Compost How To
The "Nitty Gritty"!

"Compost How To!" Let’s get down to the dirty details! As with all gardening advice, there are lots and lots of information about “compost how to.” The information can be quite overwhelming and intimidating for anyone who is unfamiliar with the process.

The reality is that composting can be as easy or as difficult as you want it to be. On this page I discuss the most easy method for “compost how to” there is: the compost pile! This is essentially how composting happens in nature. Walk through a local park with a woodsy area. Trees shed their leaves in the fall, those leaves lay on the ground and decompose throughout the fall/winter/spring months, that material is broken down and blends into the soil, and the process starts all over again. Compost making is basically the same process, with a little human intervention.

Producing compost, or “black gold” as gardeners call it, can be a very passive process similar to the process that happens in nature. Acceptable material is placed in a pile outside, and is left to decompose naturally. You have the option when compost making, to have either an open pile, or a pile that is contained in some fashion.

My own version of "compost how to" involves a Compost Tumbler (opens new window), which produces useable compost approximately once every 2-3 weeks if I've given it the right amount of material. During the 2-3 week period that my tumbler is full, I often have kitchen waste or grass clippings to deal with, and no where to put them except on the compost pile that I've built under the tumbler. (I use the term ‘built’ very lightly. I’ve basically just piled kitchen scraps and yard waste on top of each other and left it there to it’s own devices.)

Most home owners are not too fond of the idea of a mound of trash (albeit a nutrient pile of trash) decomposing in the middle of their yards, although I have to say it certainly makes for good party conversation! Most people prefer to have a bin to contain the compost so it is not too obtrusive in the yard.

Multiple compost bins work nicely as it allows you to add material to one bin while the others are producing compost. How to make this work effectively is to add ingredients to only one bin at a time while the others are left alone to decompose. Up to 3 bins placed together seems to work very nicely, allowing more than enough time for the first bin to decompose while material is added to the 2nd and 3rd bin.

A multiple compost making system is displayed very nicely in this clever 3-tier composting technique. This picture was taken at the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (opens new window). These folks take all the heavy work out of "compost how to"!

Because this facility has a large hill behind it, they were able to add 3 composting bins which allow for material to be added into the top bin. Then once that's full, it can be moved to the second bin using gravity instead of heavy lifting. The pile is then moved from the 2nd to the 3rd bin where the composting is complete and the material can be easily removed. Quite clever "compost how to" if I do say so myself! If you have a slope in your yard, this method could certainly be utilized.

You are not restricted in the type of material you use to create the bin. Compost bins are created more for the aesthetic preferences of the homeowner than the needs of the compost. “Compost how to” allows you to use any type of material you have laying around the house to build your bin. Try chicken wire, concrete blocks, pressure treated wood, or just leaving your pile in the open air. Compost making will happen naturally with or without the bin or other fancy schmancy "compost how to" methods, so the choice is up to you.

How do you determine when the composting making process is complete? The finished product, and how long you wait for it, is based on appearance and personal preference. You certainly do not have to wait until your compost is dark brown and crumbly like fine soil, however the material should be broken down enough that you are unable to identify the items that you've added from the kitchen, for example. If you can still identify a head of lettuce, you may need to give it a little longer.

Oh, and FYI - "compost how to" dictates that the pieces should be much smaller than a whole head of lettuce. Cut something like that into several pieces before placing in the compost pile.

In order to produce compost there are 4 necessary ingredients;

carbon,
nitrogen,
air and
water.

A pile that is completely passive (i.e. left unattended except for adding material) will have all of the necessary ingredients to produce compost, however it will take longer. Adding proper amounts of dead material (leaves), live material (freshly cut grass or weeds), air and water will make the composting process move along more quickly.

To make this happen, you'd want to add approximately 3 parts live material, to one part dead material, some water during dry periods, and weekly "turning" of the pile with a pitchfork.

I do "compost how to" and work my compost pile definitely on the passive side. I don't do much with it, except turn it once or twice during the spring/summer months. I add kitchen scraps to it, and have not noticed much of a problem with pests or insects. Next year I plan to move my compost tumbler, along with the pile, approximately 7 feet east. I'm then going to plant a baby chestnut tree, that is currently growing in my garden, to that location. I'm confident that the nutrients that have been added to the soil from my compost pile will give the baby tree a good solid base to grow from.

Compost: How to add the proper ingredients to produce the best results.

Add any of the following: grass, leaves, shredded/chopped sticks, soil, egg shells, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, any garden scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags, newspaper (black and white only), weeds

Do not add the following: meat or dairy products, cooked items (even vegetables), diseased plants, dog or cat feces (or human...gross!), any yard waste that's been chemically treated unless organic material was used

After adding everything, toss it up! If it smells bad, and seems overly wet, you need to add more dry material (leaves or newspaper). If it seems overly dry and doesn't seem to be composting (no heat is being produced – yes, you may actually see steam), you need to add more wet material (like fresh cut grass).

That's about it for "compost how to." The bottom line is, experiment with different techniques and find one that's right for you. Read up on the subject, but don't get too caught up in the details and the exact measurements of material, unless you are particularly drawn to a superior compost. You have to make it work for you, otherwise you'll end up more frustrated than satisfied.

Above all, enjoy the process!

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