DIY composting is one of the best, most sustainable methods for turning everyday organic matter into rich, nutritious compost for your plants. With a bit of knowledge and the right materials, you’ll soon be reducing waste and making garden gold at the same time - a win for you and the environment!
What is Composting?
This process refers to the natural decomposition of organic materials, which can be added to the soil to enhance quality.
When you compost items like food scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, or dry leaves, certain microorganisms, like bacteria, break down these materials over time. The result? You’ll get dark, crumbly, finished compost full of nutrients, which you can use to benefit the soil and plants in your home.
To be successful, the composting process involves balancing these key elements:
- Carbon (from brown materials like cardboard, wood chips, and sawdust): Acts as the energy source for the microorganisms. These materials also provide structure to the compost pile, helping with air flow.
- Nitrogen (from green materials like vegetable scraps, grass clippings, and other food scraps): Helps the microorganisms grow and multiply quickly, speeding up the decomposition process.
- Oxygen: Crucial for the survival of bacteria. This is why some types of composting need regular turning to ensure that air reaches all parts of the compost pile while also preventing the development of foul odor.
- Moisture: Important for keeping the microbes alive and growing. Having the right moisture level ensures proper microbial activity without making the pile too soggy.
Benefits of DIY Composting
More than just cutting down on trash and waste in your home, composting offers other benefits:
- Adds nutrients to your soil - important especially if you’re into home gardening (even without a backyard).
- Reduces the need for chemical fertilizers, cutting down on cost.
- Helps retain soil moisture.
- Keeps regular items like food and yard waste from making their way to landfills, which can be a powerful tool in fighting climate change.
Types of Composting
There are several composting types, each with their own methods, timelines, and tools/equipment required. Some of them are especially great for beginners because of how simple and low-maintenance they are:
Cold Composting
This process involves adding organic materials into a bin and then letting nature handle the rest. The microorganisms naturally break down the scraps and eventually turn them into compost. It’s perfect for beginners since there’s practically no effort involved, but composting takes longer, from several months to over a year.
Equipment Needed:
- Open bin
- Garden fork (optional if you want to do a little turning)
Worm Composting (Vermicomposting)
Great for small households, apartments, or areas with limited space, provided you’re not afraid of worms! The worm composting method involves putting red wrigglers in a worm bin and then using them to break down peels and kitchen scraps.
Equipment Needed:
- Worm bin with lid (commercial or homemade will do, provided it has good drainage to prevent excess moisture buildup that can harm the worms).
- Dry bedding materials (like shredded cardboard, newspaper, dry leaves, coco coir, or straw).
- Red wriggler worms
- Food or garden scraps - items like egg shells, coffee grounds, or tea bags are fine. Avoid adding meat or dairy products, rotten food, or bones, as these might attract rodents and create a strong odor within the bin.
Compost Tumblers
This method is tidy and practical! It involves using tumblers or fully sealed containers for mixing up the contents and speeding up their decomposition.
Good for beginners as the tumblers are easy to manage and mess-free, and can easily find a spot in the backyard. They are more expensive than regular compost bins, however, and you’ll need to rotate them regularly.
Equipment needed: Compost tumbler
Trench Composting
Another simple method of composting that is ideal for beginners who have a lot of garden or backyard space. Trench composting involves burying organic materials directly in your garden soil, allowing them to break down in place naturally.
You’ll need to dig trenches of at least 12-18 inches deep, bury food scraps and peels in them, then cover them with soil. It’s ideal to wait several months before you can plant over the trenches.
Equipment Needed: Shovel or spade
Hot Composting
True to its name, hot composting requires high temperatures (about 55-60°C) to make the decomposition process quicker, usually within a few weeks to about three months. It requires more effort to succeed, particularly when it comes to monitoring and turning, so it may not be ideal for beginners. Instead, it’s better suited for gardeners looking for a faster composting process.
Equipment Needed:
- DIY Compost bin or commercial bin
- Compost thermometer
- Pitchfork for regular turning of the pile (needed to maintain airflow and increase internal temperature)
- A tarp for cover to maintain heat and moisture.
Process of Composting for Beginners
1. Choose Your Setup
Choosing which type of composting to do will depend on your space, time, and volume of waste to decompose. You might need a DIY compost bin, worm bin, compost tumbler, or trench before getting started.
2. Know What and What Not to Compost
You’ll want to create a great balance between carbon-rich materials (brown items) and nitrogen-rich materials (green items).
Carbon Sources:
- Shredded paper
- Cardboard packaging
- Plant-based fabrics
- Untreated sawdust
- Straw
- Hay
- Untreated wood chips
- Dry leaves
Nitrogen Sources:
- Vegetable peels and scraps
- Kitchen scraps
- Coffee grounds
- Grass clippings
- Weeds
- Tea bags
- Seaweed
Note, however, that not everything can be thrown in the compost pile! Here are items that you shouldn’t compost:
- Dairy products, bones, or fatty/cooked foods: These break down very slowly, might attract pests like rodents, and create unpleasant odors.
- Meat: These might encourage pests to dig into your bins.
- Pet waste: It might contain parasites and bacteria.
- Diseased Plants: They might introduce harmful diseases to your garden.
- Large quantities of Citrus: Might make your compost bin too acidic and harm beneficial bacteria and fungi in the process.
3. Find Your Composting Spot
Pick a spot in your home with good drainage, partial sun, and easy access. You can choose a spot away from your home (unless you’re using compost tumblers or secure bins). Proximity to a water source is also vital, particularly for keeping the moisture at the right level.
4. Build the Pile
Start your DIY composting by creating alternating layers of brown and green materials. Start with a brown base, then add stalks, food scraps, etc., then cover them with more browns to prevent any flies. For best results, aim for a ratio of 4:1 (browns to greens).
5. Maintain the Right Conditions
Moisture: The compost pile should have a “wrung-out sponge” consistency. If it’s too wet, add more brown materials.
Oxygen: When possible, turn the compost pile weekly to prevent odor and speed up decomposition.
6. Monitor, Adjust, and Correct
- The compost pile should smell earthy, not foul. If there’s a strong odor, remember to turn the pile or add more brown materials.
- If it’s too dry, add moist kitchen scraps or sprinkle some water.
- If rodents appear, make sure your compost bin is sealed and avoid adding items like meat, bones, or dairy products.
Tips and Tricks for DIY Composting
- Keep a pail near your kitchen sink so you can collect daily kitchen scraps.
- Chop or cut up larger materials like cardboard and stalks to accelerate the composting process.
- If you live in a colder area, consider insulating your bins with old blankets to maintain microbial activity.
- Keep an eye out for a consistent earthy smell and white fungal threads, which are signs that you’re composting right!
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