Learn how to compost at home, what to compost (and what to skip!), plus tips for collecting food waste and dealing with problems. Create amazing soil for your garden!<\/p>\n
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\n<\/picture>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nEach year, our family enjoys having a vegetable garden<\/a> on our homestead<\/a>. For most families, that means considering how much space you have versus what you want to grow, and strategic planting to ensure the plants get enough sun and water to produce a nice harvest.<\/p>\n Grocery-budget-conscious<\/a> families may also consider what the most expensive produce to buy in their area is and try to grow it instead to maximize savings.<\/p>\n My family is a little different, though. The first thing we do before any plants or seeds go into our garden is tend to the compost pile to create nutrient-rich compost to add to our garden soil. This guide will teach you all things composting!<\/p>\n Before we start, you might be asking, \u201cWhat is compost and why do I want it?\u201d<\/p>\n Compost is a mixture of all kinds of organic matter, like food scraps and outdoor material (leaves, grass clippings, etc.), that breaks down into nutrient-rich soil that you can add to your existing garden to help your plants grow better. It\u2019s basically nature\u2019s way of recycling!<\/p>\n As microbes break down the organic materials in your compost, it heats up. That\u2019s good! The warmth keeps the action happening. The ideal internal temperature for a compost pile is between 130 and 140 degrees, which will happen without much effort on your part, even in cooler weather. Turning the compost monthly helps everything break down evenly.<\/p>\n Aside from the environmental benefits of composting<\/a>, which breaks down organic materials and transforms them into rich, fertilizing soil\u2026composting is also:<\/p>\n To start composting at home, you\u2019ll need:<\/p>\n Getting started composting is SUPER easy.<\/strong> Once you\u2019ve got your basic supplies, you\u2019re ready to start.<\/p>\n Some people choose to start vermicomposting, or using worms (red wigglers specifically), to help speed up the composting process in a worm bin. It can be a store-bought one<\/a> or just a big Tupperware bin.<\/p>\n Worm composting is done by adding vegetable scraps, fruit scraps, green materials, and dried leaves to a bin of soil and allowing the worms to digest the organic material as it passes through their bodies while they move and wiggle around. A worm compost bin needs to be between 59 and 77 degrees, so you may need to insulate it or keep it inside depending on the climate where you live.<\/p>\n If you have a compost pit in the yard, earthworms will usually find their way to it naturally.<\/p>\n For the best compost, you want a mixture of carbon-rich browns (yard waste) and nitrogen-rich greens (food scraps), plus air circulation and a small amount of water. Smaller pieces will break down faster than large items.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019re set up, follow this compost how-to guide to keep your compost going.<\/p>\n Note: You probably don\u2019t want to bring your fresh compost into the house since it will likely be home to many little critters.<\/em><\/p>\n What issues can you run into when you start composting? Let\u2019s talk about them.<\/p>\n Yes! As an accompaniment to gardening, it\u2019s a very worthwhile routine that is fun for the whole family!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Different organic materials take different lengths of time to transform into compost. Food waste is quicker than twigs or sticks. Paper from coffee filters or tea bags takes longer than organic waste. The bottom of the pile or bin<\/a> will break down first, so this is why it is important to turn the pile monthly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Yes! You can add moldy vegetables and fruit to your compost. Mold cells are microorganisms that take care of decomposition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Yes, and no. Dairy, such as cheese, is high in fat which can slow down the composting process. It also doesn\u2019t have a lot of material that will compost. If you mix dairy with dry material it can be blended into compost.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n A compost tumbler is a handy bin with a handle that you can turn by cranking the handle around, making turning the compost even easier. You can find them in a garden supply shop or online<\/a>. These are especially helpful for people with limited space, and they tend not to smell or attract insects.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Yes and no. You can continue to add to your compost pit or compost bin over the winter. If it\u2019s too cold outside (below freezing), your compost may not break down very quickly or at all. However, once the temperature heats up again, the composting process will pick back up. Keep your pile covered with grass clippings to avoid pests until it warms back up.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Sign up for my FREE Fight Inflation Workshop<\/strong>\u00a0and learn simple strategies to save money, even with rising food costs!\n\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nWHAT IS COMPOST?<\/h2>\n
WHY SHOULD YOU COMPOST?<\/h2>\n
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BASIC SUPPLIES FOR COMPOSTING<\/h2>\n
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HOW TO COMPOST: GETTING STARTED<\/h2>\n
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USING A WORM COMPOST BIN<\/h2>\n
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\n<\/picture>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nWHAT CAN YOU PUT IN A COMPOST BIN?<\/h2>\n
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DON\u2019T COMPOST THESE THINGS:<\/h2>\n
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\n<\/picture>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nCOMPOST HOW-TO<\/h2>\n
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POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH COMPOSTING<\/h2>\n
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\n<\/picture>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nFAQS FOR COMPOSTING PITS<\/h2>\n
Is home composting easy?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
How long does it take to compost?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Can I put moldy fruit in my compost?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Can you compost dairy products?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
What is a composting tumbler?<\/h3>\n
Can you compost in cold weather?<\/h3>\n
MORE GARDENING TIPS<\/h2>\n
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Fight Inflation Workshop!<\/h4>\n
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