{"id":113381,"date":"2020-06-23T11:59:23","date_gmt":"2020-06-23T16:59:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/?p=113381"},"modified":"2021-06-01T22:30:33","modified_gmt":"2021-06-02T03:30:33","slug":"how-to-get-started-with-composting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/skills\/how-to-get-started-with-composting\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Started With Composting"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Waste<\/p>\n

Once upon a time, I figured composting was either for serious gardeners or \u201czero waste\u201d type folks who spent a lot of time and energy on reducing their carbon footprint. As it turns out, though, composting doesn\u2019t have to be a big, zeal-requiring commitment; you can, in fact, take it slow, experiment, and see if it\u2019s something that works for your life and property, and the benefits extend to people and households of <\/span>all<\/span><\/i> types.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s also a practice that fits with all budgets. While you can buy a large compost bin online or at your local gardening center for a price that almost always runs into triple digits (with \u201cfancy\u201d ventilated and easy-turning models getting close to $500!), you can readily take the DIY route for a cost of just $10.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve been interested in getting started with composting, today I\u2019ll walk you through all the basics you need to know, from how to create a composting bin in less than 10 minutes to maintaining all the waste you put in it.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Are the Benefits of Composting?<\/span><\/h3>\n

I long asked myself this question before digging in and actually finding the answer. Here\u2019s what I discovered from research and experience:<\/span><\/p>\n

It helps the environment by reducing how much waste you send to landfills.<\/b> It\u2019s estimated that somewhere between \u00bc and \u00bd of all household waste is organic in nature. Not all of that can be composted (see lists below), but most can. When you reduce your own waste, you decrease the volume of trash you send to landfills. This does two things: 1) slows down how fast landfills reach capacity, and 2) reduces the harmful methane gas that landfills spew into the air (which happens when waste is compacted and has no oxygen, changing its byproduct from CO2 to harmful methane).<\/span><\/p>\n

It creates healthy soil and fertilizer.<\/b> There are a <\/span>ton<\/span><\/i> of very sciencey horticultural benefits to composting. In short: composting can amend your gardening and planting soil to create a healthy growing environment, especially in places that don\u2019t naturally have great soil (like here in the Denver area). Soil and fertilizer are not cheap; take advantage of your own trash! <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s surprisingly fun! <\/b>Observing the process of the healthy destruction of your own food waste is like a real-life episode of <\/span>Magic School Bus<\/span><\/i>. It gives you a bit of wonder at the life cycle of nature — \u201cunto dust shalt thou return\u201d and whatnot. Plus the kids think it\u2019s kinda fun, and it instills in them some idea about doing right by Planet Earth. <\/span><\/p>\n

Types of Composting<\/span><\/h3>\n

Aerobic Backyard Composting. <\/b>This is what I\u2019m showing you in this article. With either a large bin or <\/span>an aerated pile in some other structure<\/span><\/a>, you create a backyard compost pile that requires some maintenance and has some limits on what you can toss in. It\u2019s aerobic because it\u2019s using oxygen to maintain a healthy, non-smelly pile that creates a nutrient-rich product at the end. <\/span><\/p>\n

Vermicomposting. <\/b>This type of composting utilizes worms in the process, and can be done either indoors or outdoors in an even more contained environment. Requires some maintenance and volume is generally less than what you\u2019ll get from a standard pile in the backyard, but worms will naturally improve your soil to a higher degree and also provide some additional aeration through their eating and tunnel-digging. <\/span><\/p>\n

Home Pickup. <\/b>Composting services that come to your home once or twice a month and pick up the contents of a large bin — just like your trash or recycling bin \u2014 are becoming more and more common. They haul away your organic waste and scraps, compost it en masse, then generally sell back the soil and fertilizer either to garden centers or the public directly. It does cost money \u2014 $30\/month seems pretty common \u2014 but there are generally no restrictions on meat and dairy, which allows you to recycle even more of your waste. <\/span><\/p>\n

How to Compost Using a Backyard Bin<\/span><\/h3>\n

If you choose to go the aerobic composting route, you could literally get started by simply creating a pile of waste somewhere in your backyard.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, containing your composting within a bin is the easiest way to start into it for a few reasons: <\/span><\/p>\n

