Starting a Compost Pile - indoor and outdoor composting

About Starting a Compost Pile

You can start a compost pile in your backyard or in your house. All composting requires 3 basic ingredients.

Browns: which is material that is dead leaves, branches and twigs
Greens: which is material that is grass clippings, vegetable waste, fruit, scraps and coffee grounds
Water: a vital ingredient, but it has to be the right amount (too much or too little can cause problems.

Having equal amounts of Browns to Greens would be the ideal compost pile. The brown materials provide carbon for your compost, the green materials provide nitrogen, and the water provides moisture to help breakdown the organic matter. You can add a layer of soil every so often to help inoculate the pile with soil bacteria, or you can purchase a commercially prepared compost starter.

When adding any material to your compost bin make sure it is shredded or broken up in little pieces. This will help breakdown the material faster, the smaller the better! Some people run a lawn mower over the yard waste a few times, other put it through a wood-chipper. I’ve seen hard-core composters use an old blender or food processor to chop their kitchen waste into tiny pieces. However I just cut kitchen scraps up with a sharp knife

Indoor composting

Yes it can be done, especially for apartment dwellers, utilizing mainly kitchen scraps for the greens and shredded newspapers for the brown. First you will need a bin to hold your compost. You can use a small plastic garbage can or a plastic container with a lid. You will need to put holes in the can or container (for air circulation) and put a piece of mess over the holes. Or you can purchase a ready made indoor compost bin. If you maintain you bin probably it will not attract pest or rodents and will not smell bad. You can also purchase worms to help in the composting process. Turn your compost every week. Add some water when necessary to keep the compost moist.

Outdoor composting

You can purchase a ready made compost bin from your Garden Center, online or from a catalog. You can also make your own using a large plastic garbage can. You will need to put holes in the can for air circulation.

Select a dry shady spot for your compost pile or bin
Make sure all your compost material is broken down in small pieces or shredded
Add your brown and green materials as you collect them. When you add vegetable and fruit waste, be sure to bury and mix it in
you might want to purchase a decorative compost jar that can sit on your kitchen counter. When the jar is filled just add it to your compost bin
Moisten your dry materials as you add them
Mix in some grass clippings
Be sure to mix your compost bin once or twice a week. Adding water when necessary (keep it moist)
Cover your compost with a lid or tarp to keep moist
When the material turns dark and rich in color, your compost is ready to use

Click Here for Compost Troubleshooting

The Worm Factory Composting System-5 Tray