Composting is an excellent technique to convert kitchen waste into plant liquid fertilizer. Every year, the average household generates more than 200 pounds of kitchen garbage. If possible, reduce the amount of organic waste you send to the landfill.
There is a method for getting started with composting if you are new to it. You must feed the pile properly to ensure that the bacteria that break down the mix are not overburdened and may grow.
Composting consists of a well-balanced “browns mix” and “greens mix.” Greens and browns signify the following:
Are grass clippings brown or green for compost?
Clippings can be added to the backyard compost pile. Composting is the process of combining grass clippings and other plant materials with a tiny amount of soil that contains microorganisms that degrade organic waste.
Because of their high nitrogen concentration, grass clippings are ideal additions to a compost pile.
What are Browns?
Browns are an important but sometimes ignored component of the composting process. The “browns” in your compost pile are dry, carbon-rich materials, according to scientists.
Brown material is required to provide energy to the bacteria that compost. Using a fair proportion of brown components keeps the finished product from becoming clumpy and mushy, which no one likes!
Materials for brown compost bins include:
- Grass clippings, dried
- Plant substance made of wood
- Pine cones
- Grain, oats, and feedstock
- Autumn foliage
- Oak twigs
- Sawdust
What are Greens?
Greens are the most commonly considered ingredients for a compost pile. These are frequently “wet” items that offer the necessary moisture and nitrogen for a healthy compost heap.
In your daily life, you’re bound to come across or perhaps generate a heap of deserving compost greens mix!
Materials for green compost bins include:
- a lot of table scraps
- Fruits, vegetables, plus any leftovers
- freshly cut grass
Browns for the Compost Pile
Compostable brown materials include dry or woody plant material. Most of these materials are brown or will naturally turn brown. Here are samples of brown items:
- Autumn leaves
- Pine cones
- Chipped tree branches/bark, twigs
- Hay or straw
- Sawdust
- Stalks of corn
- Newspaper, writing/printing paper, paper plates, napkins, and coffee filters are all examples of paper.
- Lint from the dryer
- Cotton material
- Corrugated cardboard (free of waxy or slippery coatings)
Greens for the Compost Pile
Green composting materials are generally damp or newly grown materials. Green materials are often green or derived from plants that were formerly green. This, however, is not always the case. Green objects include:
- Grass cuttings
- Tea bags/coffee grinds
- Scraps of vegetables and fruits
- Perennial and annual plant trimmings
- Annual weeds that have not yet produced seed
- Eggshells
- Animal waste (cow, horse, sheep, chicken, rabbit, but not dog or cat manure)
The Compost Ratio
It is common to find recommendations for an optimal brown-to-green ratio. In general, a ratio of 3 to 4 parts browns to 1 part greens works nicely, but you don’t have to be perfect.
If you don’t have a healthy mix of brown and green materials, your compost pile may not heat up, take forever to decompose, and may begin to stink up your yard. These problems are generally readily resolved by adjusting the ratio.
If your compost pile is not heating up, you may need to add extra green material to the pile. If your compost pile is beginning to smell, you may need to add additional browns.
Finally, decomposition occurs. It is a natural occurrence. Pile your biodegradable objects, turn them (or not), and you’ll have compost in no time. It truly is that easy.
What constitutes compostable brown matter?
Recognize that a good compost pile requires a mix of dry, carbon-rich “brown” materials.
Is it necessary to add extra green or brown compost?
The simple ratio is 1 to 1, with 50% green compost and 50% brown compost. Some argue that you need more green than brown, while others argue that you need more brown than green,
but we and many other composters use half and half with no problems. Keeping an eye on this ratio can help keep Bacteria and Fungi happy.
Conclusion
It is recommended to stir your compost pile on a regular basis to enhance microbial activity.
This expedites the process and exposes fragments of browns and greens that haven’t entirely disintegrated to moisture and heat, causing them to breakdown.
