Transcript Don`t throw that out! Compost it!

Don’t throw that out! Compost it!
You need to compost. It is a cheap and free way to amend & enrich soil. It is easy to do, saves money and is
environmentally sound. Turn your scraps into soil and have the healthiest garden on the block.
What can I compost?
“Brown” stuff
Leaves, Twigs, Pine Needles, Wood Chips & Sawdust
Straw & Cornstalks
Shredded Newspaper, Cardboard, Paper Towels, & Napkins
“Green” stuff; nitrogen sources
Grass Clippings & Garden Trimmings
Dead House Plants & Potting Mix
Vegetable & Fruit Scraps, Bread & Grains, Eggshells, Tea Bags,
Coffee Grounds & Filters (Moldy or lightly soggy food scraps are
fine)
Manure from Farm Animals
Hay or Straw
Seaweed or Algae
Do not add thick layers of any kind of waste. Alternate layers of
brown and green materials, keeping a 2:1 ratio of brown to green.
A healthy compost pile doesn’t stink. Keeping a balance of brown to
green and keeping it moist, but not wet, reduces the need to “turn”
compost. If the compost seems stagnant or anaerobic, “turn” it,
which adds oxygen to the compost and aids aerobic activity.
It’s ready when it looks and smells like rich soil.
Compost bin made easy with free wood pallets.
What NOT to compost:
•Branches over ½ “ diameter
•Sawdust from Plywood
•Treated/Painted Wood
•Coated Photo & Copy Paper
•Colored Paper & Waxed Cardboard
•Meat, Fish, Poultry or Dairy Products
•Pesticide-Treated Grass Clippings & Diseased
Plants
•Invasive Weeds & Weed Seed Heads (set out for
Curbside Yard Waste Collection)
•Pet Waste & Litter
Compiled by: Tracie Hellwinckel; Knoxville Permaculture Guild. More information and gardening articles at http://knoxvillepermacultureguild.ning.com/profile/traciehellwinckel