Composting!

Why?

If you're like most people in Englewood, 26% of the items that end up in your trash bin each week are actually compostable. Composting is a managed process of decomposition that results in one of the best soil amendments possible for your garden. Even if you don't garden and don't have a yard, composting is still a great way to put your garbage to a good use: compostable items that end up in a landfill not only take up space, but also will decompose in a way that releases methane gas that contributes to climate change. Apartment dwellers can put compostables into a "worm bin" composter or sign up as a member of a community garden where they might be able to compost.

Composting is a process that happens perfectly well all over nature, with a mixture of air, water, microbial life, insects and the famous "greens" and "browns" (materials high in nitrogen and those high in carbon). Managing a compost pile requires copying the ideal natural conditions to help the materials break down in a way that creates a wonderful soil amendment, mitigates negative inputs like seed heads, and minimizes the creation of greenhouse gases.

How to Get Started

Any item that was once alive can theoretically be composted if given the exact right conditions. Some items don't work well in typical at-home composting: don't put in any meat or dairy products. Even further, don't put in manure from animals that eat meat. Manure from vegetarian animals like horses or chickens is commonly used as a soil amendment, but it should be composted at least 6 months to avoid the spread of pathogens and ensure the nitrogen won't overwhelm your plants. City of Englewood code requires that manure produced by animals that live in Englewood is removed from the property within 7 days. Paper and cardboard are better sent to recycling, if possible, rather than composting. Mowed grass clippings can be composted, but tend to mat down in a compost pile so are better left mulched on the lawn itself.

Home composting works best for minimally processed "greens" and "browns" that have been chopped to pieces smaller than 2 inches. Gather those nitrogen-rich green ingredients, like kitchen waste, and carbon-rich brown ingredients, like dried leaves, until you have about a cubic yard worth of material. Add in some handfuls of soil from your garden to provide the microbial life necessary to do the work. Add enough water so a handful of the mix has the moisture content of a wrung-out sponge. Mix it all up (adding more water if necessary) and let it sit for a week. If you did it right, the magic has started, the pile is warm to the touch, and it is getting smaller in volume. You should periodically "turn" the pile, whether by literally turning a tumbler, using a pitchfork to dig it all out of the container and then back in, or a purpose-built compost turning tool to mix it all up. You can add to your pile as time goes on, just be sure that as you add nitrogens you add about twice as many carbon-rich items. If you add items that are likely to attract bugs or squirrels you can bury it under the surface by a few inches to make it less attractive.

How to Measure, Adjust and Use Compost

All the tools you need to measure the success your pile are your senses: smell, touch, and to a lesser extent sight. If it smells like ammonia that means you have too much nitrogen and should add more carbons. A few days after mixing the pile put your hand underneath the surface where you should feel some warmth. Pull out a handful of material and when you squeeze it you should feel moisture, but not see big drips of water. If it's too dry, add some water. If it's too wet, add some dry materials like wood chips or leaves. If it never heats up that could be because of too little nitrogen, too big of materials, too little mixing, or too little water. Adjust those elements and wait a few days to see if it warms up.

You know the compost is ready to use if:

1. It has heated up, been turned, heated up again, and the cycle repeated until it won't heat any more.

2. It smells rich and earthy -- the last microbes to process a compost pile give off the smell we associated with a forest floor.

3. The contents of the pile no longer resemble their original form.

You can use the compost by mixing it into your garden at just about any time. You may choose to filter out any large objects prior to applying it, perhaps by sifting it through a screen. This step is more important if using the compost with small plants.

Where to Get Support

Ready to learn more? Denver Urban Gardens runs composting classes from May to October with dates and signups online at dug.org/compost There will be a class at the community garden on Dartmouth and Fox street on September 29th from 9 AM to 11AM. Parking is available on Fox or Galapago streets and the class will be held rain or shine, so dress appropriately. More class times are available on https://dug.org/compost/

A1 Organics at 2300 W. Radcliff Avenue in Englewood accepts several kinds of yard waste for a moderate charge. They also sell large amounts of compost and related landscaping products, made here in Colorado.