The Nitty Gritty of Starting a Compost

Composting has been around for many years as an easy way to add nutrients to a garden, but the activity is also a great way to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in our landfills. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that as much as 24% of the solid waste in landfills is comprised of food scraps and yard cuttings, which could be composted instead. Composting is a simple step that you and your family can take to help take care of the earth.

To begin your foray into the world of composting, you will need a bin. While containers aren't technically needed for composting, they do improve its aesthetics, and help keep pests out of your pile. You can build your own simple container, or invest in a large bin or tumbler, depending on how much work you want to put into your composting.

Place your bin in the backyard or in some other place where it isn't too noticeable. If you don't maintain your compost properly, it can start to smell bad and attract pests—neither of which your neighbors will appreciate. On the other hand, you'll want your compost to be convenient for you and your family. If it takes 10 minutes of trekking through bush to get to the compost, no one will want to maintain it.

You will also want the container to be located in a spot where there's a bit of shade. Shade will keep your compost from overcooking in the sun, which can turn into a stinky pile. You'll also want to put your compost within easy reach of the hose, as you'll need to water the heap regularly.

Once you have chosen a location for you bin, you'll need to collect what are referred to as "green" and "brown" materials. The "greens" refer to things like grass cuttings, plant trimmings, food scraps like fruits and veggies, coffee grounds, and rinsed egg shells (no meat or dairy please). "Brown" materials include dry leaves, strips of newspaper, wood chips, straw, and cardboard.

The green ingredients add nitrogen to your compost pile, while the browns produce carbon—both of which are necessary for successful composting. Make sure that all ingredients you add to the pile are relatively small in size, as this will speed up their decomposition.

Start your compost by adding a layer of green materials to the bin. If you don't have enough food scraps collected yet, just add whatever yard clippings you have available for now. Next, add a layer of your brown ingredients. These will neutralize the smells that green materials can produce, as well as reduce the number of flies and bugs that your bin attracts.

Now that you have your green and brown materials together, you need to encourage the growth of microorganisms. These microscopic critters break down both the brown and green materials, speeding up their natural decomposition, and turning your scraps into compost.

To get your bacteria growing, you need to add a bit of water to your pile. Unfortunately, gauging how much water to add to your compost heap can be tricky business. If you add too much water, the pile becomes slimy and smelly. Water it too little, and the bacteria are unable to survive, leaving your compost pile stagnant.

You want your compost pile to be damp, but not sopping. If you think you've added too much water, add more of your brown ingredients to reduce excess moisture.

Oxygen is also necessary for the survival of microorganisms. To maintain adequate oxygen levels, you must aerate your compost bin on a monthly basis. You can do this with a pitchfork or other large garden tool, simply mixing your pile as if you were making a cake. If you have a tumbler-style composter, then you just have to turn the crank.

As the microorganisms happily chomp their way through your vegetable scraps, they produce heat. This heat "cooks" the ingredients in the bin, quickening their transformation into usable compost.

If you can maintain correct oxygen, water, carbon, and nitrogen levels in your bin, you will have completed compost within a few months. You will know that the compost is ready to add to your garden when it resembles soil. It should be dark in color and smell like dirt.

Once the compost is ready, just add it to your garden or to potted plants. Compost provides plants with valuable nutrients and protects them from drying out. It can also help maintain a healthy soil pH, and help protect your plants from disease. Composting gives you all this, and is a great way to reduce, reuse, recycle.

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