Compost materials: A list of things to build a compost bin with

If look closely at a forest floor you will see a variety of compost materials such as leaves, tree bark and needles. These organic materials, as well as others we’ll discuss, provide plant life a steady source of food and nutrients.

The same benefit nature provides the forest floor can be provided to your gardening plants, shrubs and trees. Here are a few materials to include when you build a compost bin or seek to make compost tea.

Tree leaves

Many trees shed its leaves at least once a year. So what are you to do with all those leaves? Rake them into small piles, and run a mulching mower over them with the mulching bag attached.

Then dump them over the compost pile. Another option is to fill a heavy plastic or tin barrel half full with leaves. Using a line trimmer, place the trimmer head inside and shred the leaves.

Both methods turn the leaves into smaller pieces that decompose quicker than if they were left whole.

Grass clippings:

Grass clippings make a great compost material. They contain approximately 4 % nitrogen, 2% potassium, and 1 % phosphorus. These elements make-up many store bought fertilizers, and are necessary for plant growth and development.

Once the grass decomposes these nutrients are returned to the earth. And that’s a good thing. When you add the grass clippings to your compost heap do so in one-inch layers.

Thicker layers can become slimy and matted, restricting air and water movement inside the pile.

Coffee Grounds

Used coffee grounds contain nitrogen that is essential for plant growth. Avoid using fresh coffee grounds because they can create soil that is too acidic for some plants.

Coffee grounds are especially helpful for fast growing vegetable plants such as tomatoes. You can use them from your morning cup of “Joe” or get them at a local coffee house. Starbucks offers them free on a first come first served basis.

Eggshells:

It is not uncommon to find plants that suffer from a calcium deficiency. One reason this occurs is the soil has become too rich in nitrogen and potassium.

This is often brought on by excessive amounts of fertilizer applied to the area. Eggshells contain high concentrations of calcium and keep the soil chemistry healthy and balanced.

You could just throw the shells in the pile, and leave it at that. Or, with a little extra effort, the composting process can be sped up. Here’s how. Take the eggshells and put them into a large zip lock bag.

When the bag is almost full, crush the shells into tiny pieces. Then add a small amount of water and repeat the process. What you are looking for is a “paste” consistency. This paste can then be added to your compost heap or bin. It will breakdown quicker and give the composting worms a nice food source.

Do you need fresh compost materials in a hurry?

If so, here are a few tips to speed up the composting process.

• First, the smaller the material used in the pile the faster they will decompose.

• Turn the compost weekly to allow air to reach the center of the pile. Air encourages the growth of fungi and bacteria, which is important for the decomposing process.

• Keep the pile moist and out of direct sunlight. Add fresh manure to encourage worms to live and breed inside the compost materials.

Additional material used to build a compost bin or make compost tea:

• Paper napkins an towels

• Human and dog hair

• kitchen scraps

• Seaweeds collected from beach

• Bird cage cleaning

• Shredded paper

• Worm castings

• Used coffee grounds

• Chicken, cow, and rabbit manures

• Bat guano

• Plant and shrub trimmings

• saw dust and much more