Backyard Composting: The Easy Way

If you can remember two colors and two elements, you can create your own black gold from recyclable materials from your kitchen and yard. Making compost is almost a snap. No, it will not attract rats. No, it will not smell. Yes, it is easy to
do. 

Making compost is the process of controlled decomposition of organic matter by microbes. Compost, the product, is partially decomposed organic matter from your yard-garden and kitchen waste. Worms, insects of many types, and bacteria all break down the material to create it especially just for you. 

Compost has several benefits.

• Use it as a mulch to block weed seeds from germinating, which means less weeding for you.
• It builds the soil and provides a better growing medium for your plants. Build the soil first, then fertilize the plant.
• It improves soil structure (especially with sandy soils).
• It loosens and aerates the soil (especially clay, compacted soils).
• It improves water and nutrient retention. 

Just remember two plus two—two colors, brown and green, and two elements, air and water. The ratio of brown (carbon-based materials) to green (nitrogen-based materials) is 3:1. You can use many materials for composting. 

Brown (carbon or dry) materials decompose slowly and can include leaves, small twigs, straw, hay, wood chips, wood shavings, saw dust, pine needles, shredded newspaper, dried grasses, nut shells, potting soil from your containers, and ashes from your fireplace or fire pit. 

Green (nitrogen or wet) materials decompose quickly and can include green leaves, dead-headed flowers, vegetable scraps, fruit, grass clippings, egg shells, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags, weeds (before they go to seed), and manure from herbivores, such as horses, cows, rabbits, sheep, chickens). 

Never use these materials in your compost: 

• Diseased plants
• Fat, meat, chicken, fish, lard, grease, bones, whole eggs, any dairy products
• Walnut leaves are toxic to other plants (the chemical is juglone or for those of you who care, 5-hydroxy-alphanapthaquinone)
• Plastic, glass, metal, pesticides, oil, fuel (trust me, some folks add these)
• Do not use the glossy inserts from your local newspaper
• Cat, dog, pet or human waste 

You can easily build (or buy) a wide range of structures to enclose the materials for composting. For example, you can purchase plastic-resin bins. You can use old garbage cans, metal or plastic. Just drill some holes for air circulation around the can and at the bottom. Wooden pallets or cement blocks, formed into a closed or open square, or chicken wire formed into a circle are just a few popular examples. 

So, you have the materials right in your kitchen and in your yard. You have something to enclose the materials as they decompose. What are some ways you can make your own compost the easy way? Start today. Start this fall. 

Dump and fill method (the easiest):

Fill black or clear plastic garbage bags with your grass clippings, leaves, small twigs, and kitchen waste. Place the bags in a sunny location and over the winter the decomposition process will continue. By spring, half of the bag should be decomposed. If you are not in a hurry, leave the bag for another year and almost all of the material would be composted and ready to use. 

Lasagna-Layer Cake method (easy):

Do you have a vegetable or annual flower space in your yard? Mark out an area about 12-14 inches wide by 4 to 6 feet (or larger if you have the space). Remember the two colors? Lay sheets of newspaper or cardboard on the soil. These are your brown materials. Wet them so they do not blow away on you. Then layer green materials, such as plant residue, flowers, vegetable scraps, etc. Repeat the layering of brown-green materials. Add some water to each layer.

You can also add some potting soil or soil (brown materials) from your planting area. In the fall, my pile is at least 3 feet high. By spring it will compress to about 9 inches or so (depending on snow cover). You can leave the pile throughout the summer if you want and by the end of the season your pile should turn into great compost. You can speed up the process by roto-tilling the pile or turning it over by hand (more work, but that works). 

Dump and Turn method with a drum (expensive, caution):

You can purchase a resin drum that you fill with material and turn it every week or so by hand. The trick is to fill the drum about three-quarters full all at once. Then turn it as you want. You should have compost within two to four months.

However, if you continually add material to the drum you slow down the process and if you are not careful you will end up with a nice black, gooey, sometimes smelly, yukky whatisthatstuff. Fill it once, turn frequently, create great compost. Empty the drum and start all over for a second batch. 

Dump and Turn method with multiple bins (a bit more work):

Create at least three bins from wire, blocks, pallets, etc. Fill the first bin with your raw materials, using the green-brown-water layering technique mentioned above. If there is a thunder-boomer forecast for your yard, remove the cover and let your compost receive some free water and nitrogen (from the lightning). You do not need to cover your bins, but if you are worried about neighbors or critters, two or four-legged, then covers are fine.

When you have more material, take the material from bin number one and dump it into the second bin. The material that was on top in bin number one is now at the bottom of bin number two. Add some water as you go. You are automatically adding air by turning the material. Repeat the process throughout the summer. Ideally, by the end of the season and/or at the start of the next year, you will have one bin ready to use with great compost; one bin with raw material; and the third bin somewhere in between. 

Composting for success:

Regardless of which method you use, when you aerate at least twice a month you will realize greater (quicker) success. Cut any bush-tree trimmings into smaller pieces, say about an inch long. Locate your bins or bags in a sunny location if possible. If you use bins vs. bags, place small twigs at the bottom for better air circulation. Layer your materials—brown-green-brown, etc.—add some water as you go. Ideally, your compost should reach temperatures of 130-150 degrees for at least one to two weeks to kill any weed seeds and soil pathogens. 

Problems-Solutions:

• If your compost is not heating up properly, then you need to add more nitrogen or green, wet material.
• If your compost looks a bit gooey, then you need to add more carbon or brown, dry material. Remember the 3:1 ratio.
• Does your compost smell? You need to turn it over more frequently.
• Do you see four-legged critters roaming around or in your compost? Then you must have added some fat, meat, fish, or other “do not use” materials. 

Backyard composting is easy to do. It is environmentally friendly. It is a recycling process. It helps to build the soil and provide a better foundation for plant growth. Done properly, you should have ready-to-use compost in 2-12 months. Done properly, your compost will be as good as compost you purchase. 

Got questions? I will be glad to respond.