In this post:
* Indoor/outdoor compost collection containers
* What can and cannot be composted
* What to do with your homemade compost
In this post about how to reduce food waste, I mentioned that I hadn't yet started composting, but that I planned to start. Well, I can finally say that we have started a compost pile!
To get started composting, you will need an indoor collection container and a larger one outdoors. You will need to learn what can and what cannot be composted. Finally, you will need to figure out what you're going to do once the compost is ready.
Indoor collection container ideas
You can use anything with a lid to collect your kitchen scraps for the compost pile. I like the idea of using a decorative bowl with a cover to sit on the counter, but until I find one I like, we are using a mason jar as an indoor collection container. You could also use a food storage container, an empty pickle jar, or even an aluminum can with something to cover the opening. You probably won't want to use anything that doesn't have a cover, due to the smell and the fact that it might attract fruit flies.
Outdoor collection container ideas
You will also need somewhere to dump the kitchen scraps and yard waste where it can all decompose. My husband built me a homemade outdoor collection container using a small slab of concrete and some bricks that were lying around. He built three walls with the bricks, and left the fourth side open so we can easily turn the compost each time we take out our kitchen scraps.
As the pile has grown, it has become slightly more difficult to turn the compost; I have been using a shovel to move it from one side to the other. It does take a bit of strength to get underneath the compost!
If you build your own compost area, you will want to make sure that water is able to drain after it rains. If you like, you could even section off an area of the yard where you want to plant a garden and use that area to build your compost pile. Then, after a couple months, your garden should be ready to plant.
Or maybe you would prefer to buy a plastic compost bin, rather than making one. A large barrel will make it easy to turn your compost on a regular basis because it can be rolled over with little effort.
Tip: When turned regularly (at least once a week - preferably every day), you compost could be ready to use within a few months. If it is never turned, it will take two years to decompose.
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| My homemade collection container is inside an old dog kennel on our property |
What can be composted
- leaves
- grass clippings
- hair clippings
- popcorn
- produce peels
- eggshells
- paper napkins
- paper towels
- brown paper bags
- peanut shells
- chicken/rabbit manure
- earthworms (to speed the decomposition process)
- and more...
163 Things You Can Compost (link)
Tip: For richer compost, add a mix of both kitchen and yard scraps to your pile.
What cannot be composted
- bread products, baked goods
- pasta, rice
- cooking oils
- diseased plants
- human or pet feces
- meat products, bones, fat
- dairy products
- sawdust
- personal care products
- walnuts
- stubborn plants (dandelions, ivy)
What can you do with compost?
Once your compost pile has finished decomposing, what exactly are you supposed to do with it? First, you should know how to tell when your compost is done: When it's ready to use, your compost will be dark brown, and it will smell earthy. You might still have twigs and bits of eggshells, but you can either remove them or simply leave these larger pieces in the compost.
Of course, you can always use up your compost to fertilize a vegetable garden. But it can also be used to grow indoor plants, feed your fruit trees, feed your lawn (mature lawns only; newly seeded grass can be scorched by compost), and to mulch flower beds and shrubs.
Do you already have a compost pile? What have you done with it in the past? Please share your composting experience in the comment section below.
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Your challenge: This week, consider starting a compost pile for your food scraps and lawn trimmings.
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**This post is part of a weekly challenge {Go Green in 2014}, during
which the author has challenged herself - and you - to find 52 ways to
lead a greener life in 2014. You can follow the weekly posts on this page.**
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