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Jan 06 2012
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Homemade Composting

Filed under: Services » Composting, Tips » Do It Yourself,

How to Make Homemade Compost

Homemade CompostingIf you have been thinking about making compost but think that it may be too difficult, complicated, or time consuming, you have come to the right place. This article is the How to Make Homemade Compost version that makes it clear and simple. While composting can be an exact science, it certainly doesn't need to be. After all, Mother Nature does composting all the time without the help of human effort. We can join her efforts without making it a big deal. We're going to discuss composting methods and then show you how to make your own homemade composting bin.

The Two Types of Composting

Composting can be categorized into two basic types:

  1. Passive composting
  2. Active composting

Passive Composting

Passive composting is simpler and requires very little work on your part while active composting is more complex and demands more of your time, energy, and mental capacities. Both types of composting result in the same end product, however, so for the purpose of this article and to keep it true to the how to make homemade compost title, we will focus on passive composting.

But before we get into the specifics of composting, we need to address some basic information.

What is Compost?

Homemade Compost BinSimply put, compost is plant food. It is light, nutrient-rich soil that you put in your garden or potted plants to make them grow better. Essentially, when you go to the garden center to purchase bags of soil, you are buying manufactured compost. Compost is the best of everything you plants need:

  • Mulch
  • Plant food
  • Fungicide
  • Disease deterrent

Why make your own compost?

There are several reasons why you should make your own, homemade compost:

Composting is Economical

  • You already have most, if not all the things you need to make compost, so you do not have to spend any extra money to make it.
  • You also save money when you make compost because you will no longer need to buy soil and plant food at the garden center.
  • You cut down on your trash and garbage removal fees because you have less for the garbage man to take.
  • Researchers estimate that 30 - 40% of all household waste could be converted into compost.

That's a significant reduction in your waste pick up costs!

Composting is Fun!

If you like to garden, you no doubt like to be outside. Composting is fun because you get to be outside doing something creative and productive. If you like plants, you probably like to see things grow. Composting is fun because you get to nurture your plants and make them grow by your own efforts, especially when you know that you are feeding them home-made meals, so to speak.

Composting is Environmental

24 % of all the solid waste is yard trimmings and food waste that could be diverted from the landfills by composting!

How Long Does HomeMade Composting Take?

Let's first answer this in terms of the composting activity itself. It takes no longer to make compost than it takes to bag up your yard cuttings and put it out for the trash pick-up. And it takes no longer to make compost than it takes to put your table scraps down the garbage disposal. It does take a few extra minutes each week to go outside and look at your pile and stab at it a bit with a shovel. In terms of how long it takes to get from beginning your collection of compost materials to the finished product of complete compost - it takes one year.

How to Make Homemade Compost

Indoor Compost BucketBefore we get to the actual steps of composting, you will have to decide where and how to collect your materials. There are three possible ways to collect your material:

  1. Make a bin
  2. Buy a bin
  3. Pile it freely with no container

The decision is entirely up to you depending on your yard/ neighborhood environment and your personal preference.

If you have plenty of space outside and don't want to contain your compost, simply designate an area where you will collect your materials. If you want to contain it, however, you can either buy a bin or make your own.

Buying a Compost Bin

There are all kinds of bins for sale made especially for the containment of compost materials. A quick search on the internet will show you the myriad of choices available in size, color, style and materials.

How to Make Your Own Compost Bin

If you want to make your own compost bin, here's how. Simply nail together four skids and you've got a perfect 64 cubic foot bin. You can also construct one out of easy to mold wire. Chicken wire is a bit too flimsy, but anything else will work just fine. Just nail the wire to four posts and you've got a bin.

Make Your Compost Pile Directly on the Ground

It is best to make your compost pile directly on the ground. The earth below will aid the decomposing process. If you buy a bin, however, you may not have this option. You may also want to build a bin over a concrete slab or other such outdoor surface. Although it is best to compost over the raw ground, this option may not always be feasible. In such cases, you should put some finished compost in the bottom of the bin to initiate the decomposing process.

Once you have decided on where you will keep the compost materials, whether or not you want to contain it, you are ready to follow these steps.

Three Steps to Making Homemade Compost

Start with Yard Scraps

When you cut your grass or rake up the leaves, put them in your compost pile. Toss twigs in there as well as this helps provide ventilation.

