How to Use Schefflera As Compost

Place a 20-gallon plastic bin in a protected location in the yard, where it will get air circulation but be protected from rain. Use a larger bin if you're particularly ambitious or have a lot of yard scraps to compost.

Fill the bin halfway with garden soil as a base, then add your schefflera scraps. Include any other yard scraps, and kitchen leftovers like egg shells, coffee grounds, fruits, vegetables and nuts for variety. Other good ingredients include wood ash, steer manure, bark, shredded paper, sawdust and peat moss.

Water the pile of scraps and dirt until it's moist, then use a garden fork to mix the pile. Add a compost starter, seaweed emulsion or bone meal to get the process started quickly.

Mix the pile at least once a day to aerate the material. The micro organisms responsible for breaking down the organic matter need a constant air supply if they're to work. Mix the compost pile more frequently to compost more quickly.

Add new material, including more schefflera scraps, every two to three days. Add other material at the same time to encourage quicker composting. Water the pile every time you add material, and mix well. The compost pile should always be slightly moist, and maintain a slightly warm temperature.

Use the compost when it turns dark brown and takes on a crumbly, soil-like consistency. Mix the compost into soil as an amendment, use it as potting soil or use it as mulch in the garden.