Composting 101

Understanding composting can be a bit intimidating. but fear not!...One of our favorite resources, Earth911 has compiled tons of great information to make the process of conjuring up your first compost pile a not-so-complicated challenge, hopefully increasing your knowledge and not stress! 

According to the EPA, 24 percent of the U.S. municipal solid waste stream is composed of food remnants and yard trimmings. If these materials were diverted to another use that kept them out of the trash, a significant portion of the country's everyday waste could be recovered for reuse.

Enter: composting. Grass clippings, food scraps and yard waste are all ideal materials to add to a compost pile. This means that starting one is about more than just creating a great soil booster for your garden or farm - it can cut down on your waste output as well.

For those who have been thinking about starting a pile for some time now, but are still unsure about taking on the challenge, understanding the basics of composting can make it a less intimidating process.

First Thing's First: What is Composting?

For households, composting is a way to recycle certain materials and kitchen scraps and turn them into a beneficial soil amendment for home gardens and reduce waste output.

For small-scale farms, composting is a way to utilize the residual plant and animal material generated and put it to good use as a fertilizer and soil-builder for future crop production.

In both cases, composting is the natural process of decomposition, sped up by a deliberate strategy in a concentrated environment to transform materials such as grass clippings, vegetable scraps, newspaper and more into a new material (known as "humus") that can then be incorporated back into the soil. Also, composting with worms, or vermicomposting, is another option over traditional composting using outdoor bins.

Break It Down: The Process

So, how does composting work? According to Nance Trautmann and Elaina Olynciw of Cornell University, microorganisms break down organic matter, producing heat, carbon dioxide, water and humus in the process.

When composting is done correctly, a pile undergoes three optimal phases:

1. The mesophilic, or moderate temperature phase, lasts 2-3 days
2. The thermophilic, or high temperature phase, lasts anywhere from 3 days to several months, depending on what is in the pile
3. The cooling and maturation phase lasts several months

In the first stage, what are referred to as mesophilic microorganisms quickly break down the easily degradable materials in the pile. The microorganisms’ output of this breakdown is heat, so the temperature in the pile rise. High temperatures in a compost pile are necessary to ensure that the next phase—where thermophilic (meaning "heat loving") microbes replace the mesophilic ones—ensues.

Thermophilic microbes then kill any pathogens that may exist, as well accelerate the breakdown of complex carbohydrates, fats and proteins that exist in the pile. Important to note is that if temperatures in the pile go above 149 degrees Fahrenheit, even the heat loving microbes can be killed, slowing the rate of decomposition.

Because piles can get too hot, aerating, or turning the pile, is essential if the cooling phase is to be reached. The cooling phase is where the high microbial activity of the other two phases is reduced, allowing for the compost to mature and become ready for application.

The Do's and Don’ts: What to Add, What to Leave Out

Besides the process itself, knowing what ingredients should go into a backyard composting operation is essential for a successful outcome.

“Green” (nitrogen rich) and “brown” (carbon rich) materials are required to be in proper balance to ensure that the pile does not become anaerobic. Anaerobic decomposition occurs as a result of an improper chemical balance, mainly a lack of oxygen.

This lack of oxygen necessitates aeration (turning the pile). If the pile is not properly aerated or has too much nitrogen and not enough carbon, rotting and stinking can occur. A compost pile should never smell, according to the EPA.

So, how to achieve this proper chemical balance? Let’s start with the greens. Green materials refer to those that are rich in nitrogen. Some examples of green materials include:

• Food scraps - Vegetable peelings are a common material produced by households and make a great compost amendment. However, never add animal-based leftovers (fat trimmings, meat, cheese, milk, etc) as the oils and fats are not conducive to a backyard composting operation.
• Fresh grass clippings
• Manure - If you have access to manure from horses, cows, sheep, goats or chickens, it is a great compost ingredient because it speeds up the decomposition process. It is not a requisite for a successful compost pile, however. Never use manure from carnivores.
• Plants and plant cuttings - Just-picked weeds from around the backyard (as long as there are no developed seeds or seed heads) are permissible, as are flower tops. Green leaves from a freshly cut branch work as well (just make sure to shred them).

Brown materials, on the other hand, are rich in another crucial ingredient, carbon. Carbon gives the microbes the energy they need to work. It is useful to shred most brown ingredients so as to lessen the workload for microbes, enabling decomposition to happen faster.

Some examples of brown materials include:

• Dead, dry leaves
• Hay and straw
• Simple paper products - Newspaper, paper and cardboard
• Crushed egg shells
• Coffee grounds - tea bags and loose-leaf tea work as well
• Wood ashes and sawdust - Use sparingly. Wood ashes can make the pile very alkaline, which limits microbial activity, and sawdust can take a long time to break down.

