Composting at Home: A Simple Guide That Actually Works

Composting turns kitchen scraps and yard waste into the best soil amendment your garden can get, for free. Done right, it doesn't smell, it doesn't attract pests and it takes only a few minutes a week.

Browns and greens

A compost pile needs two kinds of material. Greens are rich in nitrogen: fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, tea leaves and fresh grass clippings. Browns are rich in carbon: dry leaves, straw, shredded cardboard, plain paper and small twigs. A good rule of thumb is about two to three parts browns to one part greens by volume. Keep a bag of dry leaves next to the bin so you can cover every addition of kitchen scraps.

What not to compost

• Meat, fish, bones, dairy and oily foods, which attract animals and smell.
• Dog and cat waste, which can carry pathogens.
• Diseased plants and weeds that have gone to seed.
• Glossy or coated paper, and wood treated with chemicals.

Keep it moist and airy

The pile should feel like a wrung-out sponge: damp, not soggy. Turn it with a garden fork every week or two to add oxygen; the more often you turn it, the faster it breaks down. Chopping materials into smaller pieces also speeds things up.

Troubleshooting

When is it ready?

Finished compost is dark, crumbly and smells like earth, and you can no longer recognize the original materials. An actively turned pile can be ready in two to four months; a pile left alone may take a year. Spread 1 to 3 inches on garden beds, mix it into planting holes, or top-dress your lawn. Our soil calculator tells you how much you need.

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