Composting Step 2: Gather Materials
- jpgiovannettone
- Apr 6
- 1 min read
Updated: Apr 9
Step 2 for composting is to gather the materials that will be used to create the pile within your compost bin. The general rule is that four components are needed to make a basic compost pile: greens, browns, water, and air. Greens consist of moist and fresh kitchen scraps, which are a rich source of nitrogen, while browns consist of dry leaves and twigs that provide the required carbon. The microorganisms that break down these materials into compost require a balanced diet of nitrogen for protein production and carbon for energy. In order to maintain this balance, your compost pile should consist of equal amounts of both types of materials. Place greens in the middle of the pile and cover with the browns to minimize odor and attracting unwanted critters. Examples of both types are given below:
Greens: grass clippings, weeds, manure, vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, tea bags
Browns: grass clippings, dry leaves, saw dust, shredded newspapers, brown grass clippings, cut-up cardboard, food-soaked paper
For more information on what constitutes green vs. brown materials and how to balance them, please watch the following video:
Helpful Hint
Gather examples of green and browns given in the video and/or from the lists provided above.
Comments