The Ins & Outs of Composting

Composting has so many wonderful benefits for the environment as well as having a wonderful effect on your garden! Green thumb or not, compost will help your garden thrive by creating a natural, chemical-free fertilizer. Have you ever wondered what it takes to compost? Read ahead and we will share with you all of the ins and outs of composting!

Compost Bin

There are many different types and styles of compost bins to choose from. Are you a DIYer? You can make a simple compost bin out of a plastic storage tub with a few simple steps. You will need a drill to make some holes in the bottom and sides and a lid to keep critters out. For the more experienced DIYer, you can build a compost bin out of wood. If you want to make one yourself then take a look at this great tutorial. If you do not want to build your own Home Depot has many great options. Once you have found a bin you will need to find a suitable spot to put your compost, ideally outside in a well-drained spot.

What to Add

Now that you have established a spot for your compost bin you will need to start to fill it! Start your bin with garden clippings, these are your ‘brown’ items. Your ‘brown’ items can consist of dead leaves, pine needles, rabbit/chicken manure (never add cat or dog waste, they can contain disease that can contaminate your compost), sawdust, bark, cardboard, (shred for easier decomposing), corn stalks and cobs, coffee grounds & filters, rinsed eggshells, dried leaves, newspaper (shred for easier decomposing), pine needles, straw. Once you have a good layer of ‘brown’ items you will need to add your ‘green’ items. These consist of food waste, vegetable and fruit trimmings, eggshells, coffee grounds, and tea bags make sure not to use dairy, anything oily, or meat (these will attract critters, you do NOT want that!) and chop your food waste into smaller pieces for easier and faster decomposition.

A Little Extra

The key to creating a great compost bin is remembering to have a balance of one ‘green’ to three ‘brown’ when adding to your bin.

Your compost bin should be moist, not dry, so if you see it drying out sprinkle a little bit of water on it, and make sure to stir or turn your pile at least once a week. You can also add worms to help speed up the decomposition of your compost, if you want to buy worms here is a great place to purchase them from.

Final Product

You will know when your compost is ready to use when it’s crumbly and dark brown or when you can mix it up and not see/identify your ‘green’ waste. It usually takes four weeks to see results, even as long as a few months. The final product is a powerhouse of nutrients for your plants! Once your compost is ready, mix it into the soil when planting new plants, or create a ring of compost around existing plants. When it rains the nutrients will soak into the soil and create a beautiful garden!