If there was only one piece of advice I could give to improve your soil, it would be to compost. This dark, crumbly, “black gold”, is made up of decomposing organic matter. It improves your soil and keeps kitchen scraps and yard debris out of landfills. That’s 30% of household waste! So many items are compostable – more than you would probably consider. For example:
- grass clippings
- leaves
- straw
- hay
- yard waste
- old potting soil
- house plants if they are not diseased
- vegetable and fruit scraps such as peelings, cores, etc.
- nut shells
- egg shells
- bread and grains
- coffee filters
- tea bags
- fresh manure
- shredded paper (no colored ink)
- used napkins and paper towels
- dryer lint if your clothing is predominately natural fiber
- natural fiber twine, string, yarn and thread
- natural fiber fabric or clothing, shredded or cut into small pieces
- toothpicks
- hair
- animal fur
- pencil shavings
It is generally recommended that food scraps from animal products not be included with the exception of egg shells. If your compost has a secure lid that will keep animals out, you may add small scraps such as shrimp peel, dairy products, or even chicken bones that have been used for broth, if they are crumbly and soft.
For best results, the items you add to your bin should include both high carbon items, and high nitrogen items. This is referred to as browns (carbon) and greens (nitrogen). The recommended ratio is generally 25 – 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen. Generally, drier items such as leaves, newspaper, straw, and natural fibers are considered browns, and wetter items such as kitchen scraps, grass clippings, and fresh manure are considered greens. Having a proper balance will provide the needed ingredients so that composition occurs relatively quickly. If you do not have the perfect balance, don’t fret, and add what you have available. If you find that your compost is very smelly, try to add more browns. If leaves are not available, add some shredded newspaper. On the other hand, if your compost seems to be just sitting there and not decomposing, then greens are what is needed. Keeping your compost as wet as a sponge which has been wrung out is about right. If it is dry, just add water. Everything soon begins to rot as bacteria, fungi, protozoans and earthworms each do their part. Turning your compost monthly will increase aerobic activity and speed up the process, although it is better not to turn the pile during cold, winter weather to help maintain the heat in the pile.
My Compost Bin
There are many types of bins available for purchase, but they tend to be pricey. Simple, inexpensive bins are easy to make. A garbage can with the bottom removed will work just fine. A 10′ length of galvanized chicken wire formed into a circle is another simple method. More ideas may be found here.
Compost may be used as a top dressing, or dug into the top few inches of soil. There never seems to be enough to go around, so I use it where it will give the most benefit. I add a large handful to each hole as I am planting my tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables. I top dress plants such as clematis, peonies and hydrangea. And I always save some for any new plant that I am adding to my landscape. As a young gardener, no money was available for soil testing. I just kept adding compost to my garden year after year. When I finally had my garden soil tested, the results showed that it needed no further amending!
Do you compost? What unusual item do you add to your compost bin?
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What is your take on having an actual bin for compost? I’ve read differing points of view on the need to have containment for the pile. Some say it helps, others say it doesn’t matter.
Hi Jared! I think the important thing is being able to build up enough bulk to generate heat. You can have a pile w/o a container but it would have to have enough volume for decomposition to occur. We have both – a container where we put most of our kitchen scraps, and a pile for leaves and grass. We do sometimes mix some of each into the other so that we have a good carbon/nitrogen ratio. Without the container for the kitchen scraps, I think the local wildlife would feed on them.
I feed all the kitchen scraps to the chickens, then mix their poop with leaves saved from the fall. I never get the ratio quite right to get a lot of heat generation, but it’s “cooked” enough in the spring to spread it on the vegetable garden. (Stopped by from the HomeAcre Hop!)
That’s all that counts. I don’t worry much about the ratios.
I just have a big pile where I throw everything. Thanks for the good list of compostable things. The trouble with my big pile is that it gets too big to turn much but there’s still good stuff in the bottom!!
Well, I know that I don’t turn mine as much as I should either, but it all works out. Besides my bin, I also have a “pile”. I just moved stuff to one side to get at the good stuff!
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Just starting out….how long do you find it takes to start seeing results? How will I know if it’s heating up enough and decomposing (other than seeing it decompose)? What do you think about adding the bought enzymes that help break it down? Mine is just a pile out back, but we’ve thought about putting some chicken wire or something around it to contain it a little.
Hi Alissabeth! Composition time depends on a few things. Size of the material in the bin matters. Smaller items decompose more quickly than larger items. Moisture matters. If the material is dry, it will take forever to decompose, although you also don’t want it soaking wet. The availability of air is a consideration and turning the pile will add oxygen, so the pile will decompose more quickly. Don’t turn in very cold weather because it will actually cool the pile. Decomposition is just naturally slower in cold weather. An actual bin of some sort (like chicken wire) is helpful because it keeps the material from spreading out too much and volume helps in decomposition. There are thermometers available to monitor temperatures and when the temp goes below 110, it is time to turn the pile. If you keep the temperature over 110 and keep the carbon/nitrogen ratio ideal, your compost can be ready in a few months. Personally, I’m a more casual composter; only so much material is available to add to the pile and I mainly need the compost in the spring, so I just let nature take its course. I don’t bother with the expense of enzymes because the microorganisms are doing the work for me. I do turn my pile every few months – except in winter. Hope that helps.
Wow, I hadn’t realized how many things were actually compostable! Reading this post makes me motivated to give composting a try this year. It’s one of those things that I’ve thought about doing in the past but never really got around to it. I love the idea of not wasting so much AND having better soil for my garden!
Thanks for linking up to Old-Fashioned Friday! I hope you’ll stop by again!
I hope you give it a try, Lori. Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Susan! I actually just started composting last year–nothing fancy, just a great big old pile in the corner of our backyard. What has been the best part of it (besides using the very first finished product when planting a hemlock tree in our backyard), is the time I’ve spent with James, explaining it to him and having him help. He loves picking up leaves and twigs and garden waste and taking it down, he loves the worms and bugs, he loves telling me that it’s time to turn it and dragging the hose down to sprinkle some water on it if it’s been dry. And today, actually, I got a few supplies to make a basic vermicomposting bin. Just have to find some wigglers now! xoxo
Sounds like you have a gardener in the making, Rosalyn! You’re the sweetest mom!