Kitsap County Public Works - Solid Waste Division Composting
ome Composting
What is compost?
Compost is a dark, crumbly, and earthy-smelling form of decomposing organic matter. Decomposition and recycling of organic wastes are an essential part of soil building and healthy plant growth in forests, meadows, and in your home garden.
Why should you make compost?
Composting is the most practical and convenient way to handle yard debris. It can be easier and cheaper than bagging these wastes or taking them to the transfer station. Compost also improves your soil and the plants growing in it. If you have a garden, a lawn, trees, shrubs, or even planter boxes, you have a use for compost.
By using compost, you return organic matter to the soil in usable form. Organic matter in the soil improves plant growth by helping to break heavy-clay soils into a better texture, by adding water and nutrient-holding capacity to sandy soils, and by adding essential nutrients to any soil. Improving your soil is the first step toward improving the health of your plants. Healthy plants help clean our air and conserve our soil making Kitsap County a healthier place to live.
Quick and easy guides, downloadable in Adobe®PDF format:
Home Composting 3 Bin Compost System Plans
Worm Composting Worm Bin Plans
Inexpensive Compost Bins
What other options do you have to recycle yard debris?
You can sign up for curbside yard debris collection in many parts of Kitsap County. Branches and other woody debris can be chipped or taken to a drop-off recycling site. For details, see our Alternatives to Outdoor Burning page.
Where can you buy compost?
Many grocery stores and garden centers sell compost by the bag. For truckload volumes of yard debris compost, call:
* Emu Topsoil, 360-779-5614
* Verns Organic Topsoil, 360-779-2764
* Kitsap E-Z Earth (worm compost), 360-377-3989 or 620-8493 (cell)
Where can you buy compost worms?
Red worms, suitable for home worm bins can be purchased locally from:
(Note: you will need a pound of worms to start a new bin)
* Kingston Worm Farm, 360-297-7280
* Kitsap E-Z Earth, 360-377-3989 or 620-8493 (cell)
* 3 in 1 Worm Ranch, 360-598-4242
Want to build a compost bin?
We have directions for building yard waste and worm compost bins in our Down to Earth publication.
Want to buy a compost bin?
Your best one-stop-shopping is www.composters.com
or Kitsap E-Z Earth
What is compost tea?
Compost tea is a solution made by steeping compost in water. You can make a tea bag from a cloth bag and a shovel-full of compost. This tea is full of soluble plant nutrients and beneficial soil microorganisms.
A more high-tech approach is to add extra nutrients aerate the mixture. This process greatly increases the number of beneficial microorganisms in the tea. If you want to make your own aerobically brewed compost tea, the Soil Soup Compost Tea System is available in local stores. You can purchase aerobically brewed compost tea by the gallon from these vendors, but call ahead to be certain of the days compost tea is available:
* Bainbridge Gardens, 206-842-5888
* Kitsap E-Z Earth, 360-377-3989 or 620-8493
Check these resources:
Before you visit the resource links listed below, download our brochure Down to Earth (a complete instruction guide for composting), or check our publications where you will find plenty of information on what you can do to be a friend to the environment.
* Alternatives to Outdoor Burning
* Kitsap E-Z Earth
* Seattle Tilth
* Simplici-Tea Compost Tea Brewer
* Soil Biology Primer
* Soil Soup Compost Tea Brewer
* Sustainable Agriculture Network
* TAGRO (City of Tacoma offers free compost mix)
* The Soil Foodweb
* Washington Organic Recycling Council
* The Yuckiest Site on the Web
Kitsap County Public Works
Public Works - Solid Waste Division
614 Division Street
Port Orchard, WA MS-27
Phone: (360)337-5777
Fax: (360)337-4867
Toll Free: (800) 825-4940
Email: solidwaste@co.kitsap.wa.us
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