Yard Waste/Organics/Composting |
| A. beans | B. poultry |
| C. grease | D. none of the above |
Q: Why do I need a compost bin?
A: Organic material will naturally decompose anywhere. Composting in a bin, however, keeps composting materials neater and allows the pile to heat up and decompose more quickly.
Q: Can I put fruit and vegetables in with yard clippings?
A: No. Rotting fruit attracts rodents at the yard waste processing site. Place these in your garbage can or home compost pile.
Q: What do I do with the yard waste that does not fit into the cart?
A: If you have extra yard waste material that does not fit into your green 96 gallon cart, call PSSI to schedule a special pick up. Once you have scheduled the extra pick up, you may put the material in an old garbage can or place it on the street if you have a large amount of material. No plastic bags, please!
Q: What should I do with palm fronds?
A: Since palm fronds are difficult to compost, they are not accepted in the yard waste recycling program. Instead, they have to be taken to the landfill. Place palm fronds in your garbage can. If you end up with more than your subscription level, call for an additional can pickup. If you have a large amount of palm fronds, call PSSI for an estimate.
Q: Can I put clean lumber in with yard waste?
A: No. Even though it's a wood product, it is not easily composted. The material in the yard waste carts is composted into a soil amendment. Lumber and other wood products can be recycled though. If you have a large amount of lumber, you can arrange to have a dumpster or debris box delivered to your house. You will receive a discounted rate if you only place only wood and lumber in the box.
Q: I am cutting down a tree. Can I recycle it?
A: Most of the tree should be recyclable. Leaves, twigs, and small branches should be placed in the yard waste cart. Place anything that does not fit into the yard waste cart, including tree stumps and large tree limbs on the street and call for a special pickup.
Q: How do I recycle my holiday tree?
A: During the holiday season, PSSI will collect non-flocked holiday trees for recycling on each customer's normally scheduled yard waste collection day. Please cut trees taller than 4 feet into sections and remove all tinsel, ornaments, garland, and tree stands. Place the tree at the curb, not in the yard waste cart. We do not accepted flocked trees. Please place them next to your garbage can so they can be taken to the landfill.
Q: What is grasscycling?
A: Grasscycling is the natural recycling of grass by leaving the clippings on the lawn when mowing. Grass clippings decompose quickly and release valuable nutrients back into the soil. It will not make your lawn look bad if it is mowed, watered and fertilized properly. In fact, it can actually produce a healthier looking lawn. Many lawnmowers are “mulching mowers” meaning that they cut up the clippings into very fine pieces aiding the decomposition of the grass. These are ideal for grasscycling. If your lawnmower is not a mulching mower, you can buy a conversion kit at the hardware store. Remember: Grasscycling saves time, money
and encourages a healthier lawn. Call Santa Clara County’s Home Composting Education Program at 408-299-4147 for more information.
Q: What is vermi-composting?
A: Vermi-composting is the practice of using worms to transform food waste into a nutrient-rich finished product called vermicompost. Red worms are placed in a wood or plastic container and covered with moist shredded newspaper. Fruit, vegetable, and other organic scraps (excluding meat, bones, fatty foods, and dairy products) are placed in between the moist newspaper and the worms. In three to six months, as the worms eat the food and shredded newspaper, they produce a dark, rich humus material called worm castings, which is a high quality soil amendment that can be used in your garden.
Q: What is the Dirt Cake Recipe?
A: Use this recipe to make a special “dirt” cake for your family and friends.
Material Needed
3 quart plastic flower pot
3 large mixing bowls
2 stirring spoons
3 artificial flowers
Ingredients
1 lb. package chocolate, cream-filled cookies
2 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese
1/4 cup margerine or butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1- 5.9 oz package of instant chocolate pudding
3 cups milk
1 - 8 oz. non-dairy whipped topping
1 package candy worms
Yields about 24 one-half cup servings
Double or triple the Dirt Cake recipe as needed.
Directions
1. Crush cookies into bowl #1
2. Mix together cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar in bowl #2 (allow ingredients to warm up to room temperature).
3. Make chocolate pudding with milk in bowl #3 (follow directions on package).
4. Fold whipped cream into pudding bowl #3.
5. Mix ingredients in bowl #3 with bowl #2. Blend well.
6. In a clean, plastic flower pot, layer the creamed ingredients with the crushed cookies. Start with crushed cookies in the bottom of the pot. End with crushed cookies as the top layer.
7. Decorate your cake with candy worms and artificial flowers. Eat immediately or refrigerate.
Other ideas: Use individual small flower pots instead of one big one. Try making the recipe with other kinds of cookies, cake mix, or puddings.
Taken from: Worms Eat Our Garbage
Q: What are some tips for a greener garden?
A: 1. Create raised flower beds from recycled plastic lumber. Unlike treated lumber, recycled plastic lumber will not decay from contact with water and wet soil and doesn’t have to be stained or treated.
2. Use tiles made from recycled glass to accent a garden patio floor with a splash of color.
3. Start a compost and/or a vermi-compost bin.
4. Use edging material to create and maintain clean lines in your garden beds and walkways. Recycled plastic edging is easily bent to form curves.
5. Combine broken concrete, old bricks, composite lumber scraps, and natural stone to form walls with texture and character around the garden.
Thanks to Joyce Gagnon for the tips.
