Laserfiche WebLink
TO DO/Identify when your compost is finished: <br />Under warm conditions, a well -tended compost pile will be finished and ready for <br />use in about 2-4 months. Left untended, a bin may take a year to decompose. A fin- <br />ished compost pile is about half its original size, is loose, dark and crumbly, and it <br />smells good - like fresh soil. None of the materials should be identifiable. You can also tell <br />your pile is composted when it is no longer heating up. This is a good indication the <br />composting process is complete and the finished product is ready for use. <br />TIPS FOR HOME COMPOSTING <br />Keep your compost pile at the right moisture level. <br />If your compost pile has a bad odor, it lacks air circulation or it may be too wet. <br />Try turning the pile and/or adding dry material to the pile. <br />• <br />If your compost pile is not heating up, it may need more nitrogen or <br />"green" material. Add grass clippings or a nitrogen fertilizer to the pile. <br />• <br />Bury kitchen scraps at least 8" deep in the compost pile to discourage critters. <br />• <br />You can keep adding to your compost pile as it is composting. <br />However, you may want to start a second pile if you have enough materials. <br />• <br />Add a layer of straw or hay to the top of your compost pile <br />in the winter to keep it warm and keep on composting! <br />• <br />The best pile is made up of a variety of materials. <br />• <br />The smaller the pieces of compost material, <br />the faster the pile will decompose. <br />FOR MORE INFORMATION: <br />- The University of Minnesota Extension Service offers extensive composting resources, <br />available in print or online at www.extension.umn.edu <br />- "Composting and Mulching: A Guide to Managing Organic Yard Wastes" <br />(Extension Publication BU-03296) available online at <br />www.extension.umn.eduldistribution/horticulture/DG3296.html <br />COMPOST <br />5 <br />