How to Compost in Maine

Composting is a low energy way to transform organic waste into an easy way to enrich gardening soil. Maine has made encouraging home composting one of its waste management goals.

Compost

• Kitchen scraps for composting Kompost-Schale image by Roland Marz from Fotolia.com

  Compost is created when organic matter decays. Organic matter is not just yard clippings but also includes things like fruits and vegetables. As the organic matter decays, the essential nutrients are made available for uptake by the plants.

Important Factors

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  Some important factors to take into consideration when composting are biology of the compost, materials added to the compost, the surface area and volume of the composting container, the moisture, aeration, time, and temperature of the compost.

Methods of Composting

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  Composting in the winter requires more preparation work in a cold climate. Some steps that will encourage successful winter composting are layer fresh (green) waste with dry (brown) waste, insulate the container, making scraps and waste smaller through chopping or shredding before adding them to the compost.

Maine Resources

• The state of Maine has put into place regulations governing composting sites and permitting as of February 2009. The Composting School, operated through the University of Maine extension provides training and certification in composting.