Some Final Tips: Water

According to the EPA, another important factor to keep in mind is the moisture content of the pile, since the hard-at-work microorganisms need an adequate amount to survive. Water also transports nutrients and organic matter throughout a compost pile, which keeps the pile from becoming stagnant.

But how do you tell if water should be added? According to the New York City Compost Project, if you have just loaded the pile with  autumn leaves from the backyard, make sure to add sufficient water to them so that they glisten. Doing so kick starts the decomposition process of the carbon-rich leaves.

Additionally, the NYC Compost Project recommends that "Optimal moisture levels for composting occur when materials are about as moist as a wrung-out sponge—obviously moist to the touch, but yielding no liquid when squeezed."

For advanced-level composting, moisture content instruments are available and can help you to be more precise, although rainfall will often do the trick, as it provides a slow soak that is optimal for a infiltrating a compost pile. For those in a drier climate, however, intentional watering will probably be necessary. Make sure to add water slowly and to turn the pile to incorporate the water so it reaches all sections.

Make It Easy!

To avoid countless trips out to the backyard to dispose of kitchen scraps, put them in an airtight bag and freeze them. This also helps to avoid the smell of old food.

Additionally, freezing will assist in achieving chemical balance in your compost pile. For example, if you have an overload of “green” food scraps from that get-together you had the other night and you do not have the necessary “brown” materials to balance out the pile, freeze the scraps for a while until you have enough "brown" to add to the pile.

Where you live and your particular climate will have a significant effect on your pile, some it occasionally may come down to some experimentation. For more guidance as well as some more advanced composting methods, check out the video below to get started:

All-Natural Air Fresheners

A fun, DIY recipe for making all natural air fresheners that look as great as they smell has been making it's way around the internet today. If you're a fan of natural fragrances we highly recommend you take a look at the post.

While some manufacturers have published data concerning the environmental impact of their products, most commercial air fresheners are met with skepticism in regards to their effect on personal health as well as the environment. One article by the Washington Post speculates that one ordinary plug-in air freshener uses 18.4 kilowatt-hours of electricity…the equivalent of 1 barrel of oil. Aside from any potential health risks, air fresheners can be expensive and let's be honest, they don't always smell so great. 

So why not turn an expensive, mundane chore into a domestic adventure?! But how?! Good question. We did some digging and with the help of some of our favorite resources such as Rodale News, were able to find a few whacky, yet effective ways of cleaning the air around your house. 

#1: Vodka
Ethyl alcohol, found in vodka and other spirits, is a main ingredient in most commercial air fresheners. But cleaning your air with vodka allows you to get rid of musty odors without saturating the air (or your lungs) with added chemicals, like petroleum-derived propellants and harmful synthetic fragrances. Vodka leaves no odor as it dries, so you can spray it straight into your air as is, or add 20 to 30 drops of your favorite essential oils for a pleasant scent.

#2: Kitty Litter

Have a smelly closet or musty basement? Set out a tray of cat litter, specifically, Jonny Cat Litter brand, recommends Joey Green of Joey Green's Cleaning Magic (Rodale, 2010). One primary reason that brand works so well has to do with the fact that the main ingredient is diatomaceous earth, a naturally occurring mineral that, among its many wonders, absorbs odors (it also absorbs moisture in the air, and kills pests that come in contact with it). So if you can't find any Jonny Cat Litter, buy a box of diatomaceous earth and set a few bowls out in the corners of smelly rooms. You can find it online from garden supply stores, such as Planet Natural.

#3: Coffee Grounds

Who doesn't love the smell of coffee? According to Green, it's another weird odor remover that helps cut the smell of winter mustiness. You can use fresh or used grounds, but if going with used, let them dry out a bit first. Place them in a bowl as is wherever you need an odor removed, or wrap them up in a coffee filter or old stocking and hang them in a closet or from a shelf. If you're not a coffee drinker, you can still benefit. Some Starbucks (and many small locally owned cafes) give their used coffee grounds away for free.

#4: A Palm Tree.
We're not talking about palm trees at the beach (though a beach vacation is a good way to get away from dirty indoor air). Palm trees used as houseplants are very effective air purifiers, known to remove formaldehyde, which lurks in paints, furniture finishes, and the glues used to hold pressed wood and particle board together. You'll get similar benefits from a variety of other houseplants, but palm trees are among the easiest to care for. Look for Dwarf date, bamboo, areca, lady, or parlor palm varieties.

