Florida Yards & Neighborhoods 
Recycling Yard Waste
By Ed Ayen, Florida Yards & Neighborhoods
This is another in a series of articles written about the new area urban conservation program called Florida Yards & Neighborhoods.
Any time you work in your yard you are probably creating recyclable yard waste that you can return to our central Florida sandy soils. Compost or mulch as much of your yard waste as possible to reduce the amount of solid waste to be hauled away. Leaves, pine needles and small pruning cuttings may be used as mulch or may be tossed into a compost pile.
Leave your grass clippings on the lawn to decompose and return nitrogen to the soil, reducing fertilizer needs. The rule of thumb is to never remove more than a third of an individual leaf blade at one time. For those procrastinators who do not mow regularly, mulching mowers cut grass into smaller pieces, speeding decomposition. St. Augustinegrass and bahiagrass should be cut at a minimum height of 3 to 4 inches to maintain a healthy lawn.
Fine pruned tree and shrub material makes great mulch. For correct pruning of shrubs and trees try to follow these guidelines: Remove all dead, diseased or injured branches. Remove branches that cross or touch each other and any that look out of place. If a shrub is too tall, heading and thinning may both be necessary. To maintain a neat informal shrub with a natural shape, cut each branch individually to different lengths with a hand pruner. Also, it is a good idea to dip shears and saws in a weak alcohol (one part alcohol to nine parts water) to prevent spreading disease between plants.
Compost is a great way to add nutrients to your soil, as well as improving soil structure, texture and aeration. It also increases the water holding capacity. A compost pile needs adequate moisture, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon sources to generate the right conditions for decomposition. Bins are not necessary, but they keep piles neat, retain heat and moisture and prevent complaints from neighbors. Composting can take from four to six weeks or as long as one to two years depending on the size and type of material in the pile. Moisture is necessary, but too much will slow the process; a cover may be necessary during the rainy season. Heat is important, so a sunny location is better than a shady one. For fast composting turn the pile with a pitchfork or stir it on a weekly basis. Stabbing the pile with a length of pipe or rake handle will help aerate and mix the material. Never place meat, animal fat or dairy products in a compost pile.
The Florida Yards and Neighborhoods program is being implemented through your local county extension service in Highlands, Okeechobee and Glades County and is partially funded from Clean Water Act Section 319 funding from the U. S. EPA through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Ed Ayen is available to address interested groups such as homeowners associations, voluntary organizations and clubs. For further information he can be reached by calling the Highlands County Extension Service office. Phone: (863)402-6540 or email. Location is 4509 George Blvd., Sebring, FL 33875-5837