COMPOSTING

Feed the landscape, not the landfill is the mantra of this publication on composting.  This time of year you may have lots of green waste in the form of vegetable or fruit peelings, deadheaded perennials, weeds, lawn clippings, coffee grounds, tea bags, and egg shells.  Rather than toss them in your regular garbage, why not start a compost pile?  At the Arboretum we have a 3 bin system as described in the above highlighted link.  During the year the Master Gardener Volunteers add  green waste and brown leaves to the first bin. Additionally, a container is in the Ag Center Kitchen for coffee grounds and other food prep waste to also be deposited into the compost bin.  After it has decomposed a bit it is moved to the second bin, then later into the final bin where it awaits being put back into the gardens to enrich the soil.  Our gardens look great thanks to this free resource.