Earth Day is on April 22 and this year's theme is "Our Power, Our Planet." Each of us has the power to make meaningful choices each day that benefit the environment and inspire others to do the same.
If you're looking for a way to use your power for good, consider starting a compost pile. Compost piles are a cheap and efficient way to recycle food and yard waste and benefit the soil and plants for years to come.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, composting requires a balance of carbon-rich materials (browns), nitrogen-rich materials (greens), water, and oxygen.
Greens include: Fruit and veggie scraps, grass clippings, coffee grounds and paper filters, and crushed eggshells.
Browns include: Dry leaves, plant stalks and twigs, shredded non-glossy and non-colored paper or brown bags, shredded brown cardboard, and untreated wood chips.
Things to avoid: Meat, fish, bones, dairy products, fats/grease, large amounts of cooked food, bags and food service items, herbicide-treated plants, aggressive weeds, diseased plants, treated wood, pet waste and cat litter, glossy paper, and produce stickers.
1. Designate a container to collect and store your fruit and vegetable scraps — a reusable container in the freezer works well to store waste without any smell. Just empty it regularly and re-use the container.
2. Set aside an outdoor area to collect your browns. Just deposit leaves, twigs, and other browns in a pile to mix with food scraps.
3. Find a space in your yard for your pile. Make sure there's a water source (like a garden hose) nearby. You can construct a bin out of wire, wood, or cinder blocks, or you can purchase or a commercially made bin.
4. Break your materials into smaller pieces before you add them to your pile — this will help them break down faster.
5. Start your pile with a four to six-inch layer of browns like twigs and wood chips, then layer browns and greens like lasagna. Add some water to dampen the pile if needed. When adding to your pile, make sure that the volume of browns is two to three times greater than the volume of greens, and always make sure that food scraps are covered by four to eight inches of browns.
6. Turn your compost occasionally and add water as needed to give the pile the consistency of a damp (but not saturated) sponge). The pile will heat up as it decomposes — if it doesn't, add more greens and turn the pile.
7. When there are no visible scraps and the pile is no longer heating up after mixing, allow it to cure for about four weeks. The pile will shrink at this stage, have a dark and loose texture, and smell like fresh soil.
8. Use your finished compost in your garden and enjoy the results!
