How to Start Composting at Home

Every week, a typical household throws away peels, coffee grounds, and yard trimmings that could become dark, crumbly soil for the garden. Composting turns that waste into one of the best soil improvements you can buy, except it costs nothing and reduces what goes to the curb.

You do not need fancy equipment or a big yard. This guide walks through choosing a method, balancing the ingredients, keeping the pile working, and solving the problems most beginners hit.

Choose a composting method

The right setup depends on your space and patience. An effortless open pile or a bin 3 feet wide and 3 feet tall suits most backyards, because that size holds enough heat to break material down efficiently. A tumbler is neater and easier to turn, though it holds less. Apartment dwellers can try a worm bin, which fits under a sink, or check whether a local program takes food scraps.

• Open pile or wire bin: cheapest, best for yard waste, slow without turning.
• Tumbler: tidy, deters animals, good for little yards.
• Worm bin: handles kitchen scraps indoors, needs a bit of care.

Pick a good spot

Place the pile on bare soil so worms and microbes can move in from below, and choose a spot with partial shade so it does not dry out. Keep it within effortless walking distance of the kitchen door or you will stop using it. Stay several feet away from wooden fences and the house.

Balance browns and greens

Compost needs two kinds of ingredients. Greens are wet and nitrogen-rich: vegetable scraps, fruit peels, coffee grounds, and fresh grass clippings. Browns are dry and carbon-rich: dead leaves, shredded cardboard, paper, and straw. A rough target is two to three parts brown to one part green by volume.

Tip: Keep a bag of dry leaves next to the bin. Each time you add kitchen scraps, cover them with a layer of browns and smells practically disappear.

What to leave out

Some items attract pests or carry disease and do not belong in a home pile.

• Meat, fish, bones, and greasy leftovers.
• Dairy products and oils.
• Pet waste from dogs and cats, which can contain harmful organisms.
• Weeds that have gone to seed and diseased plants.

Build and tend the pile

Start with a 4 to 6 inch layer of twigs or coarse material at the bottom for airflow. Then alternate layers of browns and greens, chopping large pieces into 1 to 2 inch bits since smaller scraps decompose faster. The pile should feel as damp as a wrung-out sponge. If it is dry, sprinkle water in. If it is soggy, add dry browns.

Turn the pile with a pitchfork every 1 to 2 weeks to introduce oxygen. A well-balanced, active pile will feel snug in the center. With regular turning, compost can be ready in 2 to 4 months. Without turning, expect 6 to 12 months.

Know when it is ready

Finished compost is dark brown, crumbly, and smells like a forest floor. You should not be able to recognize the original scraps, though a few twigs or eggshell fragments are fine. Sift out the large pieces and put them back in the next batch.

Spread an inch or two on garden beds, mix a few handfuls into potting soil for containers, or sprinkle a thin layer on the lawn.

Fix common problems

• Bad odor: too many greens or too wet. Add browns and turn it.
• Slow decomposition: pile too little, too dry, or too much carbon. Add greens and water, and turn more often.
• Flies: bury kitchen scraps under browns or the center of the pile.
• Rodents: use a closed bin, avoid meat and grease, and keep the pile off the edges of buildings.

Using compost once you have it

A few methods to put your finished compost to work: top-dress vegetable beds with a 1 to 2 inch layer each spring, blend one part compost with two parts potting soil for containers, and scatter a quarter inch over the lawn after raking. Keep compost a couple of inches away from tree trunks and plant stems. If you are not sure it is finished, plant a few bean seeds in a pot of it. Healthy sprouts in about a week mean the compost is mature, while stunted or yellow seedlings suggest it needs more time.

Speedy start checklist

• Choose a bin or spot of about 3 by 3 feet.
• Collect a stash of dry leaves or shredded paper.
• Keep a lidded container in the kitchen for scraps.
• Chop scraps little and cover them with browns.
• Check moisture and turn every week or two.

Composting forgives most pitfalls. A messy pile still becomes compost eventually, just more slowly. Begin with what you have and adjust as you learn how your pile behaves.