Step 1 of 4
Pruning
Step 2 of 4
Pest Control
Step 3 of 4
Composting
Step 4 of 4
Fertilizing & Irrigation
Composting
Recycling earth
Composting will serve two purposes. First, it will provide an environmentally friendly way to dispose of trimmings, leaves and food waste. Second it will produce rich organic material that will naturally feed plants and improve soil.
Browns, greens, air and water are the four components that will keep every compost pile happy.
Follow these guidelines:
- Chop materials to less than 1.5 inches long for quicker breakdown.
- Mix "browns" (dry, woody materials) with "greens" (moist, green materials).
- Maintain air & water balance by keeping compost as moist as a wrung-out sponge.
Container Composting:
To add fruit and vegetable trimmings to basic compost bins, first be sure the bin is rodent resistant; it needs a floor, a lid and no holes bigger than 1/4". Ideally, the whole bin is enclosed in 1/4" wire mesh. Second, always bury food into the compost pile (exposed food can attract pests). No more than 1/3 of your pile should be fruit and vegetable trimmings.
This Method:
- some time and effort
- requires 3' X 3' yard space
- makes small to large amounts of finished compost
Underground Composting:
Simply bury fruit and vegetable trimmings at least one foot under the soil surface as often as you like. This means a 6" layer of compostables requires an 18" deep hole. Dig your hole in a different place each time. You can plant shallow-rooted plants like lettuce immediately. One to three months later you can plant deeper-rooted plants, like most shrubs and trees, or bury more compostables in the same place.
This Method:
- Takes minimal time and effort
- Requires some yard space
- Does not require harvesting--buried trimmings enrich soil directly
Do Compost
These can be placed into your compost pile:
- All fruit and vegetable trimmings
- Coffee grounds and filters
- Tea bags
- Citrus rinds
- Rinsed-out, crushed eggshells
- Used paper towels
- Soft green plant trimmings
- Most types of sawdust
- Chopped woody prunings
- Pine needles
- Fallen leaves
- Lawn clippings & young weeds
- Herbivore manures
Don't Compost
These are not recommended for composting:
- Meat, bone, fish
- Dairy products and grease
- Grains, beans and breads
- Dog, cat and bird feces
- Sawdust from plywood or treated wood
- Wood prunings
- Diseased plants
- Ashes from a stove, fireplace or BBQ
- Dirt or soil
- Seed bearing weeds
