Composting
If you have a yard that generates most any kind of green waste, you probably have the right ingredients and enough room to set up your own compost bin.
Composting is easy and cheap, you can cut down your garbage by hundreds of pounds each year, and create a mixture that can be used to improve the soil.
Where can I buy a composter?
Residents can purchase composters at the following locations:
- Northumberland County Office, located at 555 Courthouse Road in Cobourg;
- Material Recovery Facility in Grafton on Edwardson Rd.;
- Bewdley Transfer Station, Brighton Landfill or Seymour Landfill.
These locations carry the Soil Saver composter by Horizon Plastics and the Tumbler by Gardenerīs Supply.
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Common Problems and Solutions
Download a copy of Northumberland County's Guide to Composting
Home composting isnīt very complicated, but the typical composter will likely run into
one or more of these common challenges.
The pile doesnīt heat up.
- Size matters: A pile thatīs at least 3 feet wide and tall will help "hot" composting by conserving heat and moisture.
- Moisture: Try the squeeze test: Pick up a handful of compostable material, make a fist and squeeze it in your hand. If you do not see beads of water between your fingers the pile is too dry. Turn the pile and water thoroughly with a hose.
- Nitrogen: If the pile is new, you may need to add more "green" to your pile. Try grass clippings or fruit and vegetable scraps. In a pinch, use a scoop of nitrogen-rich plant fertilizer.
- Aerate: A compost pile needs to breathe to function efficiently. Use coarse materials such as wood chips to create air spaces in the pile and add carbon to the mix.
- Maybe itīs done:. If your pile is old, and youīve turned it a few times, you may already have finished compost. Use a screen to sift off bigger pieces and use the compost in your garden or on your lawn.
Thereīs an odor: Methinks your compost stinks.
- Rotten egg smell: Your pile may not be getting enough air because itīs too wet. Turn the pile with a shovel or pitchfork to let in air and mix things up. Wood chips or some other bulking agent could be added to increase air flow.
- Rotten egg smell, part 2: If your compost pile is too compacted it wonīt get good air flow. Again, turn pile to fluff up the contents and create air pockets. If particle size is small, under one inch, add a bulking agent such as wood chips that are around 2 inches.
- Ammonia odors often indicate too much "green." Add more carbon materials: dead leaves, non-recyclable paper, or straw. Mix the pile thoroughly and see that the moisture content passes the squeeze test.
The pile is attracting scavengers and insect pests.
- Nonfat diet: No food wastes with oils, meats, or dairy; odors from these can attract scavengers like raccoons or mice.
- Keep it covered: Keep new food wastes covered with materials high in carbon and in the middle of the pile. Covering the bin will help keep out larger pests.
- Insects are a normal part of composting, but an active pile will create enough heat to kill their eggs and reduce the nuisance insects.
