Transcript Do`s and Don`ts of Composting

Do’s and Don'ts of
Composting
Agri-science
Mr. Bailey
Do’s
• Have a balance of “green” and “browns”
Greens: (nitrogen) grass clippings,
vegetable and non-acidic fruit waste
o If it is smelly after a few days
Browns: (carbon) leaves, wood products,
sugars
Do’s
• Layer the “greens” and “browns”
with a thin layer of soil
• Watch what you put in your compost
Don’ts
• Acidic items
citrus fruits, grapes, tomatoes and
tomato products, pickles, orange juice,
etc., shouldn't be used in a compost pile
• Items can kill the bacteria that a compost
pile accumulates over the course of the
breakdown.
Don’ts
• Biodegradable, cooked vegetables, meat,
dairy items, bones, fish, bread and
grains, should not be put into a compost
pile
• Items will produce odor and attract
nighttime critters to your pile
Don’ts
• Plants that are diseased, varieties that
are invasive, or weeds that have gone to
seed aren't a good mix for the compost
• Disease and thus infect other plants or
put new weeds in your garden
Don’ts
• Colored paper, glossy paper, pressure treated
and chemically enhanced wood and wood
items, and dyed human hair have chemicals in
them that shouldn't be broken down to reuse
in a garden setting
Don’ts
• Dog and cat feces, cat litter and human feces
• These produce gases that negate the favorable
conditions that a compost heap should have