Composting Made Easy

Source(s): Bobbi Sedam, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (Master Composter – Dekalb County)

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Easy, But Slow Compost

Pile leaves, grass and cut up branches in an out-of-the-way place in your yard. Wait a year and then dig underneath the pile for the finished humus the worms have made for you.

Quick Compost

• Make a compost pile or bin about 3 feet wide and 3 feet high.
• Chop particles as small as possible.
• Mix “green” (like grass) and “brown” (like leaves) material.
• Keep the pile moist, like a wrung-out sponge.
• Turn the pile with a pitchfork at least once a month.

Compost will be ready to screen and use in your yard in 6 months.

You can compost

• Vegetable and fruit scraps (bury these in your pile)
• Wetted-down paper napkins, paper towels, paper board
• Plant material
• Animal manure (except dog or cat manure)

Avoid Composting

• Dog or cat manure (can carry disease transmittable to humans)
• Meat, milk, bones, cheese, fish, bread or oily kitchen wastes (can attract undesirable varmints)
• Grass or plant material treated with herbicide
• Invasive plants(like ivy) or weeds unless thoroughly sun-dried

Compost is produced with oxygen from the air and has a wonderful earthy smell. It rarely happens that a pile gets a bad odor. If it does, turn it and add some dry material. That will immediately solve the problem.

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Resource(s): Composting and Mulching

Reviewer(s):

• James R. Barbe, Program Specialist II – Glynn County. The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
• Lee Ann Powell, CEA – Chatham County. The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
• Jenny Robbins, CEA – Clinch County. The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Center Publication Number: 24