It’s a beautiful time of year. The air is cool and crisp. Comfy, beautiful sweaters are making their way from the back of the closet. And leaves are changing colors all over the country. Beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow take the place of vibrant spring greens.
And then, those leaves fall to the ground.
It becomes quite a chore for homeowners to keep up with the falling leaves during fall and winter lawn care, but instead of bagging and sending them to the landfill. There is another option: composting.
Starting a backyard composting system is fairly easy and requires three basic ingredients: “browns,” “greens,” and water.
The “browns” in the composting recipe are those beautiful colorful (but dead) leaves, branches and twigs that have fallen from trees, shrubs, bushes. The “greens” in the mix refer to fresh grass clippings, fruit and vegetable peels and waste, and even coffee grounds.
Start a compost pile (or fill a bin) now with those three ingredients, turn and mix frequently, and you’ll have ready-to-use compost in as little as two months. You’re basically creating the food for the following season’s landscaping.
For more on starting your own composting system, what to use and what not to use, visit TreeHugger.com.