First, it\u2019s a cleaner, tidier look than making a big pile of dirt and kitchen scraps in some corner of your yard. Depending on the neighborhood, an open compost pile may not even be allowable. While you can make some sort of larger protective covering for an open pile, it takes a bit more work and commitment. Start small and tidy to see if it\u2019s for you. While many folks then go larger at some point, certainly not all do. <\/span><\/p>\n

Second, a covered bin keeps the smell at bay.<\/span> While pro composters all claim that a healthy pile should smell more fresh than rancid, the reality is that rotting food scraps still smell unpleasant, even when doing what nature intended them to do. If you have a large property and your neighbors aren\u2019t real close by, by all means keep an open pile if you don\u2019t mind. But in many communities, the lid provides some smell protection to both you and your neighbors. <\/span><\/p>\n

Third, the bin keeps larger critters out of your compost pile.<\/span> You need some \u201cscavengers\u201d; bugs and bacteria are essential to breaking down food scraps and other waste material. But the bigger creatures \u2014 squirrels, raccoons, etc. \u2014 will only be a nuisance. Again, if you go with a bigger composting system, there are other ways to avoid that, but for starter purposes, the covered bin is your best bet. <\/span><\/p>\n

Making the Compost Bin <\/h3>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

All you need to create your compost bin is a large plastic bin with lid, a drill, and some starter material.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pick a bin that\u2019s in a dark or neutral color, as to not stand out too much in your yard. The bigger the better; mine is about 1.5\u2019 x 2\u2019, and about 2\u2019 deep. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Rubbenmaid<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve got your bin, use a drill (or a knife) to create 10-15 holes in the bottom and in the lid; this will allow for the drainage and air flow that are essential in maintaining a healthy compost pile. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Several<\/p>\n

That\u2019s pretty much it. Next you\u2019ll fill your aerated bin with starter material, the contents of which I\u2019ll explain next.<\/span><\/p>\n

Starting Your Compost Pile<\/h3>\n

Getting your actual compost started isn\u2019t <\/span>quite<\/span><\/i> as easy as just tossing in your kitchen scraps, but it\u2019s not far off. A healthy compost pile has the proper mix of what\u2019s called \u201cbrown materials\u201d and \u201cgreen materials.\u201d These can be confusing terms, as the color of the items isn\u2019t really what it\u2019s about. Green vs. brown is more about fresh vs. dried, or nitrogen-rich vs. carbon-rich. <\/span><\/p>\n

Green matter, for the most part, consists of food scraps, fresh yard clippings, soil (which is considered \u201cgreen\u201d despite its color), etc. \u2014 these things are high in nitrogen. Brown matter is anything dried and devoid of those nutrients \u2014 sticks, dry leaves and yard clippings, paper materials, ashes even. <\/span><\/p>\n

What green and brown materials do is balance each other out so that you get a pile that breaks down into healthy soil in a timely manner. A pile that consists of only brown materials \u2014 dried yard clippings, sticks, paper, etc. \u2014 takes a <\/span>long<\/span><\/i> time to break down. Without that organic material, it just sits there. A pile of only green organic material, on the other hand, could easily turn into a stinking pile of moldy, slimy, and unusable mush. The greens need the balance of the drier material to get to that sweet spot of breaking down into usable soil in 2-6 weeks. (Note that green material, especially yard waste, dries and eventually breaks down to become brown material before breaking down further.) <\/span><\/p>\n

To start your compost bin, go with 2 or 3 parts brown material for 1 part green material. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Waste<\/p>\n

In my bin, I put about 6 inches of dried leaves and small twigs at the bottom. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Nitrogen<\/p>\n

\"Kitchen<\/p>\n

Then I added a few inches of nitrogen-rich soil and a small pile of kitchen scraps (including corn cobs, which are technically \u201cbrown\u201d material). <\/span><\/p>\n

You can buy compost \u201cstarter\u201d that provides some healthy microbes to get things kickstarted in your pile. <\/span><\/p>\n

What You Can\/Can\u2019t Put Into Your Compost Pile<\/h3>\n

When it comes to what you can toss into your composting bin, it\u2019s largely a matter of what\u2019s organic, biodegradable, and natural; the waste that readily breaks down, and that you wouldn\u2019t mind converting into soil, to grow food, that you\u2019d feel good about eating. <\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than keeping an open pile of scraps on your kitchen counter, use a contained, smell-dampening vessel<\/a> which you can bring out to the pile once every day or two. <\/p>\n

What to Put In<\/b><\/p>\n