Compost Organic Materials at Home

Great candidates for home composting include yard materials—like leaves, grass trimmings and twigs—and food scraps. Decomposition and recycling of organics are an essential part of soil building and healthy plant growth in forests, meadows and your home garden. By using compost, you return organic matter to the earth, which:

  • Improves plant growth by adding essential nutrients to any soil
  • Helps suppress plant diseases and pests
  • Reduces the need for chemical fertilizers
  • Reduces organic materials at home
  • Help extend the life of the County's landfill
  • Maintain a moist lawn and root system
  • Reduces the need for Baltimore County to collect and process material, preventing pollution and saving tax dollars

YARD MATERIALS

Learn more about the process of creating compost below.

Compost systems vary depending on what materials you want to compost (such as non-woody materials like grass clippings, leaves and trimmings from garden plants and flowers) and the quantity of materials you have. Several types of composting units are available online or in stores for purchase; however, residents may wish to construct their own instead. Below are some of the most popular types of composting systems.

Unit Type Types of Yard Materials Building Materials About the Process Time to Produce Compost

Holding Unit

  • Least amount of labor
  • Best for beginners
  • Small amounts of yard materials 
 Non-woody yard materials Yard stakes and chicken wire. Can be made portable. Provides access to the compost that is already “done” at the bottom of the pile while the compost at the top of the pile is still decomposing. Six months to two years

Turning Units

Large amounts of yard materials

 

 Non-woody yard materials Three or more bins made from wood, a combination of wood and wire, or concrete blocks. Designed to place yard materials in one of the bins, then transfer materials from the bottom of the pile to the second bin when the first bin becomes full. This process is repeated. Each time material is moved, it is aerated, which hastens decomposition. Short period of time

Tumbler

Fastest method

 Any yard materials  Smaller systems, which are generally raised off the ground with a handle for rotating the bin. Designed to by turned daily, these units aerate and heat contents to a finished compost. As little as three weeks

Many types of yard and garden materials can be composted in your bin. Baltimore County residents are also permitted to compost some food scraps in an outdoor bin.

MATERIALS TO INCLUDE

  • Bark
  • Flowers
  • Grass clippings
  • Leaves, pine needles and peat moss
  • Small branches and twigs
  • Straw and hay
  • Sawdust
  • Some food scraps, including:
    • Eggshells
    • Loose tea and coffee grounds
    • Most fruit and vegetable scraps
    • Most grains, nuts and legumes

DO NOT INCLUDE

  • Diseased and insect-ridden plants
  • Inorganic materials (synthetic chemicals, lime, BBQ char metal, etc.)
  • Pet waste
  • Pressure treated lumber
  • Certain food items:
    • Animal fats, grease and cooking oil
    • Bakery and bread products
    • Bones
    • Citrus peels
    • Dairy products
    • Garlic
    • Meat, poultry and fish
    • Onions
    • Rice
    • Tea and coffee bags
    • Walnuts

When composting, resident sometimes experience one or more issues, many of which can be solved by following these simple troubleshooting tips.

IF YOUR COMPOST SYSTEM IS PRODUCING AN ODOR

  • Ammonia Smell—Too much nitrogen (green matter) in compost system
    • Aerate materials
    • Add more carbon (brown material)
  • Putrid Smell—Pile is too wet or not receiving enough oxygen
    • Aerate materials
    • Add extra dry carbon (brown material) to absorb excessive moisture
    • Avoid adding water to materials

IF YOUR COMPOST SYSTEM IS NOT HEATING UP

  • Too Wet—Materials are soggy
    • Aerate materials
    • Add extra dry carbon (brown material) to absorb excessive moisture
    • Avoid adding water to materials
  • Too Dry—Materials are brittle and dusty
    • Moisten pile to the consistency of a wrung-out sponge
    • Add nitrogen (green material)

IF YOUR MATERIALS ARE NOT DECOMPOSING

  • Aerate materials regularly
  • Add more materials—large volumes can speed up decomposition on the bottom of the pile
  • Add moisture to the pile—materials should be the consistency of a wrung-out sponge
  • Chop and shred large items, making it easier for bacteria to break the materials down
  • Move the compost system in the sun for at least part of the day—heat will speed up the process

Once your compost is ready, it is time to begin using it around your lawn and garden. 

Finished compost is dark brown or black, crumbly textured and has a rich earthy smell and can be used:

  • In seed-starting mixes
  • To cover seed rows in vegetable gardens
  • To enrich flower gardens and improve the soil around trees and shrubs
  • To help retain moisture

Use the finished compost as soil amendment by placing it into the soil two to four inches below the surface, throughout the year or at planting time. Everything around your lawn and garden will benefit from the compost as it releases its nutrients over a one- to two-year period.

You can make compost tea by steeping a shovel full of compost in a five-gallon bucket of water for a few days. You can then pour this nutrient-rich "tea" on plants, vegetables and flowers.

FOOD SCRAPS

Baltimore County residents may now compost some food scraps with yard materials in a regular compost pile.

FOR LARGE AMOUNTS—COMPOSTING WITH WORMS

Vermicomposting offers a beneficial and legal way to dispose of large amount of food scraps, help the environment and create a valuable byproduct for use in gardens and houseplants. Once you get your worm bin set up, the worms will do most of the work.

When selecting a worm bin, the most important things to consider are the:

  • Space you have for your bin
  • Volume of kitchen scraps you hope to compost
  • Volume of worms you wish to purchase

A worm bin can be as simple as a wooden box or plastic storage bin with a lid, that's raised on bricks and has holes drilled into the bottom. More complex bins can be purchased online or through the mail, but the end result is similar no matter which type of bin you use.

