COMPOST is Nature's Way With Waste

· Almost Anything Living Can Be Composted

· It Naturally Occurs

· It Makes An Excellent Addition to Your Soil

· It's Easy

Why Compost?

· It's the Most Practical Way to Dispose of Yard Waste

· It Adds Nutrients to Your Soil

· It Improves Soil Drainage and Aeration

· Yard Wastes Take Up Valuable Space in Landfills

· It's Illegal to Leave Yard Wastes Out With the Trash

· It's Easy

HOW TO COMPOST - quick method
(see the OSU extension - Composting At Home page for more information

· 1st Layer: Chopped Brush
· 2nd Layer: 6"-8" Mixed Scraps, Leaves, Grass Clippings
· 3rd Layer: Repeat Steps 1 and 2
· After 5-6 weeks, Fork the Materials Into a New Pile

· Finished Compost Will Be Ready in 3 to 4 Months

Worm Composting

If you already use the "Don't Bag It" program when you mow your grass and you just dump your leaves out in the "back 40", regular composting is not very convenient. However, there is a way for you to compost kitchen scraps without a lot of work. It's called Worm Composting and it can be done indoors. While most people don't relish the idea of worms in the house, the worms are kept in a box with the waste.

· The Worms Stay in the Box

· The Box Gives Off Very Little Odor

The process is simple:
· All you have to do is build (or buy) a 5 to 10 cubic foot box
· Fill it with 8" of moist, shredded papers
· Add kitchen waste and worms.
· Each day, dig a small hole, put in your food scraps and cover them. It is best if the scraps are buried in different locations throughout the box.
· Keep the bedding moist, but not excessively wet.

The worms digest the scraps and produce a rich humus that can be used like compost. Typically, one pound of worms are added for each 1/2 pound of food scraps generated per day. Red worms are the most efficient digesters; you can buy these worms at your local bait store or at Flowerfield Ent. 10332 Shaver Rd. Kalamazoo, MI 49002, (616) 327-0108

After three to six months, the compost is finished.
· Move the compost to one side
· Add fresh, moist bedding to the other side.
· Begin to add food scraps to the fresh bedding.
· Within four weeks, all the worms will have moved to the fresh bedding; you can remove the finished compost.
· Once the compost is removed, fill the space with additional moist bedding.

Anaerobic Composting

Another method of composting kitchen scraps is Anaerobic Composting. Like worm composting, anaerobic composting is ideal if you use the "Don't Bag It" program, but unlike worm composting you don't keep the composting units in the house.
You can get more information about composting from the Ohio State University Ohioline server:
Composting At Home
The Composting Process

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