Composter's Guide

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Please answer each question and press the submit button when you are finished. The answers to all these questions can be found the City's Backyard Composting Course material and Composter's Guide. Anyone may take the compost test, but in order to receive your free compost bin you MUST be a resident of West Sacramento.

What is a good reason to compost?
A.  Compost makes the soil fertile.
B.  Compost improves soil structure, texture and the ability to hold air.
C.  Composting reduces the amount of waste sent to the landfill.
D.  All of the above are good reasons to compost.

What is the best mixture of green material (such as fresh grass clippings) and brown material (such as dry leaves) for your compost pile?
A.  10% greens; 90% browns
B.  100% greens
C.  50% greens; 50% browns
D.  75% greens; 25% browns

The minimum size for a compost pile where decomposition can occur is __________.
A.  Approximately 3 feet
B.  Six feet
C.  Three inches
D.  None of the above

If I don't have 50% browns can I still compost?
A.  No, life will be a rotten mess.
B.  Yes, but I may run the risk of a "flameout."
C.  Yes I will have to turn the pile more to keep odors away.
D.  Yes, but I will have to fight with the neighbor for the yearly supply of leaves (browns).

Why is it important to keep your compost pile moist and aerated?
A.  Water and air help the "decomposers" (microorganisms) make compost.
B.  If the compost pile is too dry, the material will blow away on windy days.
C.  To keep the compost pile from getting too hot.
D.  All of the above.

You must NEVER shred the material you put in your compost pile.
TRUE
FALSE

If you use the "layer it and leave it" composting method, you can still make compost, albeit, slower.
TRUE
FALSE

You SHOULD NOT put __________ in your compost pile.
A.  Vegetable scraps
B.  Meat
C.  Leaves
D.  Banana peels

How wet should your compost pile be?
A.  Sopping wet
B.  Barely moist
C.  Wet as a wrung-out sponge
D.  Like dried vegetables

When your compost pile is hot, it means:
A.  It is getting too much sun.
B.  Your compost has spoiled.
C.  Your organisms are eating.
D.  It is about to catch on fire.

I should turn my compost pile ___________.
A.  Every week or two.
B.  Every several months.
C.  When I feel like it.
D.  It doesn't need to be turned.

Which of the following are the advantages of worm composting over conventional composting?
A.  It produces so many beautiful worms.
B.  Kids think it is so fun.
C.  Play music for them worms and they dance.
D.  Organic waste is decomposed quicker and worm boxes can be kept inside.

Bedding you can use for worm bins include:
A.  Partially decomposed leaves
B.  Shredded paper
C.  Peat moss
D.  Any of the above

A bad odor comes from my backyard compost bin or worm box. One cause of this may be...
A.  That fat or meat were added and the putrefaction process caused it.
B.  That anaerobic (not enough air) conditions have developed and it needs to be turned.
C.  Too many nitrogen rich materials like grass or food scraps were added so its needs to be turned.
D.  A, B, or C.

Worms don't need much air.
TRUE
FALSE

Worms can eat most vegetable and food byproducts except milk and meat.
TRUE
FALSE

We should reduce or recycle all we can before composting, but difficult to recycle paper products such as paper plates and paper towels can be shredded and used as worm bedding or to add carbon to compost piles.
TRUE
FALSE

Poisonous plants, dog and cat feces, dairy products, invasive weeds, and meat should not be put in compost piles.
TRUE
FALSE