Composting

Hi guys! Today I am talking a little about composting. Some of you guys have seen my compost container in the background of some of my posts and have asked about it so today's post is for you. 
Back before I moved to Canada I worked for an association management company and one of my clients was the Washington Organic Recycling Council. This is where I first learned of composting and gained an interest for it. I learned there are a number of reasons to compost but a few stood out to me:
-It reduces waste. 25% of a household's waste can be composted
-It returns valuable nutrients to the soil to help maintain soil quality and fertility.
-It reduces the need to use chemical fertilizers
-Compost helps to retain soil moisture so you water less

I also learned just how easy it is to compost! 
1. Buy or make a compost bin. I purchased mine from Costco. 
2. Position in a mostly sunny area. 
3. Add 2 parts brown material (which produces carbon)
    Leaves, branches, wood chips. shredded paper, cardboard, shredded wool and cotton...
4. Add 1 part green material (which produces nitrogen) 
    Fruit peels and cores, coffee grounds, veggie scraps, grass clippings, egg shells...
*There are so many different opinions on what exactly you should add to your compost but I pretty much stick to this list.
5. Occasionally add water. You want your compost to stay damp but never soggy. 
6. Every few weeks aerate your compost by turning it. 
7. A rich dark soil means it is ready to use! 

It is that easy! I keep the silver little bucket you see in the picture on our countertop in the kitchen to make it easy to add to the compost pile without running out to the compost bin all the time.

I hope this helps some of you who have been thinking about composting!

Much Love,