If you've wondered what to do with your kitchen scraps and yard waste, wonder no more! Kristina Lacacyo from Green Acres Nursery and Supply says to put that waste to use by making your own composting pile at home,
When it comes to food scraps, Kristina says that not all are created equal. That is, not all were meant to composted. Here's a quick guide:
- Add to your compost pile: fruits, vegetables, eggshells, flowers, rice and grains, and coffee grounds
- Do not add to your compost pile: meat and fish, bones, dairy, oils and butter, and cooked food with oil, dairy and meat
The next aspect of composting is to remember to include equal amounts of browns and greens. What does that mean?
"Browns are carbon rich. Think newspapers, dried leaves, yard waste and egg cartons," Kristina says. "Greens are your food scraps that are nitrogen rich."
One way to remember which is which, is that green materials are typically wet and brown materials are typically dry. When you're layering, you want the dry browns on the bottom, with the wet greens on the top.
Be sure to turn your pile every week or so. That will allow oxygen in, which will help the composting process. Also, stirring the pile will help it "cook" faster and it will prevent the materials from getting matted down and developing any odor.
Which brings us to our last tip for composting at home: How do you know if your pile is actually breaking down and becoming compost? Kristina says that the nose knows!
"If it starts to smell, you've probably added too much green to your pile. But if it doesn't smell at all, then you've probably added too much brown. It should smell fresh."
Kristina adds that composting can take some time, somewhere between three months to a year. So be patient because your patience will be rewarded with enriched soil that will help your home garden. And eventually you can enjoy the fruits of your (composting) labor!
For more gardening tips, visit https://idiggreenacres.com/
.svg.png){kind=small}
