Composting Guide

🌱 Complete Composting Guide

Turn your kitchen scraps and yard waste into black gold for your garden

What’s Your Living Situation?

Select your space to get personalized composting recommendations




🏡 Backyard Composting Methods

Traditional Compost Bin

The classic method – perfect for most households with outdoor space.

✅ Pros:

  • Large capacity
  • Low maintenance
  • Natural process
  • Free or low cost
⚠️ Cons:

  • Takes 3-12 months
  • Requires turning
  • Can attract pests
  • Weather dependent

Tumbler Composter

Enclosed bins that rotate for faster decomposition and easier mixing.

✅ Pros:

  • Fast (4-8 weeks)
  • Pest resistant
  • Easy to turn
  • Neat appearance
⚠️ Cons:

  • Higher cost
  • Limited capacity
  • Requires balance
  • Can be heavy

Three-Bin System

Professional-grade system for continuous composting with multiple stages.

✅ Pros:

  • Continuous supply
  • Organized stages
  • Large volume
  • Efficient process
⚠️ Cons:

  • Requires space
  • More work
  • Higher setup cost
  • Not portable

🏢 Apartment Composting Solutions

Worm Composting (Vermicomposting)

Use red wiggler worms to break down food scraps in a compact bin.

✅ Pros:

  • No odor when done right
  • Produces rich castings
  • Compact size
  • Year-round option
⚠️ Cons:

  • Requires live worms
  • Temperature sensitive
  • Limited food types
  • Moisture management

Bokashi Composting

Fermentation method using special bran to break down all food waste.

✅ Pros:

  • Accepts all foods
  • No smell (sealed)
  • Fast process
  • Minimal space
⚠️ Cons:

  • Requires bokashi bran
  • Two-step process
  • Ongoing costs
  • Acidic end product

Electric Composters

High-tech appliances that speed up decomposition with heat and grinding.

✅ Pros:

  • Very fast (hours)
  • Odor-free
  • Convenient
  • Clean process
⚠️ Cons:

  • Expensive ($300+)
  • Uses electricity
  • Small batches
  • Not true compost

🏠 Small Space Solutions

Countertop Compost Collector

Collect scraps for municipal composting or community gardens.

✅ Pros:

  • Very compact
  • Stylish options
  • Easy to use
  • No maintenance
⚠️ Cons:

  • Requires emptying
  • Not actual composting
  • Can smell if left
  • Needs external site

Trench Composting

Bury organic waste directly in garden beds or planters.

✅ Pros:

  • No equipment
  • Feeds plants directly
  • No turning needed
  • Invisible process
⚠️ Cons:

  • Requires digging
  • Slow breakdown
  • Limited quantity
  • Seasonal limits

♻️ What Can You Compost?

✅ Greens (Nitrogen-Rich)

🥬
Vegetable scraps
🍎
Fruit peels & cores
☕
Coffee grounds & filters
🍃
Fresh grass clippings
🫖
Tea bags (remove staples)
🥚
Eggshells (crushed)

🟫 Browns (Carbon-Rich)

🍂
Dry leaves
📰
Newspaper (shredded)
📦
Cardboard (plain)
🌾
Straw or hay
🪵
Wood chips (small)
🧻
Paper towels

❌ Never Compost

🥩
Meat & bones
🧈
Dairy products
🐟
Fish & seafood
💩
Pet waste
🌱
Diseased plants
🧪
Treated wood

📋 Step-by-Step Composting

1

Choose Your Location

Select a level, well-drained spot with partial shade. Easy access to water is helpful.

2

Start Your Base

Layer 4-6 inches of coarse browns (twigs, straw) for drainage and aeration.

3

Add Materials in Layers

Alternate between greens and browns. Aim for 3:1 browns to greens ratio.

4

Keep It Moist

Water each layer until it feels like a wrung-out sponge. Not soaking wet!

5

Turn Regularly

Mix the pile every 1-2 weeks to add oxygen and speed decomposition.

6

Monitor Temperature

A hot pile (130-150°F) means active composting. It will cool as it matures.

7

Harvest Your Compost

When it’s dark, crumbly, and earthy-smelling (2-12 months depending on method).

🔧 Troubleshooting Common Problems

😷 Bad Smell

Cause: Too wet or too many greens

Fix: Add browns, turn pile, improve drainage

🐜 Pests or Flies

Cause: Exposed food or wrong materials

Fix: Bury food scraps, avoid meat/dairy, cover with browns

🐌 Slow Decomposition

Cause: Too dry, too much carbon, or pile too small

Fix: Add water and greens, turn more often, increase pile size

🔥 Pile Not Heating

Cause: Insufficient nitrogen or moisture

Fix: Add fresh greens, water if dry, ensure 3’x3′ minimum size

💨 Ammonia Smell

Cause: Too much nitrogen

Fix: Add browns like shredded paper or dry leaves

🧮 Compost Calculator

Calculate how much compost you can produce annually




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📅 Composting Timeline

Week 1-2

Initial setup and first materials added. Pile may heat up if large enough.

Week 3-4

Active decomposition begins. Temperature rises to 130-150°F in hot composting.

Month 2-3

Materials break down visibly. Original items less recognizable. Keep turning.

Month 3-6

Curing phase. Pile cools down. Materials continue breaking down slowly.

Month 6-12

Finished compost! Dark, crumbly, earthy-smelling “black gold” ready to use.

🌟 Ready to Start Composting?

Join millions of households reducing waste and creating nutrient-rich soil!