Composting is an easy, fun way to recycle our consumables like food, grass clippings, and yard waste. It is so much better to compost all of those then sending them to the landfill. What exactly is compost? It is the nutrient-rich soil that is left over after tiny microbes and worms have their way with waste. Pretty cool, huh? Here are some tips so you can make sure you are composting the easy way.
Kitchen Scraps
It is easy to get enough kitchen scraps in just a couple days to start your compost pile. You can use a plastic bag, or invest in a countertop kitchen compost bin. Add in your egg shells, coffee filters, tea bags, fruits and vegetables. It is not recommended to add in dairy or meat as they attract vermin and animals to your compost pile.
Stainless Steel Compost Bin – $27
Easy Peasy Compost Pile
In a corner of your yard, you can start building your easy compost pile. On the bottom, start with straw and brown waste which includes dead leaves, shredded bark, and cut up tree limbs – the smaller the better. Next, add in newspapers and glass clippings. At the top of the pile goes your kitchen scraps. Grab the hose and water your compost pile well. With a pitchfork, poke holes into your pile, and then water it again. Once a week you need to turn the pile so that it is evenly mixed. The compost pile should never dry out and should be kept damp like a wet sponge. In about 8 weeks you will have fresh compost to use in your planter boxes and garden.
Easy Compost Tumbler
Although a compost pile sounds like a lot of work with turning it all, it really isn’t. If you want something a bit easier on your back, invest in a compost tumbler. You can buy one for under $200 and they last a lifetime. Start with the same ingredients, water them well, and then give it a few good turns. If you keep it moist and turn it every few days, you can have nutrient-rich compost in as little as 4 weeks! How easy is that?
Dual Batch Compost Tumbler – $169
This is great information, I had used to compost when I owned a home but stopped for a while in apartments until I had one with a private back yard. I do now but I realize that I was doing it all wrong. Thank you for the steps to building the pile and maintenance. I didn’t know about the countertop bins either, I’m definitely going to get one.
This was a delightfully simple guide – composting seems far less daunting for me, a newbie adult trying to get it together.
Composting was daunting for me too…but so much easier than I thought.
I like the easy compost tumbler. It sounds like an easier way to compost than the current means I use. This will come in handy.
We have a compost tumbler. It cost over double this one. Ours doesn’t really do anything. We were told we had to feed it nutrients. Everything you said to put in there is in there except for water. We have so many nasty insects already. Whenever it gets moist, no way to open it because of even nastier ones.
i’ve seen all of these before and it’s a nice recap. when i finally get my little farm, composting is going to be an important part of it. until then, i read and dream!
I have never heard of a compost tumbler before!
This reminds me of what I used to do at school. 🙂
Thanks for the tips! I’ve tried composting in years past, but always fail to remember to turn it and keep it moist, which then means no compost. 🙁 I need to get better at that. Thanks for sharing with us at Dream. Create. Inspire. Link.
I am interested in starting composting and need a container to keep it in.
this was all great information and makes it seem less daunting. thanks for sharing.
Great tips! We have a compost pile but have had no idea what we were doing! I’m gong to start watering and turning more!
We are big on composting too. Usually I have a pile that accumulates in the kitchen throughout the day. My husband has somewhat inadvertently taken on the chore of emptying my compost plate at the end of every day. 🙂 We have a bucket with a lid in the garage. From there, we take it out to my parent’s land where we garden. After a few years, that compost makes some great rich and black soil!
This is helpful as we’re about to start our own small compost box/pile for gardening. We have so so many leaves from all the trees in our yard and, of course, the grass clippings. I know I’ll feel good knowing that my kitchen scraps can be used for more than just making broth and now will also help to enhance our garden/soil, giving us an endless cycle of health and vitality 🙂
We actually learned that we can just dump everything in a big hole in our garden (that shifts, over time) and now it’s even easier than ever! Between composting and recycling, we have hardly any trash anymore!