Paper provides a carbon source for your compost bin. Many kinds of paper can be added to your compost bin, even those with colored ink. The secret to using paper successfully is to shred or chop it and then moisten it before adding it to your bin. It is also helpful to alternate layers of [...]
Posts Tagged ‘carbon’
“Rotline” Question of the Week: What kinds of paper can be composted?
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged "Rotline" Question of the Week, carbon, compost, compost bin, gardening, greens and browns, moisture, paper, Solana Center for Environmental Innovation, sustainability, waste reduction on December 16, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Rotline Question of the Week: Can you have too many greens in your compost pile?
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged "Rotline", "Rotline" Question of the Week, browns, carbon, carbon to nitrogen ratio, compost, compost bins, Composting, food scraps, greens, Heat, nitrogen, odor, Temperature on September 10, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Sometimes, composters find themselves lacking in browns (carbon rich materials like straw, mulch, shredded paper, etc.) and having a surplus of greens (nitrogen rich materials like kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, freshly cut grass, etc.). But is it bad to have too many greens? What happens if you have too many greens in your compost bin?
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“Rotline” Question of the Week: Is hay or straw best for my compost?
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged aeration, browns, carbon, compost, compost bins, Composting, greens, hay, Heat, Master Composters, nitrogen, soil amendments, straw, Temperature, weeds on August 4, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Hay is considered a nitrogen source, or a green, and can be added to your compost bin. Because hay often has weed seeds in it, make sure that your bin is reaching a hot temperature, 100 – 140 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are passively composting and not achieving high temperatures, you can bag the hay [...]
“Rotline” Question of the Week: Do I need to sift my compost?
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged "Rotline" Question of the Week, carbon, Composting, curing compost, finished compost, nitrogen, potting mixes, screening, sieving, sifting, using compost on April 28, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Sifting or screening compost helps remove sticks and other materials that have not broken down. These materials are often rich in carbon which can drain the nitrogen from your plants if added directly. Sifted or screened compost is also less bulky and makes it easier to combine with other amendments in customized potting mixes. In [...]
“Rotline” Question of the Week: How can I improve the quality of my compost?
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged "Rotline" Question of the Week, C:N ratio, carbon, compost, nitrogen, sustainability on January 13, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Does your compost pile smell, even though you know it shouldn’t? Is your compost not turning quickly in spite of your close watch and care? A simple yet frequent cause of both problems is that the carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N) in your compost is not ideal, which can hinder proper digestion and [...]
Earthworms – saviors of the planet?
Posted in In the news!, tagged carbon, compost, Earthworms, forest, global warming, Purdue, soil, vermicomposting on October 31, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
A new development of robotic super suits will now allow us to have a whole army of Earthworm Jims who can defeat evil and save the world from the clutches of doom. If only this were true.
We are not going to have super hero earthworms who can help us save the world. [...]
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