Help Keep Yard Waste and Kitchen Scraps out of Landfills and Waterways Enrich flower and vegetable gardens Improve the soil around trees and shrubs with Compost! Enhance the soil in house plants and planter boxes What is compost? Much of the yard waste and kitchen scraps that we collect and drag to the curb every week can be put to better use as compost. Compost is a rich dark humus, an end product of the natural decomposition of plant and plant products under controlled conditions. Composting is a practical and convenient way to reuse your lawn, garden, and kitchen wastes. Leaves, grass clippings, fruit and vegetable scraps, crushed eggshells, tea bags, coffee grounds, and even coffee filters are all items that can be used to make compost, while reducing waste benefits of using compost: in landfills. Compost can be used to enrich flower and vegetable gardens, improve the soil around trees and shrubs, and enhance the soil in houseplants and planter boxes. Composting is a complex feeding pattern involving hundreds of different organisms, including bacteria, fungi, worms and insects. What remains after these organisms break down organic refuse is the rich compost that nourishes lawns and gardens. The benefits of using compost Homeowners often have difficulty disposing of leaves, grass clippings and other garden refuse. In many states, it is illegal to dump lawn waste in landfills, and disposing of it in storm drains, lakes, rivers and streams clogs drains and pollutes water. Instead of filling landfills and polluting local waterways with this waste, citizens can benefit from it. Backyard composting of organic scraps, and other green matter. For more rapid decomposition, waste creates natural soil additives for use on lawns and gardens, and used as potting soil for house plants. These are some other Make your own compost pile Build your compost pile on soft soil or a pile of tree limbs to improve drainage. Boards, chicken wire or other materials can be used to make side frames to help hold the pile together if space is limited. Build successive layers of leaves, grass clippings, vegetable chop and mix components together. Cover layers with 1-2 inches of soil or manure. During dry weather, keep the pile moist. In cold winter months, cover the pile with black plastic to insulate and shed Improved soil texture Decreased soil erosion Increased soil aeration Less need for commercial soil Suppressed weed growth additives Improved water absorption Helps prevent soil compaction excess water. Aerate the pile by inserting a vertical pipe. Mix compost with a pitchfork after six weeks. This helps aerate the pile, and keeps the bacterial processes from overheating. Raw Material Fhed Compot Organic un ache wee, lan What can you compost? Organic Mut Wate Mioga Clean Water. To achieve the healthiest compost, you will need the right mix of ingredients. Here are some ideas for ingredients to include and those to avoid: Healthy Life. wie Carbonide Het W Stuff to include Grass dippings and leaves Fruit and vegetable scraps Tea bags and coffee grounds Fireplace ashes - Vacuum cleaner lint. Strawihat Wood chips and saedust Shredded newspaper Stuff to avoid Diseased plants Pernicious weeds Human and pet waste Chemically treated wood peodacts Barbecue grill ash . Milk products Meat and fish scraps and bones Ok and other fatty food products This message is brought to you by... Angola's Clean Water Utilities (260) 665-2514 www.angolain.org Help Keep Yard Waste and Kitchen Scraps out of Landfills and Waterways Enrich flower and vegetable gardens Improve the soil around trees and shrubs with Compost! Enhance the soil in house plants and planter boxes What is compost? Much of the yard waste and kitchen scraps that we collect and drag to the curb every week can be put to better use as compost. Compost is a rich dark humus, an end product of the natural decomposition of plant and plant products under controlled conditions. Composting is a practical and convenient way to reuse your lawn, garden, and kitchen wastes. Leaves, grass clippings, fruit and vegetable scraps, crushed eggshells, tea bags, coffee grounds, and even coffee filters are all items that can be used to make compost, while reducing waste benefits of using compost: in landfills. Compost can be used to enrich flower and vegetable gardens, improve the soil around trees and shrubs, and enhance the soil in houseplants and planter boxes. Composting is a complex feeding pattern involving hundreds of different organisms, including bacteria, fungi, worms and insects. What remains after these organisms break down organic refuse is the rich compost that nourishes lawns and gardens. The benefits of using compost Homeowners often have difficulty disposing of leaves, grass clippings and other garden refuse. In many states, it is illegal to dump lawn waste in landfills, and disposing of it in storm drains, lakes, rivers and streams clogs drains and pollutes water. Instead of filling landfills and polluting local waterways with this waste, citizens can benefit from it. Backyard composting of organic scraps, and other green matter. For more rapid decomposition, waste creates natural soil additives for use on lawns and gardens, and used as potting soil for house plants. These are some other Make your own compost pile Build your compost pile on soft soil or a pile of tree limbs to improve drainage. Boards, chicken wire or other materials can be used to make side frames to help hold the pile together if space is limited. Build successive layers of leaves, grass clippings, vegetable chop and mix components together. Cover layers with 1-2 inches of soil or manure. During dry weather, keep the pile moist. In cold winter months, cover the pile with black plastic to insulate and shed Improved soil texture Decreased soil erosion Increased soil aeration Less need for commercial soil Suppressed weed growth additives Improved water absorption Helps prevent soil compaction excess water. Aerate the pile by inserting a vertical pipe. Mix compost with a pitchfork after six weeks. This helps aerate the pile, and keeps the bacterial processes from overheating. Raw Material Fhed Compot Organic un ache wee, lan What can you compost? Organic Mut Wate Mioga Clean Water. To achieve the healthiest compost, you will need the right mix of ingredients. Here are some ideas for ingredients to include and those to avoid: Healthy Life. wie Carbonide Het W Stuff to include Grass dippings and leaves Fruit and vegetable scraps Tea bags and coffee grounds Fireplace ashes - Vacuum cleaner lint. Strawihat Wood chips and saedust Shredded newspaper Stuff to avoid Diseased plants Pernicious weeds Human and pet waste Chemically treated wood peodacts Barbecue grill ash . Milk products Meat and fish scraps and bones Ok and other fatty food products This message is brought to you by... Angola's Clean Water Utilities (260) 665-2514 www.angolain.org