What Should I Put Into My Composter ?
Composting is a simple, natural process. Once you put organic material into your composter, the decomposition process starts. What you place into the composter and how you layer the material, affects the speed of decomposition. For best results, perform the following steps:
- Add 4 parts carbon-based material (brown material such as dry leaves, shredded newspaper, straw etc.) to 1 part nitrogen (green material such as fruit and vegetable scraps, weeds, flowers, grass clippings etc.).
- Vary the materials that go into the composter. The micro-organisms in your composter thrive on a variety of foods.
- If possible, layer wet and dry material in your composter. For instance, when you add kitchen scraps or grass, also add dry leaves. Layers should be no more than 15 cm (6 inches) thick.
- Sprinkle a little earth over your organic material. This will keep flies away from your composter.
- Chop or shred materials into small pieces to make the composting process go faster.