For the last three years B and I have talked about composting. It feels like we have so much food waste and we wanted to not only lessen our footprint but also turn that “waste” into something awesome. For the last couple of years though we haven’t composted. For me it just seemed so hard. Where do I start? How do I do it? Well this year we’ve finally started and I’m kicking myself for not starting sooner because it’s much easier than you would think it is. Here’s the basics for composting for beginners aka me and maybe you too!
We started off by buying a Good Ideas Compost Starter kit. It not only came with a compost bin but also a compost pail for the kitchen counter top, CocoFiber and Compost Booster.
We looked around for a bit but we ultimately went with this compost bin and package for a couple of reasons.
- It rotates on its own. We didn’t want to do it the old fashioned way by turning it with a tool.
- Its on on a base that enables it to rotate. At first we were looking at one that was off of the ground and on a stand. It didn’t get awesome reviews and I realized that thanks to my height the heavier it got the harder it would be to spin.
- It came with some extras that I think are a must like the Kitchen Counter bin.
Why Compost?
There are so many reasons to compost. We do it for a few reasons.
- To turn our waste into something useful.
- It saves us money. Last year we spent over $60 on store bought compost for our garden. By composting we’re creating our own nutrient dense compost and it doesn’t cost us a thing.
- Since it’s so nutrient dense it’s amazing for our garden.
How Long Does it Take?
Even if you left all your compostable materials in a pile it would eventually break down and you would have usable compost. It would take a while though. By being an active participant in the process by turning materials it will speed things up. Putting it in a barrel like I have above and placing it in the hot sun will make it compost even quicker! All things considered compost should begin to form 3-4 weeks after starting in good conditions (warm weather and turning of the compost materials).
How Do you Compost?
In order to compost you need green ingredients, brown ingredients, air and water. You do need a specific ratio of browns to green. A 4:1 browns to green ratio is ideal. Bring it altogether with the right ratio and you’ll get the compost you need to make your garden amazing.
Green Ingredients
- Grass Clippings
- Weeds
- Fruit and Vegetable Scraps
- Coffee Grounds
- Eggshells
- Tea Bags
Brown Ingredients
- Dead Leaves
- Straw
- Hay
- Wood Shavings/Chips
- Corn Stalks
- Newspapers
- Shredded cereal boxes
- Egg Cartons (paper kind)
- Nuts and Shells
You can also add worms to your compost to help speed up the process and add extra nutrients to the soil.
I’m SO excited that we finally started our composting adventure. I just ordered Compost Stew and really hope it will help to get Mason and Kyla even more excited about composting.
Mary McKenna Siddals says
What a terrific introduction to composting! I’m delighted to discover that you picked my COMPOST STEW to help inspire your kids, and thank you so much for choosing it! Coincidentally, I’m currently celebrating Earth Day with a giveaway of the book on the COMPOST STEW Facebook page, so if you’d like a chance at winning a second (gift?) copy, I welcome you and your readers to DIG IN TO WIN > http://gvwy.io/rd1tsas
Meanwhile, thanks again, Christa! I look forward to sharing your post with my readers, and wish you all the best with your family adventures in composting…