Politics & Government

Going Green: City Hosts Workshop on Composting

About 100 people packed the Women's Pavilion on Tuesday night to learn the dos and don'ts of nature's way of recycling.

Some call it natural mulch. Others call it nature’s way of recycling.

Whatever you call it, composting is a great way to keep organic materials out of landfills and an inexpensive way of adding nutrients back into the soil.

That was part of the message Tuesday night as the city's hosted a composting seminar conducted by the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District in the Women’s Club Pavilion at .

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More than 100 packed the space to get an hourlong crash-course in the dark, crumbly soil amendment. Kathleen Rocco of the county waste district presented .

Couldn’t make the event? That’s OK, we’ll give you a recap.

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  • Supplies you'll need: Compost bins, or an outdoor area to compost; shovel; aeration tool; kitchen food scrap; thermometer; organic materials, such as yard waste food scraps and shredded newspaper; a compost accelerator, such as urea, manure or bone meal.
  • Compost bins: Strongly encouraged. The Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District sells them at area events and seminars — like Tuesday at the Women’s Club Pavilion. They need a level, well-drained area; need to be accessible; keep them in a sunny spot and water them in the summer; build the pile over permeable soil.
  • Start a compost pile, using a 4- to 6-inch base of chopped brush, twigs or wood chips. Alternate a 2- to 4-inch layer of material containing nitrogen and 4- to 6-inch of brown organic material containing carbon. Keep the ratio of one part green to two parts brown. After each layer, add one inch of aged compost to introduce microorganisms. Water the pile, but not too much.
  • Maintenance: Composting is like a science experiment; it needs to be observed and adjustments may need to be made. There will be some creatures, like worms and fungi, but that’s a good sign. Aerate the pile once per week. Keep the volume at around 3-cubic feet. Most compost piles should be between 90 and 120 degrees.
  • Good: Leaves, grass clippings, plants, nut shells, straw and hay, egg shells, fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds and tea leaves, dryer lint, dead flowers and certain manures.
  • Bad: Cat and dog poop, meat, fish, dairy products, fatty foods. bones, diseased or plant infested plants, invasive weeds, branches and charcoal ashes. 
  • Finished product: good for potting mix; starter for plant seedlings; health tree growth if used at tree drip-line; mulch; fertilizer; and as a top-dressing for the lawn.


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