Compost happens! | UC Agriculture and Natural Resources

Resources

Turn waste into a resource—aerobic composting!

Learn how to turn your yard waste, food scraps, animal manures and other organic materials into the best soil amendment for your garden. Below you will find many resources to help and inspire you whether you are a beginner or experienced composter.

Composting is a method of producing a nutrient-rich soil amendment (plant food) by using naturally occurring fungi and bacteria, in an oxygenated environment, to break down organic waste. As bacteria, yeast and fungi digest the waste, nutrients such as nitrogen are made more available. When compost is added to soil, the nutrients are slowly released over time, allowing for easy up-take by the plants. Basically, the simple process of composting allows large amounts of household, yard and/or animal waste to be transformed into smaller piles of natural soil conditioner. From California Seagrant Extension, UC Cooperative Extension: Click here to read: Seagrant Composting_7-29-09

Compost is the Gardener's Best Friend - Handout - Click here

Nevada County Master Gardener Compost Workshops

The entire 2020 slide show of the "Compost is the Gardener's Best Friend" workshop is below - just click on the link, and enjoy the expanded version, complete with speaker's notes. This presentation includes user-friendly graphics to help you learn how to compost or branch out in your composting skills and includes information on how aerobic composting benefits the environment. Go through it at your own pace or skip ahead to the parts you are most interested in.

Click here for the 2020 slide show

Other composting resources

Compost vs. Fertilizers - Pros & Cons

Composting Temperature Chart

Browns & Greens List

Compost Troubleshooting Guide

Moisture in a Pile

Moveable Compost Pen

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Managing A 3-Bin System

Chipping and Shredding

Carbon and Nitrogen in the Pile