Composting Virtual Tour

"Leaf" It In Your Yard
Composting Virtual Tour

Adding Soil
One or two shovels of soil are added to introduce the organisms (bacteria, worms, pillbugs, etc.) that will do the composting. This family is using some of the humus left over from last year's pile. Some people also like to add topsoil, horse manure, or cow manure.

WARNING!! Do not use manure from carnivorous animals such as dogs or cats. Their manure contains bacteria which can be harmful to humans if ingested. "But I'm on a manure-free diet," you say. Imagine this scenario: You create a compost pile using leaves, soil, and grass layers. You have a dog and you figure the compost pile is as good a place as any to put his waste,

so you add his manure to the pile throughout the next spring, not realizing that harmful bacteria are in the manure. By summer you add some of the humus to your backyard garden, which passes the harmful bacteria into your garden plants. By fall you have a beautiful looking crop of fruits/vegetables that will pass the bacteria on to you and whoever eats them, causing illness or worse!!!