Compost for a better garden

Compost is organic material that can be used as a soil amendment or as a medium to grow plants.
-U.S. EPA

Composting in New Jersey was as common as mowing the lawn in my old neighborhood. Eleven years later, I still remember when my next door neighbors put a rotating compost up in the woods behind their house. The compost bin was a large cylinder that had four legs to hold it up. It was a dark green color which allowed it to blend right into the scenery. On one part of the cylinder there was a latched opening where the composting materials could go in. On the front part a handle protruded out so one could easily rotate the cylinder of compost. My neighbors would put lots of stuff in that thing like tree branches and leftover food. They would use the compost for their shrubs, landscaping, and garden. Sadly, my family never had a rotating compost bin. My dad would just throw all of the remains after he pruned the shrubs and trees in a pile in the woods.

One thing I noticed after living in Tucson is that not many people in my neighborhood have compost bins. Maybe they are not as common in the desert? My friend Jessica's mom just bought a rotating compost bin and guess what, they live ten minutes away so my assumption must not be 100 percent valid. She explained to me that there are so many things that could be composted that we throw away everyday. Banana peels, apple cores, leftover food scraps, biodegradable products, desert brush. Jessica's mom told me you could compost all of it. According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), 24 percent of waste is yard trimmings and food residuals. Wow, that is a lot of waste that could be composted!


Although I do not know a lot about composting, I have been inspired to buy a compost bin for my family, maybe for Christmas! I don't know how much they would appreciate it but if they knew they would be living a greener lifestyle by incorporating composting into their lives, maybe they would learn to accept it!

Here are some tips when it comes to composting according to Garden Guides and the EPA:
DO compost
newspaper
tea leaves
coffee grounds
kitchen waste
hair and fur
dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
fruits and vegetables
animal manure

DON'T Compost


dairy products
fats, greases, lards, oils
meat or fish bones
sawdust
wood ashes
diseased or insect ridden plants

GardenGuides.com also has a troubleshooting section for composting like if your compost smells or if it is not heating up.

Here are some helpful Web sites to check out if you are interested in composting:
EPA Composting Wastes
How to Compost
GardenGuides
Compost Guide