{"id":2001,"date":"2012-03-01T09:57:47","date_gmt":"2012-03-01T15:57:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/backyardcity.wordpress.com\/?p=2001"},"modified":"2012-03-01T09:57:47","modified_gmt":"2012-03-01T15:57:47","slug":"composting-guidelines-not-everything-can-go-in-the-compost-bin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/composting-guidelines-not-everything-can-go-in-the-compost-bin\/","title":{"rendered":"Composting Guidelines: Not Everything Can Go in the Compost Bin"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"Compost Bins\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backyardcity.com\/Images\/ETC\/earthmaker-lifestyle-open.jpg?resize=244%2C326\" alt=\"Compost Bin\" width=\"244\" height=\"326\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Composting food and yard wastes is easy, especially when using a purchased <a title=\"Earthmaker Compost Bin\" href=\"http:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/garden-accessories\/ETC-Earthmaker-Composter.htm\" target=\"_blank\">compost bin<\/a>. Building a compost structure on your own is certainly an option, but compost bins on the market come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and often make the process of composting much simpler. No matter how you choose to compost your organic wastes, the advantages of composting are undeniable. Composting helps the environment by reducing greenhouse gases and other air pollutants that would be generated as a result of simply throwing organic wastes into the local landfill or incinerator. Composting also saves money by providing you with free fertilizer for your garden. Finally, compost puts nutrients back into the soil, making your garden soil richer and plants healthier.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What Goes In?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Once you have selected your <a title=\"Ecomposter Rolling Compost Tumbler\" href=\"http:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/garden-accessories\/STC-Ecomposter.htm\" target=\"_blank\">compost bin<\/a>, it&#8217;s time to begin filling it with organic matter. But can you put any kind of organic matter into a compost bin? Unfortunately, no. The general recommendation is to fill your compost bin with a mixture of 50 percent &#8220;browns,&#8221; and 50 percent &#8220;greens.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Browns<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The &#8220;browns&#8221; add carbon to the compost bin mix and include some of the following items:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dried leaves<\/li>\n<li>Straw<\/li>\n<li>Chopped cornstalks &#8212;\u00a0Shred or chop into very small pieces first<\/li>\n<li>Shredded paper<\/li>\n<li>Shredded cardboard<\/li>\n<li>Paper towels<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The Greens<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Greens&#8221; add nitrogen to the compost bin mix and include some of the following items:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Grass clippings<\/li>\n<li>Garden trimmings<\/li>\n<li>Most kitchen wastes (see list below for exceptions)<\/li>\n<li>Fresh hay<\/li>\n<li>Poop from non-meat eating animals &#8212; Your pet bunny or bird, for example<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What Can Go In After\u00a0Some Preparation?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Some organic matter shouldn&#8217;t go into\u00a0a compost pile as is.\u00a0 Here are some examples of items that need to be prepared properly before they can become part of your compost heap:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Diseased plants<\/li>\n<li>Grass clippings with chemicals<\/li>\n<li>Hedge trimmings<\/li>\n<li>Nut shells<\/li>\n<li>Peat moss<\/li>\n<li>Pine Cones<\/li>\n<li>Pine needles<\/li>\n<li>Sawdust<\/li>\n<li>Sod<\/li>\n<li>Soil<\/li>\n<li>Weeds<\/li>\n<li>Wood ashes<\/li>\n<li>Wood chips<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For information about how to prepare these types of organic matter for composting, visit the website of your local agricultural extension office.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Don&#8217;t Even Think About Tossing This Stuff In<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Some organic matter should never find its way into compost bins. Here are the main offenders:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bones<\/li>\n<li>Cat litter<\/li>\n<li>Charcoal and briquettes<\/li>\n<li>Cooked food waste<\/li>\n<li>Dairy products &#8212; (butter, cheese, mayonnaise, salad dressing, milk, yogurt, sour cream)<\/li>\n<li>Dishwater<\/li>\n<li>Fatty, oily, greasy foods<\/li>\n<li>Fish scraps<\/li>\n<li>Meat<\/li>\n<li>Glossy, colored paper<\/li>\n<li>Peanut butter<\/li>\n<li>Pet poop<\/li>\n<li>Human poop<\/li>\n<li>Sludge (biosolids)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Maintaining your compost pile depends on the type of <a title=\"ThermoQuick Compost Bin\" href=\"http:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/garden-accessories\/ETC-ThermoQuick-Composter.htm\" target=\"_blank\">compost bin<\/a> you have chosen.\u00a0 With some compost bins, you need to mix the pile periodically, but some compost bins require no mixing. Refer to the compost bin manufacturer&#8217;s instructions for details.<\/p>\n<p>By purchasing or building your own compost bin that meets your specific needs, and by following a few simple guidelines, you can create your own money saving, earth friendly, plant loving compost.