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  1. japirish@mac.com' J says:

    I started composting but I have no “com poster” Can i put the food waste (no protein/ meats) in my woods?
    Should it be in the sun or does it matter?

    • Jennifer says:

      Chucking organics in the woods is on option occasionally, but not regularly. You would also want to vary dumping locations as to not attract animals – even if no proteins are involved. If you have regular kitchen scraps, why not get a compost tumbler? If your household is small, 2-5 people, a 50-80 gal. model would be fine. Start with 30-50% “browns” or yard trimmings. Once the compost has been established, always add 30-50% brown equivalent to all organics deposit. So if you add a quart of kitchen scraps make sure that you add 1/2 quart leaves, grass, twigs or wood chips. Food scraps will biodegrade to a point on a forest floor but a certain amount of rotting occurs when there is an absence of heat, proper moisture levels and bacteria. If you compost your food scraps, they turn into a nutrient rich soil additive that you can dig into your gardens, donate to local farms or gardens or simply dispose of in the woods with no worries that you are contributing in any way to green house gases. Remember, the yard compost tumbler is only for plant based, non-proteins. No meats, diary, oils, or nuts. Eggshells are fine – but not the eggs! Industrial Composting facilities or digesters can handle ALL organics (meat included) because they generate enough heat to break down all organic matter.
      Remember, chopping up your scraps before depositing helps the process along considerably.

      • japirish@mac.com' J says:

        thank you so much!
        this helps tremendously especially being the novice I am.

        • japirish@mac.com' J says:

          one more question. What do you mean by “Once the compost has been established,”

          • Jennifer says:

            After your initial 50/30 contribution. That is to say, you add “greens” to the 50% “browns” – dry stuff like leaves, straw, twigs and wood chips – until you’ve reached this ratio. This may take a week or so if you aren’t adding to it everyday or if there is only 2 of you. Once that’s established, always add at least 50% browns to every scrap deposit. If you are near the woods, this shouldn’t be a problem because you will have an abundance of leaves and needles lying around. Remember, coffee filters, paper napkins, dryer lint and newspaper are considered “browns”. Coffee grinds, tea bags, grass clippings and weeds are “greens” along with your food scraps. It’s a carbon to nitrogen balance you are going for. If your compost is stinky or too wet, add more browns.

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