by Elizabeth McNeill.
November is a good time to start composting as fallen leaves make excellent brown material for a compost pile. Mixed with green material (vegetable and fruit kitchen scraps) you can get a good mix of the required brown and green material needed. Add shredded paper (which is considered brown material).
Sometimes people are reluctant to have a compost pile because it can attract unwanted animals and insects. Don’t use meat, fish or seafood which would make your compost pile a buffet for critters. If you turn your compost often, animals will be even more discouraged. And by turning more frequently, you add more oxygen to the pile thereby creating top soil more quickly.
Many of our neighbours don’t know how to or don’t want to compost for a variety of reasons. If you compost, invite them to drop their fallen leaves into your compost pile. In that way, they won’t burn them, causing air pollution, or have them carried away in plastic bags to the land fill. What is garbage today is top soil tomorrow.
Some neighbours might be interested in composting but don’t know how to get started. Be a good neighbour (and a good gardener) and help them. By composting, we’re closer to zero waste, and we’re gaining lots of free top soil.
These websites offer good composting information: