Yard trimmings

  

We don't have a very big yard, but an hour of trimming trees, shrubs, and palms can fill up half a dozen of these big paper yard bags.

 

These bags seem like a good idea, because they're not plastic; they and the contents could be recycled or composted.  There isn't a facility for that in the Valley though, so these yard bags go into the dumpster with everything else and then into the landfill.  Until now.

 

Now, we have an electric shredder/mulcher that can handle all our branches and palm fronds.

 

They blow right through and become shreds that can be composted.  When we're through for the day, the bin we haul around the yard to collect trimmings doubles as a portable shed.

 

Did someone say composter?

 

We have this two bin tumbling composter.  Slide open the green door and throw all the chopped up compostables, including kitchen uncooked vegetable scraps, egg shells, potato peels, apple cores, banana peels, and coffee grounds into one bin until it's full, then let it finish for a few weeks while you start filling up the next one.

 

Even office paper and used paper towels can be composted, as long as they're not greasy, so the home office shredder gets emptied into the compost bin as well.  Give each tumbler a few turns every few days to keep them aerated and mixed.  In the end, fresh compost for the garden!

 

These two bins together are only 37 gallons, so it's not really enough capacity to compost everything we clip out of the yard, but it's a good start, and the stuff that goes through the chipper can also just go right on the ground like it is for mulch.

 

Much more fun than throwing all that stuff in the dumpster.