Composting is an excellent, eco-friendly initiative that makes a big difference to not just our gardens, but also our planet. Almost all organic matter can be composted however; there are certain exceptions and rules to composting. If you follow them, you would at the end of the process receive nutrient-rich, well-done compost. Composting depends on the correct ingredients, especially if you want to get it right every time. It is a balance of green and brown matter. The greens include all your fresh compostable materials that include your fruits and vegetable peelings, fresh grass clippings, leftover foods, etc. Whereas browns consist of sawdust, hay, straw, and leaves. They also contain carbon in higher levels and are considered to be a valuable energy source for the microbes that are present in the compost. On the other hand, greens are very high in nitrogen and must be balanced accordingly.
Now you would always want to get the ratio right because, if you have too many greens the compost will get soggy and begin to release a foul order. Too many browns will make the compost very dry and stop the process of decomposition. Getting the proportion correct is essential. And this will disrupt the proportion of carbon required in a regular compost pile. Let’s take a look.
Leaves in carbon for compost
They are great ingredients to utilize in the compost. If you receive a huge number of leaves during autumn, instead of discarding them at the curb, they can now be added to your compost. They are high in carbon and make an excellent addition to the pile. Before adding always consider shredding the leaves. Smaller pieces well compost faster. You could also run the mower over the leaves.
Hay carbon for compost
All kinds of hay that are spoiled are excellent to add to the pile. Hay contributes over double the quantity of carbon in comparison to straw. Straw also decomposes slowly, therefore if the soil in your garden is heavy clay, then straw would make an excellent addition. If there are few particles of straw remaining you can always add it to the finished compost because it will open the structure of the soil.
Cardboard and paper carbon for compost
Tissues, paper towels, bills, newspapers make an excellent addition to the compost pile. However, always shred them before you can add them.
Eggshells carbon for compost
They are a rich source of carbon and calcium and add plenty of value to your composting pile. If you add the eggshells directly to the pile, it will break down after some time. Therefore, it is always recommended to crush the shells or powder them and then add them to the pile.
Teabags carbon for compost
Herbal tea, as well as black tea bags, can be added to your compost. You can add them with the bag or even as loose leaves.
Sawdust carbon for compost
Wood chips and sawdust contain low levels of nitrogen and tend to break down very slowly. If you mix sawdust well with all the green materials that include grass clippings and kitchen scraps, it could benefit the compost in a big way. Make sure that the wood chips are also in smaller pieces to expedite the process.
Well, that’s all for this article. I do hope these tips will help you to start your very own compost heap. Follow these few tips and by the end of the process, you will have nutrient-rich compost. All the best!