Backyard Composting

Place a thick layer of coarse organic material, such as straw, leaves and branch cuttings at the bottom of the compost bin for air circulation. Put waste such as grass clippings in. Dig kitchen scraps into the centre and cover with a layer of soil or leaves. Try to add equal amounts of green (nitrogen-rich) material, such as kitchen scraps and grass clippings, and brown (carbon-rich) material, such as leaves and straw.

A starter is not needed in the composter.

• Residents are responsible for managing their own composting. Composters are not collected curbside by the City of Hamilton.

• Composters must be kept in the rear yard at least one metre from the property line.

• Alternate wet (kitchen scraps) and dry (yard material) waste.

• Chop or shred materials up before you put them into your composter so they break down faster.

• Composter contents should be moist like a damp sponge.

• Keep composting through the winter. The breakdown process will slow down and eventually stop once the pile freezes but it will start back up in the spring.

Tools for composting

• Container for collecting scraps in kitchen

• Pitchfork or shovel

• Compost cane

• Bad odour: turn to aerate; add dry materials to the pile if it is too wet.

• Center of pile is dry: moisten with water and turn pile.

• Compost is damp and warm only in the middle: add more materials and mix all ingredients together.

• Compost is damp and sweet-smelling; not heating up: add grass clippings or manure.

• Compost is frozen: decomposition will begin again in the spring.

• Compost is not good quality: add equal portions of green and brown materials to compost.

• Insects or rodents: do not add meat, fish, or fatty foods to composter; cover with new soil.

• Compost is too wet: move to location with proper drainage; add dry leaves; aerate.

A composter will smell if it is not getting enough air or it is too wet. To prevent this, make sure you turn your compost regularly and add dry materials (leaves) to absorb moisture. Finished compost has a pleasant earth-like smell.

The compost is ready to use when it is dark, crumbly, and most of the original identity of the material is lost. Screen the finished compost to remove materials that have not decomposed completely (such as nut shells or twigs). When your compost is ready, put it in your garden! Dig it into the earth before planting flowers, use it as a mulch or top dressing around plants and trees, or give it to a friend.