Composting 101

Once a month, the City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Sanitation holds a composting workshop, where they do a little intro into composting, followed by sales of bins and other tools to get started with do-it-yourself composting.

 

The process of composting is essentially a naturally occurring phenomenon. It involves the decomposition of nitrogen and carbon-rich materials, and "turning over" of the earth. In forests, for example, all sorts of living organisms are constantly at work to break down old leaves and tree parts into different nutrients, which in turn renew the earth to make fertile, rich soil. In urban composting, people recycle their food scraps and paper waste and create their own 'backyard' composting process. The end product is a nutrient-rich soil additive, which when added to fruit trees and vegetables, boosts their growth in a natural, organic way.

 

 There is an entire science behind composting, but at its simplest, it requires 2 equal parts of "green" and "brown" materials. Green materials consist of things like fruit and vegetable scraps, horse and chicken manure, while brown materials include dried leaves and twigs, shredded newspaper, and other paper waste.  As you collect materials over time, you throw them into a designated composting bin the backyard, and create layers of nitrogen and carbon-rich materials.  The 1:1 ratio is necessary, along with the heat that an enclosed bin creates, in order to begin decomposition and production of "humus", which is the beginning of the final compost material. This takes at least 6 months when done properly, but can take up to a year.

 

Worm composting or "vermicomposting", is a slightly different process, involving a small worm bin, and live worms, and uses similar scraps (Vegetables, fruits), to produce what is called a "worm tea". This tea is a very potent solution used to naturally enhance the growth of flowering plants and vegetables. Worm composting can also be easily done indoors, and does not require backyard space.

The city offers free mulch which is available for residents to use in their gardens.

  

For more info on composting and the Bureau of Sanitation go to: http://www.lacitysan.org/solid_resources/recycling/composting/bin_sales_events.htm