Introduction to Composting Yard Waste
When you think of composting yard waste, what do you think of? Generally, you think of putting grass clippings, dried leaves, and maybe some weeds from the garden into your composting bin and waiting for the composting to start. All these can be added, yes, but there is much, much more that you can add to make some of the best compost going.
If you are interested in the various forms of composting available and to see which style may be best suited for you, check out our Different Types Of Composting page for more information.
Types of Yard Waste That Can Be Composted
The average household creates a large amount of yard waste every year, and a large amount of that ends up in landfills and goes to waste when it could be going back into your lawn and garden as nutrient-rich compost!
Let’s go over the items in your yard that can be used as materials for composting.
Fresh Grass Clippings
As one of the main green materials that generally goes into everyone’s compost pile, grass clippings are a great source of nitrogen-rich materials. Try not to add too much at once so as not to overload the bid with more greens than it can handle.
Grass clippings are great for hot compost systems. To learn more, visit our Best Way To Compost Grass Clippings page.
Fresh Leaves and Dried Leaves
Dried leaves will provide the carbon-rich materials that your compost pile needs and help the composting process along. Using an equal amount of fallen leaves with your grass clippings will balance your compost pile and break it down quicker.
Adding both fresh and dried leaves will ensure a good balance to keep the process moving forward.
Vegetable Plants at the end of the Season
To create healthy compost piles, you can also add all the vegetable plants from your garden at the end of the season. This will add bulk to the pile and, with the other items of yard waste, give the microorganisms plenty of food for the coming winter.
Woody Trimmings
Woody prunings include such things as tree branches, rose shrub cuttings, sunflower or carn stocks, and anything else from the yard that is considered to be a brown material and would need to be cut down or shredded into small pieces.
Using brown materials like these from around the yard will allow you to divert more materials from going to the curb and will give you more organic matter to create finished compost.
Wood Chips and tree bark
Continuing on with our woody materials theme, I would also add old mulch from the garden if you have it and even tree bark that tends to peel away from some varieties of trees throughout the season. Adding the right balance of dry materials with green materials will keep everything humming along.
Weeds from the Lawn and Garden
Pulled weeds are like fresh grass clippings to your compost pile. They provide the proper balance of moisture and nitrogen for composting along with the dry materials.
Some people worry about weed seeds mixing into the compost and eventually back in the garden soil when you mix it back in but if you create a proper hot composting system, your pile will reach temperatures hot enough to break down the weed seeds rendering them harmless.
Learn more about how to compost weeds from your garden instead of throwing them out.
Other Household Items you can add to the Compost pile
Adding to the different types of yard waste you can use there are also some handy household items you can throw into the compost instead of the waste bin.
Kitchen wastes such as fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags, and even dairy products can all be used in the composting process.
Shredded paper and other materials like that can all be added, ensuring you have enough browns to go along with the organic materials like grass clippings that could be added every week.
Even small amounts of pet waste can be added to your compost pile regularly as long as it produces enough heat and has proper air flow. Check out the Can You Compost Cat Litter page for more information on that.
Determining Where To Place Your Compost Pile
Most of us don’t have many options for where we can place our compost piles or bins. Usually its the back corner of the yard or behind a shed where it is not seen, however, it is ideal to have your compost pile or system as I often refer to them, in a place where you can have easy access to at least two sides for digging and maintaining purposes. And you ideally would like it in a spot that can get good air flow and, in the case of a pile as opposed to a closed bin, open to the rain.
A compost bin should be easily accessed close by with a wheelbarrow and it should be easy to dig into with a garden fork or aerator.
For a list of all the tools you need when composting, check out our Composting Tools page.
Building the Perfect Composting Pile
Depending on the size of your yard and the amount of yard waste you will be composting in a season, you may opt to have multiple bins on the go. Or if you have a compost pile system on the go you can always have fresh compost ready to go.
There are a lot of different types of composters available to choose from at your local garden center or you can choose one of my favorite compost bins on Amazon.
Learn more about the different types of composting and which style might be best for you.
Maintaining Your Composting Pile for Optimal Results
In order to keep producing great compost on a regular basis doesn’t require a lot of hard work but does require regularly adding fresh organic materials like weeds, fresh grass clippings, green and dry leaves, as well as remembering to add water as needed.
Remembering to turn the pile over when the core temperature begins to cool down will help keep the process of composting going and will create the finished compost quickly so that it could be used around the lawn and garden for plant growth, added to potting soil or as a soil amendment in the vegetable garden.
Tips and Tricks for Successful Composting
some simple tips to keep your composting efforts going as planned and to keep you motivated as the seasons go. Seeing how your yard waste and kitchen waste can quickly become finished compost is a very satisfying feeling for any gardener, beginner or advanced.\
Here are a few tips you can add to your daily composting routine.
- When using kitchen wastes, food scraps should not contain any meat or dairy. Although these items can break down to finished compost, they also attract animals and pests to your yard, and unless you fully secure your compost bin and create a hot compost system, it is best to leave those food scraps in the trash bin.
- Be cautious of diseased plants. Most common plant molds or mildew will compost easily in a hot compost system, but when not composted properly, you risk spreading the disease throughout the garden.
- Keep an eye on the moisture and temperature levels of the pile. Allowing it to get too dry or for the temperature levels to drop below optimal temperatures may slow down or even stop the decomposition process of the materials.
- Visit our Composting Tools page to learn more about all the tools that can make life easier for you,
- Keep your compost pile turned over and filled with a good mix of greens and browns. Doing so will help keep bad odor at bay and allow the yard waste to stay at high enough temperatures to create great dark compost.
- Although most people rely on one bin for their composting, it might be a good idea to use two or more bins if you have the space and ability to do so. Adding more bins allows you to compost more materials and do it in a faster, more efficient system.
Harvesting and Using The Finished Compost in Your Garden
When collecting finished compost, it’s essential to avoid including any large, uncomposted materials, such as branches or twigs, as these can take longer to break down and interfere with the soil’s texture. It’s also crucial to ensure that the compost has reached the proper temperature, as high temperatures indicate that the composting process has killed off any potential weed seeds or pathogens. Once you have collected the finished compost, you can begin using it in your garden beds and containers.
It’s essential to remember that it is a soil amendment, not a fertilizer. While finished compost does contain nutrients, it’s important to supplement it with additional fertilizers as needed, depending on your plants’ needs. By collecting and using finished compost made from yard waste, you can create healthy, nutrient-rich soil that will help your plants thrive.