Residential Recycling
Backyard Composting
Composting is nature's way to recycle. "Compost" is the dark, rich, organic soil product that results from proper composting. Compost is produced with the help of microorganisms like bacteria and fungi that use the carbon and nitrogen found in the organic materials as a food source.
All that's necessary is to provide a natural balance of carbon (found in dried, brown materials like wood chips and dead leaves) and nitrogen (found in green materials like fruit and vegetable scraps, lawn clippings, and manure), add a little air by periodically turning the compost pile, and moisture by occasionally sprinkling some water onto the pile. The rest happens naturally. To learn more, sign up for a free composting workshop or become a Master Composter.
Why Compost?
Composting has many benefits for the environment and for the consumer:
Benefits for the Environment: Composting, helps reduce the amount of waste going into landfills. Compost helps build good soil structure that aids in preventing erosion and reduces the need for potentially harmful chemical fertilizers.
Saves you Money: Creating and using compost reduces fertilizer and soil amendment purchases. Composting can also lower water and garbage bills and reduce the need for lawn and leaf trash bags.
Conditions Soil for Healthy Plants: Compost is an excellent amendment for clay and sandy soils. It returns valuable organic matter to the soil. The microbes in organic matter support healthy plant growth and help suppress plant diseases transmitted through the soil.
Saves Water: Composted soil holds more moisture for longer periods of time which reduces the need for frequent watering.
Composting Methods
Composting is best accomplished with the use of a compost bin. The bin helps to keep the pile neat and rodent free, reduces moisture loss, and retains the heat generated in the pile. When done properly, a compost pile will have a sweet and musty smell like fresh earth from the forest floor. Following are three common methods for composting:
Active Composting: Heat is generated by maintaining proper moisture levels and turning the pile with a pitchfork on a regular basis (weekly). This method requires a little more effort, but the compost process happens very quickly.
Passive Composting: Turning is done less frequently resulting in a slower composting process. Manufactured bins are ideal for this method.
Worm Bins: This method is generally used for composting kitchen scraps. It is also good for apartment dwellers and those with little space. Earthworms do the work here, quickly turning food scraps into castings, a high quality soil amendment. Worm bins can be purchased locally from the Solana Center for Environmental Innovation or see the Guide to Backyard Composting below for instructions on building a bin.
Other composting methods include grasscycling and mulching.
Compost Bins
Compost bins are available at many nursery and hardware stores. See the "Compost Supplies in San Diego" flyer below for local suppliers. Compost bins can also be purchased online, special ordered from manufacturers, or made from materials found around the home. Check out different styles of compost bins in action at one of the City's three Backyard Composting Demonstration Gardens. Or, sign up for a FREE backyard composting workshop taught by trained Master Composters.
For compost questions or other information, visit the Rotline.