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HOMEMADE COMPOST
We operate two composting bins at our house to recycle our kitchen scraps, non-diseased yard wastes, and excess grass clippings. The compost bins we purchased came with a copy of the 95 page book Backyard Composting; Your Complete Guide to Recycling Yard Clippings. The bins also came with an indoor compost bucket, which we keep underneath our kitchen sink, which is used to store all our kitchen scraps. When the buckets are full we bring them out to the compost bins and stir the contents into the center of the compost pile.

The bins are kept on the east side of our house near two coconut trees. The trees shade our bins from the hot afternoon Florida sun which helps prevent the contents of the bins from drying out too quickly. The contents of your compost bin should remain at a consistent moisture, like that of a damp sponge. We stir the contents of the compost bins at least once a week using a compost aerator, but a small shovel or pitchfork would also work. We also add a bit of water if necessary whenever we stir the contents of the bin in order to maintain an optimal moisture level.

BENEFITS OF COMPOSTING
-Adds organic matter to your soil
-Acts as a low strength organic fertilizer
-Encourages beneficial life forms to migrate into your soil
-Helps hold moisture in the soil
-Improves soil texture
-Reduces soil compaction
-Reduces wastes in landfills by as much as 30%
-Recycles yard and kitchen wastes

MATERIALS TO COMPOST FROM YOUR HOME
-Coffee grinds and filters
-Egg shells (ground up or crushed)
-Dryer lint
-Fruit and vegetable scraps
-Stale and moldy bread
-Tea bags
-Vacuum bag contents (mostly pet hair and dirt)
-Domestic animal manure (rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils)

MATERIALS TO COMPOST FROM YARD AND GARDEN
-Grass clippings
-Leaves
-Pine needles
-Non-diseased plant material (weeds, trimmings, etc...)
-Farm animal manure (cow, poultry, goat, sheep)

OPTIONAL ITEMS TO ADD TO BINS
-Blood meal
-Bone meal
-Ground rock powder
-Wood ashes

AVOID THESE MATERIALS IN YOUR BINS
Dog, cat, and human manure as they may contain disease pathogens.

Any woody material over 1/4 inch diameter unless you first chop it up into smaller pieces.

Meats, cheeses, oils which can attract mice, rats, and other unwanted pests.

Tomatoes, unless you want tons of tomato seedlings allover your garden. My compost pile never seems to get hot enough to kill off tomato seeds.

USES FOR FINISHED COMPOST
Add a trowel full of compost to the planting hole when you are adding new plants to your garden.

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