Composting is a great way to reduce waste and create nutrient-rich soil for your garden. Here are some items that you can put in a compost bin, according to the search results:
Green materials (nitrogen-rich):
- Fruit and vegetable scraps
- Used tea and coffee grounds
- Crushed eggshells
- Grass clippings
- Green plant cuttings
- Old flowers
- Weeds
Brown materials (carbon-rich):
- Shredded newspaper
- Shredded office or school papers
- Pressed paper egg cartons, torn into small pieces
- Sawdust (only from untreated wood)
- Brown paper shopping bags, shredded or torn
- Brown paper lunch bags, shredded or torn
- Leftover peat or coir from seed starting
- Coir liners for hanging baskets
- Wood chips
- Bedding from chickens
Its important to maintain a proper ratio of materials in your pile: two to three parts carbon-rich material (browns) to one part nitrogen-rich material (greens). Remember to cover and bury your food scraps in your pile and avoid adding meat, dairy, or greasy foods to your pile.
When layering, try to add two parts brown material to one part green. Its also important to turn or aerate the compost with a fork every week or two. Another option is to poke garden stakes or plastic pipes through the heap to allow air in. Covering the compost at the top will keep in heat and moisture, which are essential for the process.
The compost is ready for use when it’s a rich brown color and crumbles easily. This could take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on the materials used and the conditions of the compost pile.
