Composting
Nature's Way of Recycling
It is a familiar weekend activity - mowing the lawn, raking grass and leaves, pruning tree limbs and trimming shrubbery to give our yards that well manicured look. Most of us spend so much time - and in some cases money - taking care of our yards, we do not think very much about where all those piles of grass and leaves, and bundles of tree limbs and shrubbery trimmings will end up.
Raleigh residents can help reduce the costs of operating the City of Raleigh's Yard Waste Center significantly by recycling their own yard waste. Yard waste material can be a valuable source of nutrition for your yard, and you can save money by recycling and composting this material.
Grass Recycling
You can enhance the appearance of your yard without spending hundreds of dollars on soil nutrient products and fertilizer by recycling grass clippings. Grass recycling is one of the easiest ways to improve the appearance of your yard. Just leave your grass clippings on your lawn after mowing, and they will decompose naturally, releasing valuable nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium into the soil. A layer of grass clippings also helps reduce water evaporation, cutting down on the number of times you have to water your lawn, and can help your lawn stay healthy and weed-free by keeping the soil cool.
Just think of all the time and energy you can save by leaving grass clippings on your lawn instead of raking and bagging. Leaving grass clippings on the lawn will not contribute to thatch build-up. Grass clippings are composed mostly of water and beneficial nutrients while thatch comes primarily from roots and stems.
Tips for Grass Recycling
Mow when grass is dry and make sure your mower blade is sharp. A sharp blade and dry grass mean that the clippings will be cut into finer pieces and will decompose faster.
Don't let grass get too long before mowing, and never cut grass too short. For a stronger, healthier and more drought-resistant lawn, never remove more than the top two-thirds of blade growth.
If you wait until your grass is high before mowing, it is best to bag the clippings for mulching and composting.
Mulching
Chipping or shredding tree limbs and shrubbery trimmings makes and excellent mulch for use as a decorative border for paths, in planting beds or around trees and shrubbery.
Shredding leaves and pine straw also make a good mulch for flower beds, gardens, trees and shrubbery. Leaf and pine straw mulch acts as a natural fertilizer while reducing water evaporation, helping to control weeds and preventing soil erosion. Using materials you normally would throw away also saves money on commercial mulch products.
Composting
Composting leaves and grass clippings causes the material to break down into a soil enhancer called humus, which helps produce healthier plants. Making compost is as easy as adding three key ingredients - carbon, nitrogen, and soil.
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Carbon +
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Nitrogen + Soil
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Do NOT Compost
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Leaves
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Kitchen Scraps
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Meat or Bones
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Pine Straw
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Manure
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Dairy Products
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Small Branches
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Lawn Clippings
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Whole eggs
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Paper Products*
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Weeds
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Fatty Foods
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Straw
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Hay
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Treated Wood
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Wood chips
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Pet or human waste
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Sawdust
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Diseased plants
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Remember that the smaller the particles in the compost pile, the faster fungi, microorganisms, bacteria, worms, beetles and centipedes will break down the material into rich compost.
Finding a sunny out-of-the-way spot will accelerate the composting process. Remove grass from the compost area and begin the compost pile on a bed of branches, large sticks or a wooden pallet. Construct a compost pile four feet high by four feet wide by four feet deep and add materials in the following order: brown or carbon matter, green or nitrogen matter, and soil. Water each layer of the piles until it is the consistency of a wrung out sponge. Water and air are very important to the composting process. Within three or four days, the center of the pile will become hot to the touch (up to 160 degrees F). Stir the bin or rotate it to another pile. Turn the pile every four days to provide air and even heating. For best results, keep the bin turned and full.
Compost Pile Layers from Bottom to Top
- Bed of branches/large sticks/wooden pallet
- Brown/carbon matter - dried leaves, pine straw
- Green/nitrogen matter - grass, food scraps, manure
- Soil
- Brown/carbon matter - dried leaves, pine straw
- Green/nitrogen matter - grass, food scraps, manure
- Soil
- Brown/carbon matter - dried leaves, pine straw
- Green/nitrogen matter - grass, food scraps, manure
- Layer of leaves
Trouble Shooting
Bad odor: the pile probably is not getting enough air, or has too much moisture. Turn the pile to introduce oxygen. Mix in dry materials to absorb moisture.
Ammonia odor: there is an overabundance of green materials (too much nitrogen). Mix in brown material (carbon) to balance the nitrogen.
Pile is damp and warm in the middle, but nowhere else: the pile is probably to small. Collect more material and introduce it into the pile.
Pile is damp and sweet-smelling but produces no heat: the pile is probably not getting enough nitrogen. Mix in a nitrogen source, such as fruit and vegetable remains, fresh manure, blood meal or grass clippings.
Pile is attracting pests or flies: the food remains are probably not being buried deep enough. Bury food remains about 8-12 inches deep. Also, avoid putting meat scraps or fatty food in the pile.
*Paper products such as newspaper, paper plates, paper napkins, paper towels and tubes, paper coffee filters and tea bags are very high in carbon (brown material) but should be moistened, torn or shredded and added in small quantities at a time.
Remember, you can save money on mulch and fertilizer while reducing your contribution to the solid waste problem by composting at home.
*** Did you know? Approximately 30-50% of our waste stream is organic. ***
For More Information Contact:
Bianca M. Howard
Education Specialist
Solid Waste Services Department
400 West Peace Street
Raleigh, NC 27603
919-996-6890
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