On February 8, Lopez residents bundled up for a brief but informative backyard compost class! Two Lopez Solid Waste team members and Master Composters shared some compost basics, and participants discussed several different home composting solutions before receiving a more in-depth demonstration of steel can composters — an affordable and rat-resistant option for reducing food waste at home.
Organic Waste on Lopez
Lopez residents can dispose of yard and wood waste — NO food waste or noxious weeds — at Midnight's Farm. Sign up & review requirements here: https://www.midnightsfarm.com/dropoff-guidelines.
Residents can dispose of many noxious weeds for free at the Lopez Dump, up to a certain volume. Learn more about this program here: https://www.lopezsolidwaste.org/litter-noxious-weeds.
Home gardeners can reduce garden waste by sharing excess produce with neighbors. You can also share produce more broadly through several programs, including Grow-A-Row (Locavores) & the Food Share (LIFRC).
Lots of residents also compost food waste at home!
Why compost at home?
Save money! If you compost organic waste at home, you don’t have to pay to dispose of it with your regular garbage.
Reduce waste & greenhouse gas emissions. When organic materials decompose anaerobically in a landfill, they produce high volumes of methane, a very powerful greenhouse gas. Composting can also sequester carbon dioxide, keeping it in the soil instead of releasing it into the atmosphere.
Produce a rich soil amendment for your garden!
Compost improves soil health — structure, nutrient retention, and pH moderation.
Compost can help protect against plant diseases & invite beneficial organisms.
The Compost Ecosystem
Inside of a healthy compost pile, we find a whole ecosystem of composters. To create a healthy compost ecosystem, an ideal carbon-to-nitrogen ratio is 30:1 — 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen (30:1 C:N). Below are some common organic wastes and their typical C:N ratios.
CARBON-RICH MATERIALS (“Browns”) | NITROGEN-RICH MATERIALS (“Greens”) |
Small twigs, woody prunings, & dead leaves (40-80:1) | Green plant trimmings (15-22:1) |
Dry plant materials, corn cobs (50-60:1) | Fresh leaves & flowers (15-22:1) |
Sawdust & wood shavings (from untreated wood) (500-640:1) | Grass clippings (17:1) |
Pine needles (100:1) | Fruit & vegetable scraps (12-19:1) |
Straw & hay (80:1) | Coffee grounds & tea bags (20:1) |
Nut shells (50:1) | Hamster/guinea pig droppings (14:1) |
Food-soiled paper (150:1) | Cornstarch- & other plant-based packing materials (25-34:1) |
DO NOT put these materials in your backyard composter:
Diseased plants or plants covered in organisms that you don’t want in your garden
Noxious weeds
Weeds with seeds
Plants that are poisonous to humans or animals
Ash from charcoal or coal
Meat, fish, or dairy
Dog, cat, or bird droppings (chicken droppings OK — let cure for ~60 days before using in your garden!)
Your compost pile also needs moisture & oxygen. Aim for a moisture level similar to a wrung-out sponge, and create air pockets for your compost ecosystem by adding bulking agents and/or turning or mixing your pile.
Hot & Cold Piles
Within a compost pile, heat is generated by microorganisms hard at work, and lost through conduction, convection, and radiation. Heat moves from the center of the pile outward.
A “hot pile” is classified as a pile that reaches 120°–180° F, which kills pathogens and weed seeds. This can produce finished (“stabilized”) compost in as little as six weeks. A “cold pile” tends to take longer to produce finished compost, but requires less maintenance.
When is it done?
Finished compost is dark and crumbly, similar to top soil. It’s most important to let the nitrogen-rich materials finish decomposing — working undecomposed or partially decomposed food scraps into your garden if they’re still hot, slimy, or stinky can attract pests and harm young plants.
Tips & Troubleshooting
Cut up your materials before adding them to the pile — smaller particle size increases the availability of carbon and nitrogen.
Is your compost too wet?
Add more oxygen! Mix your compost and try introducing bulking agents, or large pieces of material, to create air gaps in your pile.
Adding more carbon-rich materials can also soak up extra moisture.
Is your compost too dry?
Add more greens, or nitrogen-rich materials, plus some water when you do.
Prevent compost piles from drying out by covering them — lids with secure bungees on steel can composters work great.
Worried about rats or raccoons?
Exclude rodent-attracting materials from your compost piles.
Use rodent-resistant composters, like steel can composters.
Does your compost smell like rotten eggs?
It’s likely too wet and doesn’t have enough air. Add carbon-rich browns and turn your pile frequently or add bulking agents.
Does your compost smell like ammonia?
It probably has too many nitrogen-rich greens — add more carbon-rich browns!
Rodent-Resistant Composting Systems
Worm Composting (Vermicomposting)
Here are some great resources from WSU Whatcom: https://extension.wsu.edu/whatcom/hg/worm-composting/.
Food Digesters
Green Cone is a popular product that’s easy to use and works similarly to a steel can composter. They tend to break food down quicker, but cost about $200 each: http://www.greenconeusa.com/green-cone-solar-food-waste-digester.html.
On Orcas, The Exchange has led some home composting workshops for residents using the FreeGarden Earth compost bin, which is available for purchase at Home Depot or online for ~$116 each: https://exchangeorcas.org/more-home-composting-success/.
Homemade Steel Can Composters
There are many DIY methods to transforming a steel can into a backyard composter—take just a few minutes to poke around on YouTube, and you'll find many versions and helpful tutorials! How you do it might depend on where you live, what type of soil you have, what you're putting in it, and what kinds of creatures you're hoping to keep out of (or let into) your compost. Your steel can composter might work similarly to a food digester, or more like a worm bin. Below are some general (and customizable) guidelines for getting started!
Drill many holes in the bottom and sides of your steel can, using proper safety equipment and clean-up of metal scraps.
Partially bury your can in well-draining soil. Keep a secure lid and consider adding a bungee cord to keep out rats and raccoons.
Start adding your food waste! The carbon & nitrogen ratio guidelines above will help you understand what ingredients make a healthy compost ecosystem.
This system will take 6-12 months to produce "finished" compost. Once your bin is full, you can try several things:
If it's had enough time, mine finished compost from the bottom of your bin.
Stab and stir your compost pile with a spade shovel to introduce oxygen and create more space.
Install another steel can composter and begin to fill that one while the first composts.
Questions? Reach out to our Community Outreach Coordinator & Master Composter: sarahr@lopezsolidwaste.org.
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