Yard Waste - Composting

What materials can be composted? Green Materials  Vegetables & fruits, fresh grass clippings, coffee grounds/tea bags, green plant trimmings, weeds that have not gone to seed Brown Materials  Dry brown leaves & plants, dry brown grass clippings corn stalks, shredded newspapers What not to put in your composter! Anything that attracts pests meat, bones, greasy foods and oils, grain products, dog and cat feces, cooked food scraps, grass clippings or weeds treated with pesticides. Where to purchase composters: Art Knapps: (250) 860-5633 Bylands: (250) 769-7272 Dogwood: (250) 768-3355 Home Hardware: (250) 860-4663, (250) 768-3125 Home Depot: (250) 979-4500 Rona: (250) 762-7389 Peter Wilson:  (250) 765-5265

Want to save your tax dollars and get free lawn and garden fertilizer in exchange for your efforts? Wouldn't you prefer to see your garden grow instead of local landfills?

Composting is a great way to reduce your household waste by 30 to 50%, producing a soil enhancement for your garden and plants.

Composting uses Natures own recycling system. With nothing fancier than fallen leaves, and fruit and vegetable peelings, you can make rich, dark compost.

By composting you can dispose of your lawn and garden waste year-round and save valuable landfill space!

1. Getting Started You will need a compost bin and compost turner like a shovel, pitchfork or commercially made one. Set your composter in a sunny location if possible and on well-drained soil.

2. Materials
   Begin with a layer of sticks and dry materials at the bottom to help with air circulation. Next, alternate layers of brown and green materials (see list at right).

3. Maintenance
   Turn the compost pile a few times a month to add air and mix the brown, carbon-rich materials with the green, nitrogen-rich materials. Keep the composting material wet but not too wet. It should feel like a wrung out sponge.

   Compost can be made in three to 12 months depending on the effort and attention you give. Your compost is ready when the material is a dark brown colour and has a fresh, earthy smell.

   You can also visit the Environmental Education Centre of the Okanagan (EECO) on Springfield Road  in Mission Creek Regional Park for more information and to take a self-guided tour of the Composting Education Garden. For directions or other current programs and displays at the EECO, call (250) 469-6140.

Need more detailed composting information?

Click here.