About 8 years ago, I got a compost bin. I was on my way to doing my part. And I failed miserably. For whatever reason, it didn’t happen for me. So I decided to re-visit my failure (on camera!) and conquer it.
What’s Compost? Decomposed organic matter. In my house, that means kitchen and yard waste. To make compost, you need a few key ingredients. Think of it as a recipe - like my fab 6 aphrodisiac salad or vegan chocolate pudding - but for worms and other creepy crawlers.
Very simply, you need air, water and food. Two kinds of food to be exact – green and brown. The greens come from your kitchen and garden – food scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags, green grass and weeds. These add nitrogen to your pile.
The browns include straw, dead leaves, sawdust and wood chips. I don’t saw much, so my browns are primarily dead leaves. You can also use shredded newspaper. Nature’s way of recycling. This half of the pile adds carbon. The combo of nitrogen and carbon not only speeds decomposition, but gives our millions of microbes a well-rounded diet.
Give the pile some air and water, and those microbes will start eating. The pile should have the wetness of a wrung-out sponge. Any more than that and you get a soggy, stinky mess that can’t breathe. Turn the pile every couple of weeks to aerate.
Whatever you do, don’t compost fats, pet droppings or animal products of any kind. They’ll attract pests and can spread disease. Yuck. Avoid adding plants, grass and weeds treated with pesticides, herbicides and insecticides.
Simple, right? Any questions, watch the video then comment below. I’m composting in a dress and heels. Of course. It’s EcoRico, baby!
Stay tuned as we monitor our microbial brew. I’ve failed once. This time I will have VICTORY over the compost bin!
By Giselle Achecar
Giselle Achecar is the vibrant creator of EcoRico, an eco-lifestyle brand, which includes the online sensation EcoRico cooking show, EcoSexy tips and the ground-breaking personal success program “Marry Your Passion with Your Purpose”. This Latina Chef makes green living fun, sexy and accessible. Connect with Giselle at www.eco-rico.com, www.facebook.com/ecoricotv and on Twitter @EcoRicoTV. For eco-licious recipes, please visit http://www.eco-rico.com/ecoeatz/.