Fundamentals of Backyard Composting

by DoItYourself Staff

Save your trash

Backyard composting is the process of decomposing biodegradable organic material into a soil-like product useful to humans. Backyard composting is a useful alternative to tossing your organic trash. It’s good for the environment, and the end-product is something you can use.

How to begin

For effective backyard composting you must create a balance between brown materials and green materials, and in no cases should you mix any non-biodegradable materials into the mix, which will only slow down the process, and depending on the material, might even ruin your compost.

Green materials include:

• Grass clippings, green leaves, or garden clippings
• Livestock manure
• Fruit and vegetable scraps

Brown materials include:

• Wood chips
• Hard garden clippings (bark, pine cones, etc.)
• Shredded paper

Let it lie

The key to backyard composting is to now let the mixture fester for a period of time. Bacteria will reproduce and begin to break down the organic materials into the end product compost. If done properly, the heap should get very hot. This is a sign that the bacteria are flourishing. If your compost is not heating, try wetting it with a garden hose.