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Composting food and yard wastes is easy, especially when using a purchased compost bin. Building a compost structure on your own is certainly an option, but compost bins on the market come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and often make the process of composting much simpler. No matter how you choose to compost your organic wastes, the advantages of composting are undeniable. Composting &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/composting-guidelines-not-everything-can-go-in-the-compost-bin\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Composting Guidelines: Not Everything Can Go in the Compost Bin<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&raquo;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6,7],"tags":[102,107,203],"class_list":["post-2001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-environmentally-friendly-ideas","category-garden-tools-tips","tag-compost-bins","tag-composting","tag-gardening"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2Nnyf-wh","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2749,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/compost-bins-composting-basics\/","url_meta":{"origin":2001,"position":0},"title":"Compost Bins: Composting Basics","author":"BYC Temp Admin","date":"January 8, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"A Brief Look At How and What To Compost Using Compost Bins Did you know that upwards of 60 percent of the waste generated by the average U.S. household could be recycled or composted? Unfortunately, only 8 percent of American waste is composted, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Environmentally Friendly Ideas&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Environmentally Friendly Ideas","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/environmentally-friendly-ideas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backyardcity.com\/Images\/ETC\/WIBO-Large.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1870,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/dont-let-autumn-leaves-go-to-waste\/","url_meta":{"origin":2001,"position":1},"title":"Don&#8217;t Let Autumn Leaves Go to Waste","author":"Sara May","date":"October 24, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Did you know that upwards of 60 percent of the waste generated by the average U.S. household could be recycled or composted? Unfortunately, only 8 percent of American waste is composted, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Did you also know that yard waste, such as fallen autumn leaves,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Environmentally Friendly Ideas&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Environmentally Friendly Ideas","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/environmentally-friendly-ideas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Compost Bin","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backyardcity.com\/Images\/ETC\/earthmaker-compost-small.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":361,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/composting-is-not-a-dirty-word\/","url_meta":{"origin":2001,"position":2},"title":"Composting Is Not a Dirty\u00a0Word","author":"Trey Collier","date":"April 1, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"The word compost sometimes scares people.\u00a0 We often think of smelly trash, worms, and spoiled food when we think of composting. Actually, it is a simple way you can \"Go Green\" in your own home in addition to the avid recycling you already participate in. Composting benefits us in at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Environmentally Friendly Ideas&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Environmentally Friendly Ideas","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/environmentally-friendly-ideas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Earthmaker Composter","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backyardcity.com\/Images\/ETC\/earthmaker-compost.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1026,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/how-to-compost-autumn-leaves-for-late-spring-use\/","url_meta":{"origin":2001,"position":3},"title":"How to Compost Autumn Leaves For Late Spring Use","author":"Sara May","date":"October 10, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Composting your autumn leaves is the best way to dispose of them.\u00a0\u00a0Not only do you keep those leaves out of the landfill, but composting allows you to create\u00a0nutrient-rich\u00a0\"black gold\" that your garden plants will love.\u00a0 Here are a few tips on preparing your autumn leaves for the compost bin: Don't\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Environmentally Friendly Ideas&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Environmentally Friendly Ideas","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/environmentally-friendly-ideas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Compost Bins","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/compost-bin.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1265,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/composting-fall-leaves\/","url_meta":{"origin":2001,"position":4},"title":"Composting Fall Leaves","author":"Trey Collier","date":"October 29, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"The leaves are changing and falling to the ground at a rapid pace. It makes for a beautiful time of year, but also a mess on your lawn. Why not get rid of those falling leaves in a way that is great for landscaping in multiple ways. Compost bins are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Environmentally Friendly Ideas&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Environmentally Friendly Ideas","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/environmentally-friendly-ideas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/picture-0161.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1396,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/three-money-saving-garden-practices\/","url_meta":{"origin":2001,"position":5},"title":"3 Money Saving Gardening Practices","author":"Sara May","date":"January 4, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 \u00a0 Gardens enhance the beauty of any home, but more and more homeowners choose to garden as a way to save money on grocery expenses.\u00a0 Home-grown vegetables, herbs, and fruits not only taste better and provide greater nutrition\u00a0than store-bought varieties, they cost less. Keeping costs low\u00a0when maintaining a garden,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Environmentally Friendly Ideas&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Environmentally Friendly Ideas","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/environmentally-friendly-ideas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Garden Rain Barrel - 60 Gallon","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backyardcity.com\/Images\/SSI\/RB6000-Rain-Barrel-Closed-Large.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2001"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2001\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}