Tips for Composting in Your Garden

• Composting can take from 14 days to a year, depending on the steps you take
• Grass clippings, leaves, twigs, vines and plant stalks can be composted
• Kitchen scraps such as fruit, vegetables, coffee grounds, eggshells and nutshells can also be used
• Do NOT compost: meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, or human or pet feces
• Avoid composting weeds with seed heads, or any diseased plant material
• Select an area in your garden (6 ft x 6 ft is recommended). A shady place will keep the compost moist in the summer, and a sunny place will keep it warm in the winter- so any place will do
• Purchase or build your compost bin and begin filling it!
• A good rule of thumb is to compost equal part of brown material (dry leaves, straw, sawdust etc.) to green material (grass clippings, kitchen scraps)
• Once you have a good pile, add a few shovels full of soil to get microbes in the mix, or use a compost accelerator (Available at garden stores)
• If your compost is getting dry add water
• Turn your pile about every 3 weeks; you can turn it more frequently if you wish
• When you add new green material to your pile, mix it well to avoid pests
• Covering your pile with black plastic trash bags will keep moisture from evaporating, and will prevent you from over-watering your compost
• Compost can be used as mulch around shrubs and trees to retain moisture and keep weeds out
• Add compost to your garden beds to enrich your soil

When you compost grass clippings, leaves and kitchen scraps, you take responsibility for the waste that you and your family generated. If your trash collection fee is based on the volume of waste you produce, you can lower your trash bills. Even if it isn't, recycling your waste into compost is one way to be a good citizen and good neighbor.

On top of that, compost also provides a valuable soil amendment that can help improve the quality of your yard. Composting is easy, rewarding and can even be fun.

For more information contact Jeanie Gillis, Director of Horticulture at jgillis@heritagemuseums.org.