Composting is a great way to get amazing soil for your garden and keep some trash out of the landfill. One thing to keep in mind this time of year, when you have more leaves and yard refuse than normal, is that for a compost pile to be really effective you need a good balance of nitrogen and carbon. If you have too many evergreen needles, dry leaves, grass clippings, bark chips, straw, prunings and cuttings, which all provide a lot of carbon, the compost won't break down in a timely matter.
One way to speed up the process is to pile your leaves and yard refuse next to your compost pile and add the leaves over time. Try adding approximately the same amount of yard waste as you do kitchen waste (Note: Never compost meat). Kitchen waste, such as; coffee grounds, green leaves, vegetables, fruit peels and other kitchen scraps tend to be high in nitrogen. Combine this balance of carbon and nitrogen with frequent turn overs of the pile and you should have some heavenly soil.
You'll have free organic rich soil and it costs nothing! Rodale has some great composting guides for beginners. I keep a sturdy container with a lid (it's an old one-gallon plastic ice cream bucket with a handle and lid) by the sink. Into it I put all fruit and vegetable scraps, tea bags, coffee grounds and filters, and rinsed egg shells. Add this to your compost heaps with some dry browns or shredded newspaper or dry leaves or dryer lint and soon you'll have compost (whether you stir or not). This is a cheap and easy way to keep garbage out of your trash can and into your garden or flowers for FREE!
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