5 Common Composting Mistakes You're Probably Making
Composting is the ultimate recycling activity. It reduces the amount of garbage that goes into our landfills, transforming it into one of the best soil-boosters you can add to your garden.
Avoid the following common composting mistakes and you'll be rewarded with your own supply of black-gold.
1.Using Only One Pile or Bin
It's always best to have at least two-piles, or a double-chamber bin, so while your first-batch is maturing, you can add new waste material to the second bin chamber or pile. You may even want to go for three: one that is ready to use, one that is in the process of decomposing, and one to which you're still adding fresh-wastes. Sometimes the top of a pile is slower to decompose, so if this happens, you can move the top layer to the working pile and use the compost below in the garden.
2.Incorrect Balance of “Browns” and “Greens.
A mistake that many beginning composters make is not getting the right balance of brown and green plant matter. You need high-carbon "browns" such as dry-leaves, straw, shredded paper, or sawdust; and high-nitrogen "green" material: fresh garden-wastes, untreated grass clippings, and food scraps like fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, tea-bags.
The rule of thumb is to combine 3-parts brown to 1 part green. Too much green and you will end-up with a mushy, smelly-mess. And too much brown will slow decomposition.
3.Skipping a Starter
Where do those hardworking microscopic creatures that transform garbage into gold come from? Some are already on the materials you're composting, but it can take a little while for their populations to build-up in a new pile enough to really get decomposition going. One option to jump-start things is to buy a compost starter Or, you can simply add a scoop or two of soil from your garden or some compost from a previous batch, both of which are loaded with the microbes you need.
4.Using Too Little or Too Much Water
Some moisture is necessary for decomposition to happen (you'll know things are just right when your pile feels warm and smells earthy). But if the pile gets too-wet, there won't be enough oxygen for the microbes to complete their work. It's usually obvious when this happens because your pile will be a smelly, soggy-mess. If you have this problem, mix in more dry fallen-leaves, straw, or shredded-paper. But if your pile-seems to be mostly-dry, add water a little at a time and mix-it in until the materials are damp throughout.
5.Leaving Your Compost Pile Open
If you have a large property where you can locate your compost-pile a distance from the house and mostly out of sight, you could get by without a lid or other covering. But if your home is closer to your neighbors, covers are not only a good idea for aesthetic-reasons, they also may be a municipal-requirement in some suburban and urban-areas. A covering also will help hold in heat, which is especially important in winter.