The Do’s and Don’ts of Composting
Don’t accidentally compost in the bottom of your purse… and many other good pointers.
Decomposition happens, whether you planned it or not. This part of the life cycle of a plant is often overlooked or ignored, but it’s actually a very cool part of gardening. Plants grow, produce, and eventually die and break down into compost.
Compost enriches your soil with nutrients and diminishes your daily trash. It’s a rockstar in the garden!
That thing was at one point a really good intention.
So the other day, I randomly decided to clean out my purse. Yep, found this beauty. I texted a friend and told her “I’m winning at life!”
My husband and I also had a good laugh about it. Here’s what he wrote about my accidental in-purse composting: "One way to tell if something is wholesome and nutritious for you and your family is to perform the bottom-of-the-purse-rot.”
Joking aside, how can you compost in your own backyard? The four main components of composting are: Green matter, brown matter, air, and water.
Here are a few Do’s:
If it comes from a plant, you can compost it! It might sound “crunchy” or slightly weird, but it doesn’t have to be! Next time you cut up an apple or peel an orange, you have composting material. (Remember the 20 pounds of potatoes you peeled at Thanksgiving? Definitely composting material).
Compost your egg shells! They add calcium to your soil, which your plants will love. Tomato plants that are calcium deficient produce tomatoes with big black spots on them. No bueno.
Coffee, Coffee, Coffee! Throw the old coffee grounds into the compost and they will add nitrogen to the soil. I buy unbleached coffee filters and I throw those in there too!
Composting is a balance of nitrogen and carbon. Think brown and green material. Brown matter: dead leaves, saw dust from untreated wood, brown paper or newspapers cut in strips all add carbon to the mix. Green matter: Grass clippings, kitchen scraps, weeds, etc will add nitrogen.
Keep airflow and moisture going! If you are starting an active composting pile, mix it regularly and water it if it gets really dry. It will heat up and break down faster. This is optional. It’s ok to let nature do its thing, but things will go faster if you give them some attention.
Here are a few don’ts of composting:
No dairy, no meat, no animal product (egg shells are the exception). Pests would be attracted to those. Avoid those and… you’re welcome.
Don’t be “that neighbor.” Be strategic on where you place your compost. As excited as you might be about composting, your neighbor might not be excited to stare at your old carrot peels while he’s sitting on his patio. You can get a composter bin, or simply hide your “pile” with something that looks nice.
Don’t put active compost in your garden while the plants are growing. I throw kitchen scraps directly in my garden during the winter, but not during the gardening season. Compost that is still breaking down can be higher in temperature and you don’t want to add stress to your plants.
The homemade composting bin I built out of recycled pallets.
The opening faces the woods, so no one is actually looking at that.
You can get a composting tumbler if your yard is rather small. Keep in mind that air flow is important to composting! I like on-ground composting, because the worms and other micro-organisms have access to it to work their magic!
With the right balance and set up, what is discarded can be transformed into something rich and useful. From the accidental bottom-of-the-purse rot to the intentional repurposing of the unwanted, we can witness slow miracles.