Recycling Pick-up Schedule

Thursday

Friday

Note:   The following private roads must place recyclables curbside along the following roadways:

Composting is a natural process. Organic materials such as leaves, grass, and vegetable scraps are broken down by microorganisms, forming a rich soil-like substance

Key Elements

• Organic materials -  A good mix consists of three parts "browns" (materials such as dead leaves that are high in carbon) and one part "greens" (such as fresh grass clippings and garden prunings that are high in nitrogen).
   
• Moisture - Composting materials should feel moist but not overly soggy.
   
• Temperature - Compost should feel warm to the touch except in the cold winter months.
   
• Air - When materials decompose without oxygen, they can create unpleasant odor.  Turn compost regularly to ensure that air reaches the center of the pile.

Ingredients

Don't Compost

• Diseased plants or leaves
   
• Plants that have gone to seed
   
• Persistent weeds (poison ivy, multi-flora rose, bindweed, quackgrass, etc.)
   
• Meat, dairy products and kitchen vegetables cooked with animal fats
   
• Human or pet feces

Getting Started

A 4 x 4 x 4-foot area out of direct sunlight is ideal for your compost pile. Choose an easily accessible spot on a grass or soil base. Composting can begin any time of the year, but many people start in the fall when leaves are abundant. Mix the ingredients, adding water as needed.  Materials should feel like a moist, wrung-out sponge.

The pile should be turned after a few weeks so that the outside materials are exchanged from the center of the pile. Turn compost piles about once a month, except in cold winter conditions. If more water is necessary, it can be added during turning.

Use compost as :

1. mulch or top dressing for planted areas
    
2. a soil amendment prior to top-planting or
    
3. a potting soil additive

Compost Troubleshooting

Using Compost

Compost is ready to be used when it looks dark and crumbly and none of the starting ingredients are visible. One way to test if your compost is finished is to seal a small sample in a plastic bag for 24 to 48 hours. If no strong odors are released when you open the bag, the compost is done.

As a soil amendment, compost increases water retention and adds nutrients.  Work it into the top 6 to 8 inches of the soil.  Compost also can be applied as a mulch directly around the base of trees and shrubs.