If you are currently living in Cypress or Campus Apartment living areas, the Compost Squad is reaching out to connect with students who are interested in having a compost bucket for the Spring 2021 semester. If you are interested first contact the RSA at [email protected], from there you will receive further information on what to expect after receiving a compost bucket. Keep a look out for future posts explaining what can and can't be put into the compost buckets!
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So you want to start composting from home but you don't know where to start, well look no further! Before jumping right into how to compost at home, I should introduce the basics of composting first.
When filling your compost bin it's important to have proportional parts of carbon, nitrogen, and air. It's especially important to have a ratio of 3:1, or 3 parts of carbon for each part of nitrogen. Giving your compost bin air is straight forward, you just turn the compost mixture around a couple times a week. Now you may be wondering what is considered carbon and what is considered nitrogen, it's easy once you know the explanation. Carbon can be things like cardboard, black & white newspaper, saw dust, dry leaves, or even straw, while nitrogen can be found in your food scraps and fresh yard waste (ex. grass clippings). If you want more information on compost ratios, check out this resource from Cornell University here. Another thing to keep in mind when adding these components into your bin, is the moisture levels and the temperature. When feeling your compost, it should not be soaking wet nor should it too dry, it should feel similar to a damp sponge. If your compost is too wet, add more things with carbon to make it more dry; if you have compost that is too dry add water in small increments until it feels more moisturized. For the temperature of your compost, make sure to not leave it outside on freezing nights, as low temperature can mess with your compost. You don't have to worry about the temperature too much if you have indoor composting bins, as they would be sitting in a room temperature environment. Now that the basics have been covered, I can explain the different ways to compost from the comfort of your own home. |
AuthorThe blog is provided by students right here in Cal Poly Humboldt. The team of students in charge of the blog are Max Cunningham, Kristina Fiebig, and Daniel Chaidez. Archives
April 2021
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