Rotten potatoes were found in the paper bin today at the recycling center. Please do not place food scraps in recycling bins. We cannot recycle them! Rotten potatoes belong in a compost pile! Here are some tips for starting a compost pile for folks that have never had one before:
- Build the pile with green and brown materials of approximately equal volume. Kitchen scraps (remember, no meat) and grass clipping are examples of green materials. Dry leaves, cardboard, newspapers, and wood chips are examples of browns.
- You can add materials any time. Remember to always bury fresh kitchen scraps in the middle of the pile, covering them with partially decomposed material. No meat, bones, or fish should be included.
- Chop or shred materials, especially if they are dry or woody
- Turn the pile
- Keep the pile moist to accelerate the composting process
- Finished compost is dark brown, crumbly, and moist, with a pleasant, earthy aroma. Large pieces can be screened out and returned to a fresh pile.
- You can use your compost as a soil amendment by digging it into the earth, as a mulch by spreading it around plants, or as an ingredient in potting mix.