Composting 101

Composting isn’t just for farmers and country-dwellers. Here’s a list of ways you can compost in your backyard and do your part to contribute to our environment.

First off: what is compost? Compost is a mix of decaying vegetables, grass clippings, leaves and other organic matter. If you’re a gardener, compost is a fabulous fertilizer for your beds because it’s rich in yeast, fungi, and bacteria, and best of all – it’s free!

So let’s get started. Compost is just a mixture of brown matter and green matter. Shredded leaves, straw and twigs make up the brown matter, and grass clippings, veggies, fruit scraps, and even coffee grounds make up green matter. Mix it all together and add a little water and soil. That’s it.

Every week or two, rotate the pile and keep adding materials until the pile reaches three to five feet. Your pile will be good to use around six months – so get started now!

The biggest question we see is: what do I put compost in? You don’t have to buy one of those fancy compost bins (unless you want to!). You can grab a big compost bin at Lowe’s or Home Depot – they’ll be the ones with a sealed lid and little door to add materials.

Don’t forget: everything you put in your bin should be organic, so absolutely no herbicide treated grasses or plants. If you want to add manure, feel free, but be sure the animal it’s coming from was not fed meet (that also means no meat off your table should enter the bin as well).

Are you an experienced composter and have a tip to share? Do so below in the comments!