What is Compost?

Compost, also knows as black gold, is made out of the decay of organic material. It can be made from many different organic materials but here in the City, it is made from leaves, grass and soft yard waste. Compost is a remarkable substance that provides a slow, steady supply of balanced nutrition to plants that can help plants grow.

Compost is not a fertilizer, it’s more an ecosystem that seeds the soil with billions of diverse life forms that work together to improve soil function and help plant roots absorb nutrients. It also suppresses fungal and bacterial organisms that cause plant disease and improves the soil structure.

Compost is different than soil, top soil, or dirt, however, in that it is only organic matter. Soil is composed of broken rock (sand, clay, silt) and organic matter. Compost is not a substitute for fill dirt! Compost will continue to break down. Compost can be used to replace or enhance the organic component of soil.

How can I use it?
Compost can be used like a dressing to the soil, so put it on top of your plants in the garden. The City’s SMARTLEAF® is a screened product with particle sizes 5/8 inch or less, making it suitable as a top grade dressing. It is lab tested and has a pH between 7.4 and 8.0.

City SMARTLEAF® Compost

What is SMARTLEAF® Compost?

The City’s SMARTLEAF® compost is made from City collected soft yard waste (leaves, grass clippings, flowers and light clippings). The City then recycles those items into SMARTLEAF® compost for residents to purchase and use for their gardens.

To make the compost, a large machine called a Windrow Turner passes over the rows, mixing the material and introducing more oxygen to enhance the natural decomposition process. After several months of decomposition and turning, the result is a fully matured compost product!

Neither the City’s compost nor wood mulch are chemically treated.

How much does the City’s compost cost and how do I purchase it?

The City’s SMARTLEAF® compost sells for $28.00 per cubic yard including tax. Anyone (residents or non-residents) can purchase some by contacting the City’s Department of Public Works during business hours. The City accepts cash, check and credit card (VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover). Payment for delivery must be arranged in advance when placing the order.

Interested in purchasing for your business or organization? Contact the Department of Public Works for further information.

Delivery
Pickup

Deliveries are available beginning in the spring through late October. The City can deliver compost and wood mulch to your home within 20 miles for a fee. The City’s trucks hold six cubic yards, and there is a minimum of three cubic yards for delivery to non-City resident addresses.

Delivery Fees

Delivery Requirements

College Park locations are $20.00 per delivery, minimum 1 cubic yard
Adelphi, Beltsville, Berwyn Heights, Greenbelt, New Carrollton, Riverdale and University Park are $60.00 per delivery; min. 3 cubic yards.
Bladensburg, Brentwood, Colmar Manor, Cottage City, Glenn Dale, Hyattsville, Landover, Lanham, and Mt. Rainier are $70.00 per delivery; min. 3 cubic yards.
Bethesda, Bowie, Burtonsville, Capital Heights, Chevy Chase, Kensington, Laurel, Largo, Silver Spring, Takoma Park and Wheaton are $80.00 per delivery; min. 3 cubic yards.
Cabin John, Columbia, District Heights, Olney, Oxon Hill, Rockville, Savage, Suitland, Upper Marlboro, and Washington, DC are $100.00 per delivery; min. 3 cubic yards.

Please make sure that there are no low hanging wires or tree limbs for where you want the City to unload the material. The City’s trucks are 13 feet tall and the truck bed will rise 20 feet to unload the material.
Delivery areas need to be at least 11 feet wide to accommodate our delivery trucks.
Materials cannot be unloaded in the street or right-of-way.
You must have a paved/concrete/gravel/compacted surface that the truck driver can access to unload the material.
Drivers cannot drive over curbs and trucks cannot drive on grass.

FYI

Deliveries begin after the snow season has completely passed. Sign up for the City's emails to be notified when deliveries will begin in the spring.

You don’t have to be home for the delivery, but if you have a preferred location for materials to be unloaded, please try to clearly mark the area where you want the delivery to be made (using tarp, chalk, buckets, etc.). Otherwise, the driver will attempt to unload materials as far back in your driveway as possible.

Our drivers make the best attempt to meet your delivery request, but overhead utility lines, tree limbs, or other obstructions may make it difficult for the driver to unload materials in an exact location. Your flexibility is appreciated.

We are not able to offer you a time frame for delivery. Deliveries are generally made between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. We can give you a courtesy call to tell you that we are on the way. If you need to reschedule your delivery, please give notice at least one business day in advance

Estimating How Much Product You'll Need

To estimate the amount of material you will need, follow this calculation:

Multiply the length × width × depth (all in ft.) of the area you are covering. This gives you the cubic feet of material you need.
Divide the cubic feet by 27 to get the cubic yards of material you need (there are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard).

Backyard Composting

Can I make my own compost?
Absolutely! It’s a great way to reduce the amount of food waste going into your trash and help your plants at the same time.

City Backyard Compost Bin Program
The City offers backyard compost bins to City residents for only $20 and to non-residents for $40.

The Compost Bin is a conical design, one-piece injection molded construction with no assembly required or seams that break. It’s a large capacity bin (33 in high x 31 inches wide) that fits about 11 cubic feet or 311 liters of material. There’s also a twist locking lid, convenient front harvest door, and it is rodent resistant.

Does Compost stink? Does it attract vermin or pests?
As long as you avoid composting meats, dairy or oily items, then your compost is unlikely to stink. In fact it should have more of a pleasant odor like humus.

Compost usually doesn’t attract vermin or pests. That can be prevented by turning the bin door towards a tree or fence to prevent from opening. It is recommended for residents to place the compost bin’s bottom edge below ground level by a few inches just to be safe.

How do I compost?
Getting started is very easy. The key is to mix your “green” and “brown” materials to create the ideal compost.

Green materials include: vegetables, fruits, grains, coffee grounds (and filter), tea bags, nut shells, soft yard waste and natural fibers (human and dog hair, cotton, wool, and leather cut into small pieces).

Brown materials include: eggshells, wood chips, modest size or smaller branches, leaves, paper towels, napkins, tissues, shredded paper, compostable paper plates and cups, and cardboard that is torn into small pieces.