#5: Your Skin.
Thanks to all the oils in your skin, dead skin flakes act like natural air purifiers, say researchers from Denmark. According to their study, published in the most recent issue of Environmental Science & Technology, one of the most common oils in skin, squalene, reduces levels of the indoor air pollutant ozone, a respiratory irritant that can trigger asthma attacks. After comparing levels of ozone in a day-care center's indoor air with the amount of squalene from skin flakes in its dust, the researchers determined that dead skin flakes can reduce ozone levels anywhere from 2 to 15 percent. Even we aren't sure how to best make use of this information, so please don't go around leaving skin flakes everywhere. But isn't it nice to know your very presence can make the air fresher? Also, ewwwww.

#6: Elbow Grease.
Ultimately, the best way to deal with smelly or chemical-laden indoor air is to go straight to the source. It's easier to eliminate an odor's cause than to try to cover it up with coffee grinds or cat litter. And indoor air pollutants that collect in dust can be trapped by a good vacuum and weekly dusting with a damp cloth. To prevent further polluting your indoor air, make your own green cleaning kit with white vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, and borax, all of which are also natural odor removers. For cleaning recipes, see How to Make Green Cleaning Recipes That Really Work.

HOW TO: Enjoy Your Labor Day Weekend

You probably don't need anyone to tell you how to spend your Labor Day weekend, but the fine folks at Organic Gardening came up with a list of a few nifty ways to enjoy the long weekend. We think they're pretty great, so we figured we'd share them with you. Enjoy!

1. Go to a farmers’ market. Harvest time is heading into high gear, so there’s no better time to head to a nearby farmers’ market and stock up on fresh, tasty edibles. You’ll not only get great field-fresh food; you’ll also support your local economy—and help fight global warming, since locally produced food comes without the carbon emissions required to truck it across the continent. Look for food grown with organic methods, and you avoid ingesting harmful chemicals and also support agriculture that adds carbon to the soil instead of releasing it into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas. Now’s also a good time to sign up for a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, so you can get farm-fresh food every week.

2. Dig a root cellar. Not sure where or how to store all the fresh produce you got at the farmers’ market? A root cellar could be the answer. Don’t worry—you don’t have to literally dig one out of the ground (though you could, if you’re looking for a weekend project). Odds are there’s a cool, dark space somewhere in your home that will do: a shelf in the basement, an unused closet, even space under your porch.

3. Avoid overeating. Most holidays have a strong food component, and with its various buffets, cookouts, and picnics, Labor Day weekend is no exception. So follow the healthy-eating advice we offered back on July 4. Simple tactics like choosing smaller plates and keeping a count of your drinks can have a big impact on your calorie intake. And when it comes to overeating, keep the big picture in mind: Most of the food we’re exposed to has been pumped up with extra fat, sugar, and salt to play on our biologically hard-wired food cravings.

4. Get ready for fall allergies. If you’e prone to autumn allergies, ragweed and other triggers may already have you sneezing. Arm yourself with some easy nondrug allergy remedies that will cut down on the need for pills. Make sure your diet includes foods rich in folate, a B vitamin that seems to protect against allergies. And learn about some things you can do around the house to prepare for fall allergy season.

5. Do some late-season gardening. It’s not too late in the year to get your hands dirty, even if you don’t live in a southern part of the country. Good late-summer garden projects include planting garlic, installing a birdbath, or digging next year’s beds. You can also start a compost pile to build up some natural fertilizer for next year’s garden. If your garden’s lush right now, take an inventory of how high everything’s grown, and build some homemade supports and trellises that will give next year’s crop a lift. Or start your fall garden cleanup so your soil will he healthy and ready come spring.

6. Clean with vinegar. If you’re using some of the extended weekend to get some housecleaning done, try out the cheap, easy, ecosafe alternative to harsh chemical cleansers. Fast becoming the second-favorite liquid of the Rodale.com staff (water is number 1, of course), vinegar has all kinds of awesome uses. For basic cleaning, 1 part vinegar to 9 parts water will wipe out germs and grime. Mix vinegar with other natural ingredients to make specialized cleaners that cost a fraction of the toxic stuff you get at the stores.

7. Try canning or pickling. With some basic supplies and traditional canning techniques, you can preserve your favorite summer fruits and vegetables to enjoy in fall and winter. Check out Rodale.com's Nickel Pincher for a canning primer that you can use to make fruit preserves and jellies. You can apply the same skills to other fruit canning recipes, and try canning some tomatoes and pasta sauces. Or try your hand at pickling.

8. Relax. Maybe you’re one of those people who have trouble unwinding after a busy week. A great way to signal to your body that it’s time to relax is to spend some time in nature, so hang out outside as much as you can. Try a calming beverage and review our list of holiday stress-busters, which, though December-oriented, could also apply to anyone who’s running around buying charcoal or struggling with the logistics of one last desperate beach weekend. Anyway, those end-of-the year holidays will be here before you know it.