Worms need a cool, moist environment. The most commonly used bedding is shredded newspaper or cardboard that has been soaked in water. Bedding is important because it not only creates a comfortable climate for the worms, but it is also digested right along with the food scraps. Four pounds of evenly-spread bedding is recommended for every two square feet of space in the bin.

Ideally, the worms using your space will be hard working, willing to accept change and very hungry. Redworms, also called red wigglers, are the species most commonly used for vermicomposting and have been known to survive in a wide range of climates. Redworms can consume their own weight of material each day and live up to one year. One pound of red wigglers, about 1,000 worms, is recommended for every two square feet of bin space.

Note: Earthworms and other species tend to die off quickly in the confinement of a worm bin.

Now that your tenants have moved into their new home, it is important to monitor what they eat. Generally, redworms are not very picky, but there are a few things to keep in mind when deciding which food scraps to feed your wiggly little tenants. It is strongly recommended that only organic scraps and paper be fed to the worms. If placed in the bin, other materials could be harmful to the worms or increase the likelihood of odor from the byproduct being produced. Here are a few examples of what should and should not be placed in the worm bin:

INCLUDE

  • coffee filters and grinds
  • fruits and vegetables
  • tea bags and leaves
  • crushed egg shells
  • cereals and breads

AVOID

  • glass, plastic and metal
  • grease, fats and oils
  • meat and bones
  • all dairy products
  • pet waste and litter

In as few as two months, vermicompost will become visible in your worm bin – it appears as dark clumps of material that crumble easily.

The vermicompost, or "black gold," can be harvested by limiting the amount of food scraps for a few weeks and raking the vermicompost to one side of the bin. Add new bedding to the other side. After the worms have migrated to the new bedding, you will be able to remove the compost without taking any worms with it. After harvesting, more food scraps should be added to keep the process going.

Now that you know all about composting with worms and being a good "landlord," you should know some of the ways to put vermicompost to work for you. People of all ages will enjoy the many benefits of vermicomposting! The material you harvest can be used in gardens, flowerbeds, around trees and bushes and even in houseplants.

You can also create "worm compost tea" by steeping vermicompost in aerated water. This "tea" contains the beneficial microorganisms found in vermicompost in a liquid form, allowing for faster absorption by plants. More details about the "tea-making" process are available from the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery.

FOR SMALL AMOUNTS—SOIL INCORPORATION

Soil incorporation is a simple and maintenance-free method involving burying small amounts of food scraps in the ground to promote the natural composting process. 

Soil incorporation can be used with most organic material such as fruits, vegetables, cereals, grains, breads, tea bags and coffee grinds. Do not attempt to compost the following, as this material is likely to attract animals:

  • Bones
  • Dairy products
  • Fats
  • Grease
  • Meat
  • Oils

Dig a 12 to 15-inch deep hole or trench in the ground around trees, gardens or shrubs. If around trees, take caution not to disturb the roots.

Chop up and mix the food waste with some of the soil (to help it decompose faster) and then place it into the hole. Once you have a three to four-inch layer of food waste, bury your scraps at least eight inches beneath the surface to reduce the risk of attracting animals.

Food scraps take anywhere from one month to one year to break down into nutrients that will help your plants. This time will depend on soil type and conditions, such as temperature and amount of microorganisms in the soil.

GRASSCYCLING

Grasscycling is the practice of cutting your grass and allowing the clippings to lie on the lawn, rather than bagging this material. You could also compost the grass clippings, or use them as mulch or soil additive.

Benefits include:

  • Cut back on time spent bagging grass
  • Grass clippings left on your lawn reduce water loss from evaporation, conserving water
  • Longer grass blades protect soil from the sun
  • Using about one inch of dried grass clippings on top of the soil can also reduce weeds, the risk of erosion and improve soil texture

While mowing the grass, simply:

  1. Remove the bag so grass will be recycled back onto your lawn.
  2. Never cut more than one third of the length off of the grass blade in one mowing. Be sure to keep your mower blade sharp as a dull mower blade can tear the grass, resulting in a ragged appearance at the leaf tip.
    1. Spring—Two inches in length
    2. Summer—Gradually raise the height to three to four inches
    3. Late fall—Two inches

LEAFCYCLING

Leafcycling is the practice of mowing fallen leaves on your lawn and allowing them to decompose over time. Shredded or chopped leaves can also be used as a thin layer to your lawn in the fall, and as mulch around trees, shrubs and perennials.

When grass grows in soil that contains lots of organic matter:

  • The lawn is easier to care for and looks better
  • Reduces the chance of weeds showing up
  • Helps conserve water by preventing runoff
  • Saved time and effort by not having to rake and bag leaves
  • Till or dig leaves into vegetable and annual flowerbeds to improve the soil quality

As an alternative to raking and bagging leaves, simply:

  1. Run your lawn mower over your fallen leaves.
    1. If using a standard lawn mower—It is recommended that you run over the fallen leaves at least twice to ensure the pieces are small enough to promote more rapid decomposition.
    2. If using a “mulching” lawn mower (recommended)—These mowers are designed to chop the leaves multiple times before discharging the mulched leaves back on the lawn.
  2. Decide how to use your leaves.
    1. For the lawn—Let the leaves lie on a thin layer on the lawn.
    2. For gardens or as mulch—A layer of about four to six inches is recommended as the leaves will settle after a few rains, creating an ideal three-inch layer.
  3. The finely chopped leaves will decompose over time, becoming food for the microbes that populate a healthy soil.