Composting is Nature’s way of replenishing its soil with nutrients for future growth. Composting is an excellent way to transform your landscape trimmings, fallen leaves and fruit and vegetable kitchen scraps into a dark, crumbly, sweet-smelling soil amendment. Instead of putting this organic waste into your garbage can, you can “turn you garbage into gold” by composting. Yard trimmings and kitchen scraps represent as much as 30% of our waste stream and composting helps save landfill space, conserves natural resources and improves soil quality. Composting can happen all by itself with a little sunshine, water, air and time. All you have to do is find a space on the ground, pile stuff on and it will decompose and turn into compost eventually.
Composting can save you money. By reducing your garbage volume through composting in the City your monthly bill is lower and in the County your solid waste tax can be lowered. It also reduces the need for store-bought soil amendments and fertilizers. Adding compost to the soil helps it hold moisture and reduce water runoff thereby conserving precious water. The healthier your soil is the healthier and more disease resistant your plant will be whether in the garden or in containers.
Some people prefer to speed up the composting process by using “compost bins” and actively turning the materials frequently. This will turn your clippings and scraps into that wonderful compost faster than just letting Mother Nature take her time with the job. No matter what method you choose to use, there are 3 basic steps to making compost. The bugs, fungi, bacteria and worms in your yard do most of the composting for you. 1. Chop compostables. The more you chop, the faster the decomposition process will take place. Use grass clippings, leaves, flowers, weeds, shrub prunings, fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags and even small amounts of uncoated paper. 2. Mix two-thirds dry brown material (leaves, straw, shredded wood) with one-third moist green material for a balance of nutrients. 3. Add water as you build your pile and maintain its moisture level so you pile is as damp as a wrung-out sponge. Proper moisture is essential for organisms to break down organic materials into compost.
These are the basic definitions and steps to composting, but if you want more information please visit our web site at http://www.romefloyodrecycles.org/and click on the Special Wastes menu for Composting Information. There are brochures available at the Rome/Floyd County Library in the Compost Demonstration Area mailbox and at the Recycling Center. You can also purchase an Earth Machine (backyard compost bin) at the Recycling Center for $ 35.00 that comes with an excellent instructional book. For more information call the Recycling Center at 291-5266.