Last Updated on August 23, 2023
How to Compost for Beginners
Hey there, do you want to learn how to compost for beginners? This is Tim from Organic Backyard Gardening. For years, I have been using only 100% compost in my garden and have seen amazing results with super healthy plants and excellent yields.
In this quick video and article, I will show you why composting is important, how to compost for beginners, and the differences between a bin and a tumbler. He will also share tips and tricks he has learned along the way.
Why Composting is Important
Composting is a natural process that takes place on the forest floor. Leaves, pine needles, and twigs are all broken down by microorganisms, turning into rich, nutrient-filled soil to feed and grow new plant life in your garden. Every time you grow vegetables, nutrients are being taken out of the soil, so it is important to give back more to the soil than you take out. This is where composting comes in.
Many people feed their plants synthetic fertilizers or organic water-soluble fertilizers, but these only provide short-term gains. If the soil is never fed, it will eventually become depleted, and crops will be starved and always dependent on fertilizers.
What Can You Compost
To make compost you first need to know what you can compost. Making compost consist of green material (nitrogen) and brown material (carbons) as well as water, air, and microorganisms.
Examples of Green material can consist of grass clippings, weeds, flowers, coffee grounds, kitchen waste, and garden waste.
Examples of Brown material can consist of dry leaves, hay, twigs, sawdust, paper, cardboard.
It is important to note that you should not compost meat, fish, bread, dairy, or anything that may attract rodents or have a strong smell.
You also should not compost anything that is heavily coated with paper or large branches as they will not break down.
The Composting Process and How to Compost for Beginners
There are two different ways to make compost:
A hot pile and a cold pile.
A hot pile is when you have enough material on hand to make one big pile and you typically use 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen based on weight, not volume. You put everything into a pile and then anywhere from 24 to 36 hours later, you will start to heat out. It will get up anywhere from 141 degrees to 155 degrees and stay there for several days or weeks. You can measure with a compost thermometer and turn the pile as the temperature goes down to keep everything mixed to ensure the reaction continues taking place. The good thing about this is that it kills weed seeds.
A cold pile decays over time. You add small amounts and continue adding to the pile. This may take about a year, whereas a hot composting pile will take maybe months. This method won’t kill the weed seeds, but if you’re mulching the garden bed after putting the compost down, you don’t have to worry about the weed seeds growing. Remember to ad much more carbon than nitrogen.
See this handy Composting for the Home Gardener [fact sheet] from the University of New Hampshire.
Compost Bins vs. Tumblers
Tumblers make it easy to mix the compost, you can mix it by hand right on the tumbler, that speeds up the composting time. You can also easily access the finished compost and they look a little more neat in some of the residential areas. However, they can get quite expensive. Here is a highly reviewed/inexpensive tumbler on Amazon. When just learning how to compost for beginners tumblers can be a great first start.
With compost bins, it may be a little more difficult to turn over the compost pile over.
You may have to use a pitchfork, but they are much cheaper and you can easily make them from recycled material. See my video on how I build one out of wood pallets. If you are looking to buy one, here is an inexpensive wire compost bin.
How to Compost For Beginners – Free
One way to make a simple compost bin is to use pallets to create a two-bay system. This allows for one pile to actively be breaking down while you can continue adding to the second bay. You can find pallets for free on websites like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. Make sure to properly stack and secure the pallets to create a sturdy and secure compost bin. This DIY compost bin is a cost-effective and easy way to start composting in your own backyard.
Composting for Beginners Can Be Easy
In this video, Tim has discussed the importance of composting, the components of composting, the process of composting, and the differences between compost bins and tumblers.
Remember, composting should be at the center of every garden.
If you found this video helpful, consider joining out mailing list below for weekly gardening tips.
Composting is a simple and natural way to improve the health of your soil and ultimately, your plants. By using materials that are readily available in your own backyard and following the steps outlined in this video, you too can start composting and see the benefits in your own garden.
Remember to always strive for a positive balance in the soil by giving back more than you take out and to keep in mind what should and should not be included in your compost pile. Happy composting!
List of Helpful Composting Items
Below includes several helpful items for composting, including an indoor collection scrap bin, a compost starter, compostable trashbags, compostable coffee filters, and a book called “Let it Rot.” These items are available for purchase on Amazon and can be used to make composting easier and more efficient. The indoor collection scrap bin is a convenient way to collect kitchen scraps for composting, while the compost starter provides the necessary microorganisms to jumpstart the composting process. Compostable trash bags and coffee filters are environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional plastic bags, and the “Let it Rot” book provides in-depth information on the composting process.
Common Questions When Composting
A: Compost is a mixture of organic materials that have been broken down by microorganisms into a nutrient-rich soil amendment. It can be used to improve soil health and fertility, and to provide essential nutrients for plants.
A: Composting is a natural process that takes place on the forest floor, breaking down organic material into nutrient-rich soil to feed and grow new plant life in your garden. It is also important for maintaining a positive balance in the soil by giving back more than what is taken out.
A: Green materials, which provide nitrogen, can include grass clippings, weeds, flowers, coffee grounds, kitchen waste, and garden waste. Brown materials, which provide carbon, can include dry leaves, hay, twigs and more.
A: Meat, fish, bread, dairy, anything that may attract rodents or have a strong smell, and anything that is heavily coated with paper or large branches should not be composted.
A: A hot pile is when you have enough material on hand to make one big pile, typically using two parts carbon to one part nitrogen. The pile will heat up to between 141-155 degrees, killing weed seeds and will be finished within months. A cold pile decays over time and will take around a year to complete.
A: Compost tumblers make it easy to mix the compost and speeds up the composting time. It is also easy to access the finished compost, and they look more neat in residential areas. But they are expensive compared to compost bin.
A: Yes, you can easily make a compost bin from recycled materials like plastic drums or wooden pallets. They may be a little more difficult to turn the pile over, but they are much cheaper than buying a compost tumbler.
A: The correct ratio of brown to green in a compost pile is 30 parts brown to 1 part green by weight (not volume)
Need help planning your square-foot garden? No problem – we’re here to help.
Ready to plan your square-foot garden in minutes? With our easy-to-use tool, you can enter your zip code, draw your layout, and choose the plants you want to grow. We’ll send you a custom visual schedule, getting started guide, and plant layout specifically tailored to your square foot garden. Plus, you’ll receive a growing guide for each vegetable to help you get the most out of your garden. Don’t wait – get your custom square-foot garden plan today and start growing!