Add Table Scraps

What to CompostAfter meals, collect table scraps in a bucket and when it is full, simply dump it over the yard scraps.

The Composting Rule of Ratio

You can consider the ratio of carbon and nitrogen as a complex science and some hard-core composters certainly do, but remember, this articles is called homemade composting, so we are keeping it simple. Even if your ratios are not exact, you can produce excellent compost by sticking to a general composting rule of ratio: 4 parts brown to 1 part green. The brown stuff: sticks, twigs, dried leaves - is carbon; the green stuff: wet green leaves, kitchen scraps - is nitrogen.

This ratio is important, but don't let that consume you with worry and stress. Simply eyeball the size of the bulk you put into your pile and try to keep it to the 4 - 1 ratio.

Stab and Stir

You will probably be anxious to tend to your compost pile, so every week just go out and stab at it with your shovel. Every 2 - 3 weeks you can dig down and stir it up. This is important as it keeps the pile ventilated and avoids the build-up of mildew.

That's it! This time next year, you will have plenty of complete compost (natural fertilizer) to use in your garden. You'll be amazed at how happy your plants, vegetables, herbs, etc. are to have such rich and healthy soil.

Advanced Composting Tips

Seedling from Homemade CompostWhile the above steps are really all you need to know to make compost, there are a few extra tips you should follow in order to make better compost and to make the process more effective.

  • Start directly on the ground or start with a finished compost to get the microbial activity started.
  • Pile in layers rather than vertically. The more surface area you create with your pile, the more efficiently the material will decompose.
  • If your compost starts to smell bad, it is simply crying out for air. This is your que to stab and stir.
  • To harvest your compost, skim off the unrotted stuff on top and use the finished compost below for your plants.

Note: Not everything breaks down easily, so if you put certain thing into your pile that shouldn't be there, you will hinder the process. Follow the two lists below:

Use These Materials in Your Compost:

  • Bread
  • Coffee grounds and filters
  • Crushed egg shells
  • Dryer lint
  • Flowers
  • Fruit scraps
  • Green plant trimmings
  • House plants
  • Hair
  • Straw

Do Not Use These Materials in Your Compost:

  • Bones
  • Dairy products
  • Diseased plants
  • Fats
  • Feces
  • Fish
  • Lime
  • Meat
  • Peanut butter
  • Weeds
Average: 4.1 (16 votes)

Average: 4.1 (16 votes)

How long before compost is ready?

I like how you've made the process so simple. However, I do not see a time line. Any idea how long it will take to be useable? Months? A year? I don't want to spend any money to make my compost so I'm going with the directly on the ground process. If it will work, why spend the money on anything else? jjcuadra at embarqmail dot com.

Compost ready next season

Typically, your compost should be ready the next growing season. If you're going to simply dump everything on the ground, it can work, but you might want to at least build a container using 2x4's or something to contain the compost.

The most important thing is maintaining the 4:1 carbon to nitrogen ratio. If you don't - for example, if you simply compost fruits and vegetables, they will simply decompose and you won't be left with much soil. The key is adding browns to the greens - leaves, grass clippings, etc.

4 to 1 ratio

We finally got around to building our own homemade compost bin :) It seems to be working fine after several months, but we don't seem to be getting much dirt. It seems like the fruit and veggies we put in there simply disintegrate into thin air (which is better than having them stink up our house and end up in a land fill).

I remember hearing something about the 4:1 ratio of carbon to nitrogen or something like that that's necessary to have the compost work (and actually create usable "dirt" for our garden). Can you guys fill me in on the deets?


Composting ratio

Excellent question. A good way to remember the "composting ratio" is to think of it as 4 parts brown to 1 part green. The brown stuff: sticks, twigs, dried leaves - is carbon; the green stuff: wet green leaves, kitchen scraps - is nitrogen.

This ratio is important, but don't let that consume you with worry and stress. Simply eyeball the size of the bulk you put into your pile and try to keep it to the 4 - 1 ratio.

Avoiding odor from the compost

A compost pile does not produce any odor, if it is done right. It can be a bit unsightly though. Once your spot is picked out then it's time to start composting. Begin with a nice layer of sticks or some kind of course material. This will supply good aeration from the bottom of the pile.

