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Google “how to compost” and soon your eyes will glaze over, unless you like reading about ph levels and humus and other scientific terms. Is there any easy way to compost?
Absolutely. If you pile up leaves and ignore them until they rot, that’s composting (and possibly the easiest way to compost.) It may not be the most efficient way, but it counts. Of course, most beginning composters want to do more than that. So here are five easy ways to start composting.
1. Buy a composter. You don’t have to, but it will make it easier. A composter will protect your compost from getting too wet, which attracts pests. A tumbler composter like the one pictured ($150, gardenders.com) is simple to use: Fill it with acceptable household waste, give it a spin whenever you add something new, and you end up with compost (it will take about eight weeks, however.) A composter will also keep critters away and keep any smell down.
2. Know what you can add. The most important things to remember is don’t add anything with sugar, and don’t add anything with fat. So veggie and fruit peels and pits, eggshells (give them a rinse first), coffee grounds and yard waste are all OK. Avoid putting weeds or other invasive plants in, as their seeds could survive the composting process and, when you spread your compost over your garden, re-populate it.
3. Understand the best proportion. You want to aim for 75% “brown” and 25% “green.” This doesn’t refer to the color of the materials—brown materials are high in carbon; green materials are high in nitrogen. Brown materials include dead leaves and plants, corncobs and nutshells. Green materials are vegetable and fruit scraps, fresh grass clippings, and egg shells. But if you don’t get the mixture absolutely right, it’s fine. It’ll still break down.
4. Keep it warm. The best temperature is between 140 and 160 degrees. If you use a dark container, this temperature is easy to maintain. But, again, if it’s not exactly right, you’re fine. Composting occurs at any temperature above freezing. It’s just slower.
5. Get the straight poop. Manure is a great addition to a compost pile. However, do not use human (even if it comes from a vegetarian), dog or cat poop, which contains bacteria that may be harmful. Don’t use poop from any carnivorous animal, so if you have a pet tiger, don’t use his leavings, either. Herbivorous animal waste (such as cow, horse or sheep) is fine, though it’s best to use day-old poop.
Once you have a nice pile of compost, the easiest way to use it is to spread it around plants to give them an extra healthy snack. You can give your yard an end-of-season meal by spreading compost on top of the grass and raking it in (yes, your yard will look dirty for a week or two. But just wait until spring!)
If you worry you’re not doing it right, stop. Things have been rotting for millennia. A hands-off approach is fine; the microbes know what they’re doing.
By Kristen Page-Kirby
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