Compost Pile
Composting is easy with the right mix of food scraps, yard waste, and air. This craft breaks down what to add, what to avoid, and how to keep your compost healthy for rich, fertile soil.
Inventory
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Tools & Equipment
- Compost Bin
Compost bins come in many shapes, sizes, and costs. For a simple solution, you can purchase a round bin called the Geobin. - Pitchfork or Compost Fork
- Shovel
- Compost Thermometer - also measures pH and moisture levels
- Hose
- Heavy Duty Gloves
- Wheelbarrow or Cart- optional - for transporting large quantities of ingredients.
- Compost Aerator - optional
- Garden Shredder - optional - for breaking down plant materials
- Composting Bags - optional - for collecting materials
- Compost Screen - optional - for filtering unfinished materials
Reusable Materials
- Covering - Plastic, Canvas, or Burlap
Ingredients
Browns
Carbon-rich | Provides Energy
- Dry Plant Materials: dried leaves, dried grass clippings, pine needles, corn stalks, straw
- Woody Materials: twigs and small branches, wood chips, sawdust, bark, toothpicks
- Paper Products: newspaper, cardboard, paper bags, paper towels and napkins, toilet paper, and paper towel rolls (Avoid glossy coated paper and cardboard)
- Natural Fibers: cotton & wool scraps, lint, burlap sacks (Avoid synthetic materials)
- Other: dry hay, dry weeds (before seeding), nut shells, pine cones, tea bags, coffee filters, natural cork
Greens
Nitrogen-rich | Provides Fuel for Growth & Reproduction
- Vegetable & Fruit Scraps: vegetable peelings, fruit peels & cores, overripe or spoiled fruits & vegetables, pits, pulp from juicing (Cut into small pieces, preferably organic)
- Food Waste: coffee grounds, used tea, leftover cooked foods (avoid oily, fatty, meaty foods), herbs & spices, seaweed
- Yard Waste: fresh cut grass clippings, green leaves, garden weeds, fresh flowers
- Animal Products: herbivore manure, eggshells (rinsed)
- Natural Fibers & Other: hair & fur, nail clippings, cotton balls, 100% cotton fabric, hemp,
- Fruit Peels & Cores: banana peels, apple cores, citrus rinds, etc.
Instructions
It should be no surprise that decomposing food and other matter may carry potential bacteria or pathogens. Working with compost is generally safe, but some precautions must be taken.
1. Beware of airborne spores. When compost is dry, bacteria and fungi can travel through its dust. In this case, cover your face with a mask or cloth to protect your airways. You can also dampen the compost to minimize its spread through the wind.
2. Protect your skin. Wear heavy-duty gloves to prevent bacteria from entering scrapes and cuts or getting lodged under your fingernails. Always wash your hands with soap and water after working with compost. Also, consider maintaining your tetanus shot because tetanus is common in soil and manure.
3. Wash your food. Just like food from the store, wash it before you use it. Home-grown does not mean risk-free.
Fill your compost
When you first start your compost, it should be at least 3' x 3' x 3' to generate the heat necessary to jumpstart decomposition. Save up materials until you have enough.
Start with a layer of browns 4-6 inches thick (it’s good to use the chunkier stuff here, like shredded cardboard, twigs, straw, etc). If they are dry, sprinkle a little water to dampen them like a sponge. Then, add a layer of greens 2-4 inches thick. Continue adding layers of browns and greens in the same manner until you reach the minimum height. Cover it with a tarp to protect against the elements and pests.
Always leave your pile with a fresh layer of browns on top. This will help deter pests and keep the temperatures elevated for decomposition.
Browns and greens should be maintained at a ratio of 30:1 carbon-to-nitrogen, so the brown layer will always be a little thicker than the greens.
Maintain your compost
Take the temperature of your compost every day for the initial week. After a few days, you will notice temperatures rising. When it drops below 120 °F, that's your sign to turn it.
To turn: Place another frame next to your compost (unless you use a pile). Reach into your compost and assess its moisture level, smell, and texture. It should be damp like a sponge. If it's dry and crumbly, add water like you did when forming it. If it's too wet or smelly, add some more browns in layers as you turn it.
The goal is to get the content on the top and outermost sides on the inside where the heat is and the inside on the outer edges as much as possible. Use your pitchfork or compost fork to transfer the materials from the first bin to the new one, adding water or browns as needed.
Continue to take its temperature, following the same protocol. After the temperature drops, turn it again. Eventually, the temperatures won't rise. This means that it's entering the final phase of maturation. Turning doesn't need to be done as frequently in this stage; it is just enough to keep things moving and aerated.
It usually takes a few weeks before the heating stops. If you’re not sure if it’s done heating, try troubleshooting methods to get it to heat or turn it again to see if it will rise.
Time: Between 8 weeks and 6 months
You'll know it's finished when it is dark, crumbly, uniform, and has an earthy aroma.
Modifications
Hot Compost
The critical difference between a hot compost pile and an ordinary compost pile is that a hot compost must maintain temperatures between 130°F and 160°F during the initial decomposition to kill weed seeds and pathogens. It also produces compost faster. So, staying on top of taking the temperature and turning it when necessary is vital to maintaining a hot compost. Follow the same recipe below, but turn at 130°F instead of 120 °F.
Takes 4-6 weeks to 3 months
Borderless Pile
If you don't want or have a structure for your compost, that's okay. Just ensure it's at least 3' x 3' x 3', and keep a tarp over it.
Continuous Compost
When you don't have all the ingredients required for a full-size compost, you can start a continuous compost, adding ingredients as they build up. Start it the same way, with a layer of straw or sticks on the bottom. Add greens as they become available, then cover them with twice as many browns. Place a tarp on top to protect against the elements and pests. Turn to help increase temperatures and allow a more even decomposition. You can save turning for spring and fall or as often as you like—know that fewer turns mean slower compost. Be sure to aerate it regularly to compensate for fewer turns. Harvest with a compost screen, throw any unfinished matter back into the pile, or use it in a full-size compost.
Takes 6 months to 1 year
Trench Compost
You can use a trench compost to compost directly in the ground around your garden bed or in a location you plan to plant eventually. Dig a trench 12-18 inches deep and as long as necessary. Fill the trench similarly to the compost pile, adding layers of brown and greens and maintaining a ratio of 30:1 carbon to nitrogen. Cover the trench with soil and allow it to decompose for several weeks to months.
Screen Your Compost
If your compost is not fully decomposed (a common problem with continuous compost), you can filter it with a compost screen. Place one over a wheelbarrow, container, or the area you want to use compost. Shovel the compost onto the screen. Return large, unfinished pieces to the compost or remove them altogether.
Screened compost is not necessary. It can be beneficial to place unfinished compost in a garden bed and allow the remaining ingredients to decompose in the garden, so long as it doesn’t contain weed seeds or pathogenic materials. This encourages soil life and adds fertility. However, screening is valuable for gathering ingredients for a new pile or if you prefer the aesthetics of fine compost.
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