Composting Blog

Curious as to whether your household produces enough compost material to make the investment in a composter worthwhile?

As a general rule, any organic matter can be composted. However, unless you’re a professional, certain contents should never enter your home composting system. Follow these basic guidelines to make the most of your composting system:

Composter Beware!
Be sure to avoid wastes that attract pests such as: dairy products, meat/fish scraps, bones, fat, oil, grease, and feces. Also, disease and insect ridden plant materials including weeds and seeds should be eliminated in other ways. In addition, wood ash does not belong in the composter — it can’t be broken down any further and may inhibit the decomposition process of other materials.

Compost Away!
Greens, which are high in nitrogen, make excellent compost material, so throw in house plants, grass clippings, prunings, fruits and veggies, manure, and kitchen scraps such as coffee grounds & filters, bread, egg shells, citrus rinds and vegetable peels. Browns, which are high in carbon, can also be composted with confidence. Add corn stalks, chopped brush, shredded newspaper, sawdust, woodchips, straw, bark and leaves with out worry.

Everyone knows that compost is a phenomenal addition to soil which results in better growing gardens. But did you know that you can further benefit your plants by steeping them a pot of Compost Tea?

With the right equipment, Compost Tea is easy to make. Soaking your compost in water extracts beneficial microbes. The resulting nutrient-rich brew can be applied to the soil or sprayed directly onto plant leaves.

Compost Tea acts as both a plant fertilizer and as a disease prevention agent (including root rot disease). Using Compost Tea as a replacement for toxic fungicides, pesticides, and chemical-based fertilizers is a simple and logical way to protect the environment and garden safely.

And so the debate begins: which is better, the compost bin or the compost tumbler? Granted, both will get you superb results - rich black soil known throughout the composting world as black gold - and both essentially help decompose organic matter. But again, which is better? Well, I suppose it depends on who you talk to. Those who use compost bins find it satisfying to turn their compost by pitchfork as it gives them a reason to enjoy an outdoor activity that benefits both them and their garden. Others who utilize compost tumblers realize they have very little time to go out and acutally turn their compost, and would rather just rotate the barrel of the tumbler with a crank for quick aeration with little manual labor. For every pro, there is a con; manually turning your compost in your compost bin can get quite dirty, and sweaty depending on the season. That’s not to say that compost tumblers don’t have their share of cons: tumblers are a bit more expensive and depending on the type your purchase, can be just as messy especially if you have to roll it around the yard when the compost is not yet ready. The debate’s open, folks - which do you prefer and why?

Hello composting buddies, this is OrganicNik here – AKA Nicole Krause – just wanting to tell you about the California Resource Recovery Association 2007 Conference and Tradeshow I attended July 30^th and 31^st in San Pedro. 

After battling the usual so-cal morning traffic, I arrived at the Navigating to Zero Waste Conference at The Doubletree Hotel. 

We shared our booth with Mark Williams, vendor of our Biodegradable Kitchen Waste and Doggy BioBags.  For some time now, Mark and his father have held nearly 80% of the world market for such earth-friendly bags, and only recently has the business started to become more competitive — which is ultimately of course a positive sign for the environment. 

Along with Green Culture’s Compost Bins and Tumblers, we even raffled off an ipod shuffle and Garden Gourmet.  And for those looking to change things on the local front, our fliers and magnets provided information on municipal composting programs for various cities and counties. 

The Electronic Recyclers were also in attendance.  With computers only having a 3 to 5 year expiration date, all the new “E-waste” that the world is creating is an ever increasing problem.  If not properly disposed of, the chemicals used to power our computers and electronics will eventually end up seeping into the ground, where their effects can and will be catastrophic.  Taking the time to recycle these products is something we all must take part in.  

Busch Systems is another one of our vendors.  They make our Worm Friendly Habitat and Soilsaver, which you can just make out in the corner there if you look hard enough, both of which ship from our warehouse in New York.

The CRAA Official Conference booth had some eco-friendly chapstick, one of which was even made from 98% organic hemp…

… and the winner of the Navigating to Zero Waste “Best Booth” went to Community Recycling Crown Disposal for their unique Pirate themed stand.

This is Recycling Jeopardy, which featured various questions about the environment and AB 939, an act passed in 1989 by the State Legislature creating the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB), whose primary goal is to implement and oversee new waste diversion benchmarks by means of composting and recycling.   

The two days I spent at the conference were far more fulfilling than I expected, and as it was all winding down I found myself brimming with a powerful sense of renewed hope.  The people who’re making waste management decisions for cities and counties these days truly want to do everything in their power to cleanup our environment.  “Reassuring” was the word the immediately came to mind as I headed to the parking lot. 

With the cars all packed up and the sun still high in the sky, I shot a peace sign into the air with my pink, all natural nail polish, and snapped one last picture with my camera. 

