting the ingredients in the pile they release heat, the temperature of your pile is determined by the collective body heat releases from billions of microbes. Maintaining moisture, airflow and a good balance of ingredients along with the unique design and color of the ECOmpostertm, assure that the temperature of the pile stays ideal for the composting process.
When checking the temperature of the pile be careful, as the middle of the pile might reach over 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
What to compost
Composting material can be divided into two categories ‘green’ and ‘brown’.
A good balance of greens and browns has to be maintained in order to keep the composting process active and efficient.
| What to compost |
What Not to compost |
| Green |
Chemically treated wood products |
| Kitchen waste |
Pernicious weeds |
| Fruit and vegetable scraps |
Morning glory |
| Egg shells |
Bindweed |
| Old spices |
Sheep sorrel |
| Coffee grounds and filters |
Ivy |
| Tea bags |
Pine needles |
| Dinner leftovers |
Oak leaves |
| Yard waste |
Diseased plants, leaves and stem, especially |
| Green leaves |
if the finished compost will be returning to |
| Lawn clipping |
your vegetable garden. |
| Flowers |
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| |
|
| Brown |
|
| Stale bread and cereal |
|
| Shredded cardboard and newspaper |
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| Wood chips and sawdust |
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| Dry brown leaves |
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| Straw |
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