The beginner’s guide to composting in Chattanooga
NewTerra Compost has several composting kiosks located in the area for members to utilize. | Photo by NOOGAtoday
Ready to begin composting? We’ve got the dirt on how to get started, plus the best compost bin for your needs.
What is composting?
Composting is the process of decomposing organic matter — like leaves, food scraps, and yard trimmings. You reap what you sow:The result is a dark, nutrient-heavy material, like soil, that you can use to enrich your lawn or garden.
How do you get started?
Find a dry and shady spot in your backyard to build your compost pile. Be patient — composting can take several months.
If you don’t want a pile of decomposing waste in your backyard, try a compost bin. Here’s some options we’ve bin eyeing:
For beginners | Try it out before you commit. This bin is easy to clean and is perfect for collecting scraps on your counter.
For style icons | Composting, but make it cute. Just don’t mistake this odor-free bin for your cookie jar.
For the serious gardener | This 43-gallon container rotates — no more mixing compost by hand — and has two chambers so you can add fresh waste while the older batch finishes up.
For the landscaper | If you plan to compost mostly yard waste, this open-top bin is a good alternative to a pile.
Can you compost without a backyard?
If you’re an apartment-dweller or simply don’t have the backyard space,you might want to give worm composting a try. Simply purchase a special bin and some worms, and let your new squirmy pets feast on your scraps.
Use a composting service
Local business NewTerra Compost provides you with a bucket to gather compostable objects, then gets rid of it for you. You can get that bucket picked up curbside + replaced with a new one for $30/month, or you can drop it off yourself at a kiosk location for $15/month.
Every spring and fall, you’ll receive finished compost, or you can have it donated.
Introduction to Meditation | Monday, Feb. 27 | 6-7:30 p.m. | The Chattery, 1800 Rossville Ave., Chattanooga | $27 | This class will introduce you to five different types of meditation and how to integrate practice into your life.
Bessie Smith: Orchestrating the Blues | Monday, Feb. 27 | 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga | $10-$20 | The Chattanooga Symphony & Opera, CSO Young Orchestras, and other groups will honor the legacy of Blues legend Bessie Smith during this performance.
Tuesday, Feb. 28
Music Social Night | Tuesday, Feb. 28 | 6 p.m. | Barrelhouse Ballroom, 1501 Long St., Chattanooga | Free, RSVP | Spend an evening networking with fellow Chattanooga music makers + enjoy a live performance by Swayyvo.
Make Your Own Herbal Shrubs | Tuesday, Feb. 28 | 6-7:30 p.m. | The Chattery, 1800 Rossville Ave., Chattanooga | $35 | Learn how to create an herbal shrub — a blend of fruit, sugar, and vinegar — and other drinking vinegar in this class.
“Chicago” | Tuesday, Feb. 28 | 7:30 p.m. | Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga | $55-$85 | Come out for a classical musical filled with jazz songs and “the most astonishing dancing you’ve ever seen.”
Wednesday, March 1
Chattanooga Market at Erlanger | Wednesday, March 1 | 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | Erlanger Medical Mall, 979 E. 3rd St., Chattanooga | Free+ | Get your Chattanooga Market fix with a smaller version of the popular downtown market.
Thursday, March 2
Throwback Thursday | Thursday, March 2 | 4-8 p.m. | Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View Ave., Chattanooga | Free+ | Enjoy free admission to the permanent collection and $5 general admission to current exhibitions, “Beauford Delaney’s Metamorphosis into Freedom” + “Really Free: The Radical Art of Nellie May Rowe.”
Ladies Who Launch Happy Hour | Thursday, March 2 | 5:30-7 p.m. | Common House, 1517 Mitchell Ave., Chattanooga | Free, RSVP | Celebrate Women’s History Month with themed cocktails and networking opportunities.
We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
The property at 301 Market St., which housed the downtown Sportsbarn location, has been purchased by Missouri-based hotel chain, Drury Hotels. This Sportsbarn location will close at the end of this month + the locations in Hixson and East Brainerd will remain open. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
Closing
After 13 years of business in Chattanooga’s Southside, Merchants on Main announced it will close its doors at the end of May. At this time, the shop’s next steps are unknown, but you can still shop its eclectic selection of furniture, candles, shoes, jewelry, and gifts during store hours.
Arts
In honor of the Tennessee Triennial, the Hunter Museum has reinstalled its contemporary gallery — on view now through Saturday, May 27. The artworks display themes of repairing and examining the ideas of “identity, of healing fractured bodies, of community + relationship.” 🖼️
Outdoors
Registration is now open for Reach the Peaks, a 3.12-mile hiking challenge that benefits the Girls Scouts of the Southern Appalachians troops. The challenge takes place Saturday, March 4-Sunday, March 19 + everyone is invited to trek at their own pace. 🥾
Cause
Chattanooga Gas Foundation awarded $50,000 to local nonprofit Chattanooga Room in the Inn (CRITI) to support the organization’s efforts of providing free housing + services to women and children experiencing homelessness. The funds will help cover the costs of building renovations at CRITI’s shelter.
Plan Ahead
Calling all Ziggy Stardust fans. “Celebrating David Bowie,” a tribute show featuring performances by Adrian Belew, Royston Langdon, Peter Murphy, Scrote, and Eric Schermerhorn, will be held at the Memorial Auditorium on April 12. Snag your tickets online now. ⚡
Health
Need help reaching your health goals? Whether it’s improved health, reduced prescription meds, or looking and feeling better, we all have our own “whys” of wanting to lose weight. Learn how Bragg Weight Loss Chattanooga can help you achieve your wellness goals in a safe, effective, and natural way.*
Shop
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Finance
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HOME AND GARDEN
Get a free native tree 🌳
Chattanooga’s Free Tree Releaf Program returns
Each family can receive two free trees to plant in their yards through this program. | Photo by NOOGAtoday
The partnership between the City of Chattanooga, Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center, and EPB where city residents + EPB customers can receive a free tree per household to plant in their yards has returned for its second year.
Those who qualify can pick up their trees at Reflection Riding Tuesday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. starting on March 4.
The Free Tree Releaf Program is an effort to enhance the community’s tree canopy so residents can enjoy greater beauty, cleaner air, and the cooling + stormwater drainage benefits that trees can provide.
The program is an extension of the city’s + Reflection Riding’s partnership formed in 2020 to improve stormwater drainage + water quality following the Easter tornadoes.
Editor’s pick: As a kid, Swiss Rolls may have been one of my favorite sweet treats. I haven’t had one in years but seeing Main Street Meats’ homemade version has me drooling. I can’t wait to try out this nostalgic treat with cream cheese, ganache + hazelnuts.
Editorial:Brianna Williams, Kristen Templeton, Josh Kranzberg, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.
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