Composting Made Easy

Composting really is so simple.  There are dozens of sites telling you how to set up a compost area, layering materials, getting proper oxygenation; the details are endless. I'm here to tell you, based on over 25 years experience, that none of that is necessary!

Stainless is your best option

Start in the Kitchen with a compost pail.  DON'T buy a plastic pail, it WILL hold odors and smell after just a couple of months. And there's no need to buy anything fancy or complicated.  I found this stainless steel bucket in the Target clearance for $7 and had an extra pot lid at home.  If you're not that lucky, you can still get a stainless bucket and lid for under $20.  Stainless will never hold smells and cleans up easily.  We eat alot of fresh food so ours is emptied 1-2 times a week.

Almost everything is compostable

Put your kitchen scraps in the bucket.  Yep, it's that easy.  If you can throw scraps in the garbage, you can just as easily throw them in a bucket.  Everything goes in EXCEPT meat, eggs, dairy items, fish, bones.  Here's a great comprehensive list to use as a guideline from Planet Tea.



There are several ways to use your compost.  We have a one large compost area in our backyard where kitchen waste is mixed with 'greens' such as leaves, sticks and grass.  We simply add them when we cut the grass or rake the leaves.  We also dump directly into the garden.  If you don't have the space, you can purchase a Compost Tumbler. I will admit, I don't have experience with Tumblers so you'll need to research that as far as getting it started.

Dump scraps right into the garden

If you're new to composting, be patient.  It will eventually come naturally and you will find yourself freaking out if someone throws valuable compost waste into the garbage instead of the pail!

Also if you're new, be prepared to wait a full year before you can utilize your compost (a Tumbler may be quicker. HOWEVER, once your compost area is established, you will have nutrient rich soil to work with!  Yes, soil.   There's no need to start new areas each year, simply continue to add scraps.  Now that the area is established, adding scraps just adds to the nutrients and breaks down faster.

Mix scraps with 'greens' in a pile

What can you do with all that awesome, chemical free compost?  Use it in gardens, planting beds, and indoor/outdoor potted plants.  We put most of ours in the garden; fruits and vegetables grow beautifully in nutrient rich, chemical free compost dirt.






To sum it up...

1. Get a stainless steel bucket with lid.  The lid should have an air hole.
2. Put scraps in the bucket.  Use this list from Plant Tea as a starting guideline.
3. Empty scraps into your pile or tumbler at least once per week.
4. Add 'green' waste whenever you have it.
5. Turn your compost pile whenever you add greens.
6. Use your nutrient rich, chemical free compost soil!