We are in deed heading in the right direction…  

Watching the Food Network and imitating what they do on the screen are two totally opposite experiences. One involves watching chefs delicately decorate massive cakes. The other involves a possible spectacular mess in your oven, not to mention all that wasted, spilled, or unpeeled ingredients. On a seemingly completely different note, in the ever-expanding and exciting realm of composting (and believe me folks, it IS exciting), it’s often hard for people to find the right compost bin to store all their waste in. Now cleaning up after the third failed souffle is no longer a problem. Composting your collected coffee grounds, fruit peels, eggshells, flour, and other kitchen based items is simple with the Garden Gourmet, whose mere name evokes composting and epicurian fanciness. Think about it: “gourmet”. You know this one is perfect for all that leftover food you don’t want stuck decomposing in a landfill slowly and painfully like a salt-covered snail. In fact, it’s one of the best selling compost bins in North America! With a snap shut lid, adjustable air vents, and a sliding bottom door, this backyard beauty is a must-have. It’s easy to use–simply put your culinary composting scraps in the bin, and let nature do its work. Best of all, it has black side and top panels that absorb solar energy quicker, so your waste decomposes faster, plus it’s small enough to fit into the tiniest of garden spots. Stop letting your culinary debacles go to waste in the trash can–with this compost bin, your gourmet cooking will have a new home, happily sinking back into the earth from whence it came. For a wide selection of top-of-the-line compost bins, compost tumblers, and composting accessories, check out composters.com.

Ladies (and gentleman in certain cases)! No need to pop-a-squat anymore over seemingly harmless patches of grass while camping. The fear of being bitten by uninhibited reptilians and insects on certain unmentionables will no longer flood your mind as you water the shrubs, for the eco-friendly Portable Toilets are here to relieve any lingering concerns.

Although the light-weight Nature Plus Portable Toilet (His and Hers), available by yours truly, is ideally suited for outdoor activities and emergency situations, this strangely sturdy contraption (supporting up to 250lbs) can also be utilized for more serene expeditions such as bird watching or a demanding morning of tai-chi. This device, used by NATO forces around the world, includes 8 waste bags that are 100% biodegradable and compostable, as it is made of Mater-Bi corn starch. These bags, which fit comfortably around the toilet seat, promote hygiene and functionality. After use, simply bury or dispose of them in the appropriate waste receptacle, fold down the collapsible frame of the toilet, and move on, feeling as fresh and smooth as a sashimi slice. No longer will you allow the fear of squatting leave you with chunky trunks!

Who knew that poo could be so profitable.  Well leave it to the Chinese to think outside the outhouse.  Thats right;  you can soon be the proud owner of a souvenir made from Giant Panda droppings.  According to AP News ;  ” The Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Base has come up with a dung-for-profit scheme that turns droppings from the endangered species into odor-free souvenirs.”  These highly respected, rare animals are also the mascots for the 2008 Olympics.  So how does a huge pile of poop become a bookmark or a picture frame?  Well all you need to know is that the process involves sterilization.  Thank-goodness!  So the next time your Wife’s Birthday rolls around, nothing says “I Love You” like a beautiful family portrait encased in a lovely Panda poo frame.  Hopefully this is the gift that WILL NOT keep on giving……..off a pungent odor that is!

Are you a cat lady who owns 14 little furballs?  Or do you love dogs and have a kennel in you backyard?  Well then take a trip over to composters.com and check out the greatest invention for multiple pet owners.  The Pet Poo Converter recycles your pet waste into a healthy soil amendment. 

The University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center recently made an offer to a local business it couldn’t refuse.  The Grand Forks Truss Co. produces rafters and floor truss supports for construction, and for nearly 20 years they’ve been accumulating one heck of a wood scraps pile.  But now, instead of a cumbersome eyesore, that little mountain of wood can be converted into electricity.  Using a wood chipper to grind the unused lumber into small scraps, the research center will then burn this kindling with low levels of oxygen to create gas, which then passes through several filters rendering it into natural gas, ultimately being used to power an engine that generates electricity.  Check out this recent article by Dan Gunderson of Minnesota Public Radio to learn more about this burgeoning science called biomass gasification.  It’s innovations like these that are changing the world!         

A rain barrel is a nifty little invention that’s been in use for centuries, but in recent years their relevance has become more pronounced.  High water bills, global warming and water restrictions have all made the rain barrel more than a gardening tool for just those with a green thumb.  To put it simply, every home in the country ought to have one.  During a storm, even a light one, it doesn’t take much time for a 55 gallon drum to fill with the soft water that your lawn and plants need to thrive.  In addition, widespread use of rain barrels would reduce the amount of rainwater reaching the ground and draining into streams and storm drains, thereby reducing erosion, sedimentation and pollution, while preventing storm water drainage systems being overwhelmed.  Take a look at this recent article from Pantagraph.com and see how easy it is to get started saving money while you do your part to save the environment. 

Our neighbors to the north are at it again.  These are crucial, crushing times in mankind’s history, and it’s up to all of us to take a hard look at how we live and what we’re doing to our planet.  Canadians are recycling and composting in droves these days, and their positive effects on the environment are far too prominent for even the most selfish person to ignore.  With municipalities giving flight to various pilot projects, while others are simply picking up recycling and organic waste - those blue boxes and green bins - twice as often as garbage, Canada is setting a fine example for the rest of the Western World to follow.  Take a look at this recent Yahoo article and if it inspires you to want to start living a more green, eco-friendly life, stop by Composters.com and see what they have to offer.  With a lot of effort and caring we change this world for the better… and remember, we’re all in this together!