Composting
When things
aren’t working
OSU Extension
Master Gardener Program
Presented by
Teri S. Holmes
Ask a Master Gardener
KEYS TO COMPOSTING
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Moisture
Aeration
Microorganisms
Volume—3ft x 3ft
Surface Area
Carbon/Nitrogen
Ratio—”brown” stuff
and “green” stuff—
25:1 is ideal
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COMPOST MATERIALS
Acceptable materials
Unacceptable materials
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Clean paper
Coffee and tea grounds and
filters
Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
Eggshells
Fruits and vegetables
Grass clippings
Hay and straw
Houseplants
Leaves
Nut shells
Sawdust
Shredded newspaper
Wood chips
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Dairy Products
Fats, grease, lards or oils
Meats, fish bones, or scraps
Pet wastes (dog and cat
primarily)
Diseased, insect-ridden plants
Black walnut leaves or twigs
Coal or charcoal ash
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Diagnosing Failure to Thrive
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Pile doesn’t seem to be decomposing:
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Is the pile dry?
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Has the pile “compacted”?
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Aerate pile
Is the pile too wet?
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Add water until sponge wet
Add dry carbon material
Do you have sufficient “mass”?
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Add more compostibles to the pile.
Ask a Master Gardener
Diagnosing Failure to Thrive
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Pile doesn’t seem to be decomposing:
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Is the pile in contact with soil?
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Are materials chopped/shredded?
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Remove any barriers between soil and pile/bin.
Shred/tear/smash/chop materials into smaller
pieces to create more surface area.
Is the pile exposed to the elements?
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Do not seal pile off from weather elements (e.g.
cover and seal with black plastic).
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Diagnosing Failure to Thrive
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My pile STINKS!!!
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Is the pile too wet?
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Is the pile compacted?
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Add dry material
Aerate
Have you added meats, fats, or oils?
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Remove IMMEDIATELY! Consider disposing of all
material and starting over.
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Other Issues
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Help!! I think animals are living in my pile!
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Don’t make your pile attractive to wildlife:
NO meats, fats, or oils.
 Cover/bury spoiled, overripe fruits and vegetables
in the pile.
 Utilize a bin instead of just piling on the ground.
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Ask a Master Gardener
Other Issues
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I can’t keep my dog out of the compost!!
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No meats, fats or oils.
Use a bin with a lid
Bury all overripe fruits and vegetables
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Warning: Onions are toxic to canines.
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Causes a form of hemolytic anemia.
Consider fencing off the area.
Ask a Master Gardener
RESOURCES
Composting
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Leaf Composting, Recycling Yard Waste: “Don’t Bag It”, OSU Extension
Service brochure L-252
http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-2865/L252.pdf
Backyard Composting in Oklahoma. OSU Extension Service Fact Sheet, F1744
Composting, USEPA.
http://www.epa.gov/wastes/conserve/rrr/composting/index.htm
Keeping Organics out of Landfills. USCC. www.compostingcouncil.org
Vermicomposting
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Vermicomposting. USEPA.
http://www.epa.gov/wastes/conserve/rrr/composting/vermi.htm
Vermicomposting—Composting with Worms. OSU Extension Fact
sheet, BAE-1742.
California Integrated Waste Management. Vermicomposting.
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Organics/Worms/WormFact.htm#02
Ask a Master Gardener