Even in the midst of summer's heat, you can start thinking about managing your fall leaves and next summer's grass clippings in a backyard compost pile. Don't have one? Give it a try!

Home composting is an effective way to manage grass and leaves on your property, and is best learned by doing. Through practice and observation, you will discover what works best for managing your compost bin. The final product is rich, nutritious organic matter that can be returned to your lawn and garden.

Composting can be practiced in most back yards in a homemade or manufactured composting bin. Ideally, the compost pile should be at least three feet wide by three feet deep by three feet tall, or one cubic yard. This size provides the right environment for turning yard waste into compost. However, piles can be larger or smaller and work just fine if well managed. Some homes associations and cities have rules regarding composting, so be sure to check before starting.

While a multitude of organisms, fungi, and bacteria are involved in the composting process, there are five basic ingredients for composting: nitrogen, carbon, water, air, and time.

Composting is a lot like cooking. The easiest compost recipe calls for blending roughly equal parts of grass (high in nitrogen) and leaves (high in carbon). Simply layer or mix these materials in a pile or enclosure and add water until the material feels like a damp sponge. Mix the material to add air. Then leave it to the microorganisms, which will break down the material over time, turning your leaves and grass into rich, nutritious compost.

There are many opportunities to learn the basic concepts of successful composting. The Johnson County Environmental Department and Johnson County K-State Research and Extension are offering free classes to get you started or to take your composting to a new level. Here is a list of classes and locations; check www.jocorecycles.org for more information, or call 913-715-7000 to schedule a class for your group or community.

Tuesday, Aug. 10
7:00 p.m.
Blue Valley Library
9000 W. 151st St.
Overland Park, KS 66221
913-495-3850

Thursday, Sept. 16
7:00 p.m.
Lackman Library
15345 W. 87th St. Parkway
Lenexa, KS 66219
913-495-7540

Saturday, Oct. 9
10:00 a.m.
Antioch Library
8700 Shawnee Mission Parkway
Merriam, KS 66202
913-261-2300

Another good reason to compost is that Johnson County Government is working with cities to reduce the amount of waste going to landfills. One proposed measure is to divert yard waste to composting. Proposed county regulations state that no later than Jan. 1, 2012, waste haulers cannot pick up yard waste from county residents unless the yard waste is destined for composting or mulching.

Yard waste is defined as leaves, grass clippings, brush, and limbs. There are many options for managing yard waste besides throwing it out with the trash. The best management is not to generate the yard waste in the first place, using a mulching mower and leaving grass clippings and fall leaves on the lawn. You can also manage your yard waste by maintaining a backyard compost pile. Residents may also contract with their waste hauler for curbside collection of yard waste.

For more information on the pending waste management changes, visit www.jocorecycles.org or call Johnson County Environmental at 913-715-6900.