The next layer start with green matter. There is really no good reason to start with green matter you can just as easily start with brown matter but you are going to alternate to make layers. Green matter are the items from your kitchen, vegetables, fruit peels, coffee grounds and there filters, nut shells. Just about any kitchen waste will qualify.

It was also very informative to read the other post with an extra of 75 items that you can you can use for your compost pile. I definitely will try it!

Composting Makes Sense

How many landfill sites could have taken in more rubbish before they closed if more people did composting in their gardens? Probably a large number. Great tips and advice here.

The basics of composting

I think that was a good idea. The waste of your vegetable you can make that as a fertilizer so that your soil is abundant of minerals and your plant is healthy. Thank you.

Reduce garbage

One major benefit of composting is that you will greatly reduce the amount of garbage your household throws away. Sending less waste to landfills is an effective way to reduce your environmental impact. Compostable food and yard waste can make up a significant percentage of landfill waste.

Although it is hard to accurately estimate the amount of food that US consumers throw away, experts say that between 25% and 50% of the food we buy ends being thrown away. Composting is one of many environmentally friendly ideas that can also save you money. By composting your household's organic waste you can cut back on garbage bills while helping the earth.

75 things to compost

Here's a list of 75 things you can compost that I found on the Discovery Channel's Planet Green. Who would have thought? From the Kitchen 1. Coffee grounds and filters 2. Tea bags 3. Used paper napkins 4. Pizza boxes, ripped into smaller pieces 5. Paper bags, either ripped or balled up 6. The crumbs you sweep off of the counters and floors 7. Plain cooked pasta 8. Plain cooked rice 9. Stale bread 10. Paper towel rolls 11. Stale saltine crackers 12. Stale cereal 13. Used paper plates (as long as they don't have a waxy coating) 14. Cellophane bags (be sure it's really Cellophane and not just clear plastic—there's a difference.) 15. Nut shells (except for walnut shells, which can be toxic to plants) 16. Old herbs and spices 17. Stale pretzels 18. Pizza crusts 19. Cereal boxes (tear them into smaller pieces first) 20. Wine corks 21. Moldy cheese 22. Melted ice cream 23. Old jelly, jam, or preserves 24. Stale beer and wine 25. Paper egg cartons 26. Toothpicks 27. Bamboo skewers 28. Paper cupcake or muffin cups From the Bathroom 29. Used facial tissues 30. Hair from your hairbrush 31. Toilet paper rolls 32. Old loofahs 33. Nail clippings 34. Urine 35. 100% Cotton cotton balls 36. Cotton swabs made from 100% cotton and cardboard (not plastic) sticks Personal Items 37. Cardboard tampon applicators 38. Latex condoms From the Laundry Room 39. Dryer lint 40. Old/stained cotton clothing—rip or cut it into smaller pieces 41. Old wool clothing—rip or cut it into smaller pieces From the Office 42. Bills and other documents you've shredded 43. Envelopes (minus the plastic window) 44. Pencil shavings 45. Sticky notes 46. Business cards (as long as they're not glossy) 47. Receipts Around the House 48. Contents of your vacuum cleaner bag or canister 49. Newspapers (shredded or torn into smaller pieces) 50. Subscription cards from magazines 51. Leaves trimmed from houseplants 52. Dead houseplants and their soil 53. Flowers from floral arrangements 54. Natural potpourri 55. Used matches 56. Ashes from the fireplace, barbecue grill, or outdoor fire pit Party and Holiday Supplies 57. Wrapping paper rolls 58. Paper table cloths 59. Crepe paper streamers 60. Latex balloons 61. Raffia 62. Excelsior 63. Jack o' Lanterns 64. Those hay bales you used as part of your outdoor fall decor 65. Natural holiday wreaths 66. Your Christmas tree. Chop it up with some pruners first. 67. Evergreen garlands Pet-Related 68. Fur from the dog or cat brush 69. Droppings and bedding from your rabbit/gerbil/hamsters, etc. 70. Newspaper/droppings from the bottom of the bird cage 71. Feathers 72. Alfalfa hay or pellets (usually fed to rabbits) 73. Rawhide dog chews 74. Fish food 75. Dry dog or cat food

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