City of Irvine

How to Backyard Compost
A backyard compost is perfect for any household with a yard. It is a simple method that requires little effort and few materials. There are several ways of composting including: placing materials in open piles, burying materials in trenches or enclosing materials in bins. It is important to remember that in order to heat up properly, compost piles should be at least one cubic yard in size.

The Six Easy Steps of Backyard Composting

Obtain a Bin
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Compost bins can either be homemade or purchased.
Check out Clean Air Gardening for a variety of compost bins and other environmentally friendly lawn and garden supplies.
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Gather Your Materials
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Waste is classified as either brown or green material. To begin, use equal amounts of green and brown materials and chop them into 1-inch pieces (the smaller the pieces, the faster they decompose).
- Grass clippings
- Garden trimmings
- Green leaves
- Fruit and vegetables scraps
- Coffee grounds and filters
- Tea leaves and bags
- Wood chips and sawdust
- Straw and hay
- Dry grass
- Stale bread
- Shredded paper
- Dry leaves
- Nut shells
- Cardboard
- Egg cartons
- Newspaper
- Diseased or infected plants
- Meat (including fish) and meat by-products, grease, dairy products
- Pet food
- Glossy or treated paper
- Seeds from tomatoes, cantaloupes, watermelon, etc.
- Pesticide and herbicide treated plant materials
- Pet feces and litter
- Invasive weeds
- Charcoal ash
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Dump Your Materials Evenly Into A Compost Bin
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Start with approximately 1 cubic yard of yard waste materials. Shred yard waste to less that 1" in size (the smaller the better). Use equal amounts of green and brown materials and mix thoroughly. Add water (about the consistency of a wrung out sponge).
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Turn or Stir Your Compost Every 7 to 10 Days
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Stir the bin and add more water every 7 to 10 days. Remember to keep the bin full by adding fresh material regularly.
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Keep Your Compost Hot
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Keep your compost between 120 to 140 degrees. This helps the materials to break down properly.
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Harvest Your Compost
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Your compost is ready to use when it's dark brown, crumbly and smells like fresh-turned earth, generally within 2-6 months. You also should not be able to identify anything that was used to make it. To harvest your compost, remove the finished compost from the bottom of the bin (the finished material naturally collects there) and screen it using a simple 3/8" size screen.
- Incorporate compost into the soil in your yard and garden Use compost as mulch around plants and next to walkways.
- Spread compost lightly around your lawn and use a rake to work it in.
- Mix 30% yard waste compost, or 50% worm compost (or a good time-release fertilizer) and 20% vermiculite (a soil conditioner availableat your local nursery) to make a great potting soil.
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Solving Composting Problems
- Compost Smells Bad:
  Turn your compost and add fresh brown materials.
- Compost Pile Not Getting Hot:
  Compost may need more green material or water. Also, make sure you have enough material in the bin (a cubic yard is recommended).
- Bugs in the Compost Bin:
  This is normal, but watch for spiders.
- Mold Growing on the Compost:
  This is natural. Mix the compost and water thoroughly.

Additional Links
• Orange County Sanitation District Compost Program

How to Worm Compost
Worm composting is a great way to recycle organic matter. It is easy to do and works perfectly for anyone who lives in an apartment and may not have a yard. The all-natural organic soil created from the compost is great to use on your houseplants and around your yard and garden.

The 5 Easy Steps of Worm Composting also known as Vermicompost

Obtain A Worm Composting Bin
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Everything you need to get started is included with a worm composting kit, including ½ pound of worms. A number of suppliers offer worm composting bins for sale, click here to find a bin.
Check out Clean Air Gardening for a variety of compost bins and other environmentally friendly lawn and garden supplies.
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Add Bedding Material And Worms
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Fill the bin with moist bedding material. You can use coconut coir, which is coarse fiber extracted from the outer shell of a coconut. You can also make your own bedding. Add worms (1/2 lb. is usually enough to get started).
Making your worm bedding material is easy:
- Start with about 4 pounds of shredded newspaper, cardboard or pH neutral peat moss.
- Add about 1 gallon of cool tap water slowly and soak until moist, like a damp sponge.
- Mix in 1 handful of soil from your yard or garden (for grit).
- Add 6 dry, crushed egg shells.
- Mix all the ingredients together.
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Dump Your Materials Evenly Into A Compost Bin
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Feed your worms regularly, start with small amounts, gradually increasing the amount you give them based on their rate of consumption.
- Fruit and vegetable peelings and scraps, bread, pasta, beans, coffee ground and filters, tea bags, napkins and paper towels.
- Clippings from house plants, cut flowers, fresh herbs (small amounts only), etc.
- Crushed egg shells.
- Only feed ½ lb food per 1 lb of worms.
- Worms are vegeterian, so don't feed them meat, dairy, oil or any meat by-products such as pet food.
- Avoid acidic fruits and vegetables like citrus, rotten tomatoes, etc.
- Don't overfeed your worms. One pound of worms can eat up to ½ lb. of food every day.
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Maintain Your Worm Bin
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Keep the worm bin warm, but not hot, and keep it out of direct sunlight.

Don't let the worm bedding get too wet. Add shredded newspaper to absorb excess moisture.
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Harvest Your Worm Compost
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Your finished worm compost will be ready for use in about 4 - 6 weeks. There are three methods for harvesting your worm compost:

Quick & Easy Method:
Gently remove the compost, including worms, and use it in your yard and garden, or as part of a potting soil mix.

End Feeding Method:
Put all food at one end of the bin every day for several weeks and the worms will migrate toward that end. Then remove the worm compost from the other end.

Spread Method:
Remove the compost from the bin and spread it out thinly, pick out the worms, and put them back in the worm bin.
- Create a great potting soil by mixing 50% worm compost with 30% yard waste compost and 20% vermiculite (a soil conditioner available at your local nursery).
- When you transplant new plants in your yard and garden, put a 2 inch deep layer of worm compost into the bottom of the hole.
- Mix 1 quart worm tea (the liquid that collects in the bottom tray) with 2-4 quarts of water and use it as a liquid fertilizer for all your plants.
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Solving Composting Problems
- Be Aware Of Unpleasant Odors:
  Properly functioning composts should not smell unpleasant. To help avoid odors, keep the pH in your worm bin neutral (around 7.0). Test pH with litmus paper. If the pH is acidic (less than 7), add crushed egg shells or ground limestone. If it's above 7, add slightly acidic fruits. Never use chemical to adjust pH.
- Another hint:
  You can also put a small, open jar of vinegar in the corner of the bin to reduce fruit flies.

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