About five years ago, my dear friend Alison turned me on to composting. Composting is a great way to recycle organic materials such as plant food scraps, egg shells, fruit and vegetable peels, leaves, grass clippings, plant matter, shredded cardboard boxes, and similar materials right at home, even in a simple container under the sink. You can also add a small amount of garden soil or compost starters or accelerators, if desired, as you begin composting. You’ll want to avoid using meat or bones; styrofoam or plastic, vegetation from diseased plants, or human or pet waste in your compost pile!
When you are ready to begin composting, you can use a simple composting pile without the bin, or there are many types of composting bins available—larger, smaller, static, and tumbling. Before you begin composting, think about the location of your compost pile. Think about how much space you will want for composting, and consider the visibility of your compost, particularly if you choose not to use a compost bin. For a single compost pile, two to four square feet of area is usually best. When you compost, go higher, rather than wider, as a higher pile of compost produces better heat. After you start your pile, mix or turn it every so often (when you add more material is a good time) so that it is adequately aerated.
For best results, use a wide variety of materials in your compost. Having too much of any one thing will throw off the pH of your compost, and the material will not decompose very well. Also, make sure that your compost pile is neither too dry nor too wet—you need moisture to keep the composting process going, but your compost pile shouldn’t be soggy. Temperature, oxygenation, humidity, and the carbon-nitrogen ratio (which can be kept in balance by monitoring the humidity and composition of your compost) all affect the success of your composting, so keep these factors in mind.
we just started composting a few months ago and it is working out quite well!