Your composter will work best if it is fed a steady mixture of green (nitrogen-rich) and brown (carbon-rich) materials. Don't load it up with all one type of material. Below is a list of some of the "greens" and "browns" that make up the healthy diet for a happy composter.

From the Kitchen

“Greens”	“Browns”
fruit and vegetables peelings and cores coffee grounds tea bags egg shells (crushed) rice and pasta houseplant cuttings cut flowers	coffee filters nut shells stale bread brown paper bags (shredded) pet hair

From the Yard

“Greens”	“Browns”
freshly pulled weeds spent flowers and vegetables sod (in small pieces) hedge clippings	dried grass clippings dried weeds leaves straw or hay twigs or branches (mulched) pine needles (in small quantities)

Materials to Avoid

The following organic materials can be composted, but may cause problems if the composter is not well managed. Novices might want to avoid these items:

• meat, fish and bones
• oils or fats
• dairy products
• sauces made with meat, oil or dairy products
• mature weed (with seeds)
• diseased or insect-infested plants
• pet wastes

Many people use a Digestor for these materials - call Quinte Waste Solutions for information on availablity.