Farmers in the United States plan over 90 million acres of corn. That’s a lot of ears of corn! Alongside watermelon, corn is a great summertime picnic food. When you’re done with that ear of corn, what do you do with it? Why not compost it? Because, yes, you can compost corn cobs. Very easily.
How to Compost Corn Cobs
You can actually throw the corn cobs directly into your compost. The smaller ones especially are no problem. However, here are a few things you can do to speed the process up:
- Cut Them Into Smaller Pieces
- Don’t Dry Them Out – The moisture is actually good for the compost and the decomposition process. If they’ve already dried out, consider soaking them in water or even just running them under water first.
- Turn Your Compost Regularly – You want to keep things aerated to aid in growing the bacteria that will help them decompose.
How Long Does It Take a Corn Cob to Decompose?
It will typically take about two months for a corn cob to decompose. The same process takes closer to twenty years in a landfill! Wow.
Cooked corn cobs decompose a little bit faster. They are softer and easier to break down.
Can You Compost Cork Husks
Corn cobs aren’t the only part that we usually throw out of the ear of corn. The husk, that fibrous covering the outside of the corn, is something we usually throw out. Removing this is called shucking the corn. Why not compost it instead?
How to Compost Corn Husks
To compost corn husks, you want to add them one layer at a time. You don’t want them to get bunched up, or it will take longer for them to decompose. Their dry texture needs to soak up some moisture to start the decomposition process.