How to compost, a guide for absolute beginners

I’m so used to compost at this point that I forget it can be kind of intimidating. Compost involves science, garbage, smells, what to even put in there?, and (potentially) attracts animals. A quick skim of the internet isn’t particularly helpful, either, and might leave you feeling like you need a phD in biology just to have a backyard heap. Phew. So where to begin, if you’re a beginner?

First, ask yourself: “Why am I composting?”

The path to your perfect heap lies therein. If you’re composting just to get rid of your food scraps and yard waste in a sustainable fashion, you can be a lot more casual about your pile than somebody who is looking to use their compost for gardening. If you’re a gardener or farmer, you’ll want to be more deliberate about your approach, and probably dig into the more technical aspects. You will not find those technical aspects here. Instead, I’m going to focus on some of the basic principles of compost, for the very beginner. That means I’m going to simplify nuance in favor of easy comprehension, and give prescriptive advice instead of describing constellations of context-dependent possibilities.

Enjoy!

What is compost?

Compost is organic matter that is in the process of decaying. All organic matter decays, anyway, of course. When you compost, you’re simply speeding up this naturally-occurring process by creating an ideal environment for all of natures’s handy decomposers like aerobic bacteria, different types of fungi, nematodes, pill bugs, beetles, and worms. No matter where you live, or what size or type of compost you plan to build, you’ll need the same basic elements to get your compost going: nitrogen (a little) and carbon (a lot), plus air, and water. Nitrogen comes from things like food scraps, coffee grounds, green grass clippings, and animal manure. Carbon comes from woody matter and brown yard waste, like dead leaves, woodchips, or even soil. Air comes from turning the pile, and incorporating sturdy carbon materials throughout the heap to provide aeration and prevent compaction. Water comes from rain, a hose, or your kitchen sink.

Pretty simple.

Some confusion can come from the fact that the ingredients of a compost pile are referred to variously as “greens” and “browns” or “nitrogen” and “carbon” across a variety of online compost guides. Personally, it took me forever to sort it out. To help you out, though: nitrogen is “green” and carbon is “brown,” nitrogen/green tends to be actually green, or anything moist or slimey, carbon/brown tends to be stuff that is actually brown, or bulky and dry. If you’re not sure, look up the specific material online. For example: “Are dead leaves carbon or nitrogen?” It works surprisingly well to look things up ingredient-by-ingredient, as needed, versus grappling with an entire guide.

Building your compost

To build your pile, you’ll simply want to heap everything—carbon, nitrogen, air, water—together, in one place. If you have a backyard or access to any outdoor area, that can be in the form of a big open-air heap, or in a hole you’ve dug in the ground, or inside of a compost bin that you’ve purchased at the store. If you live in an apartment, it can simply be inside of a plastic bag that you stash under the sink. (Remember: I hate fancy counter-top composting devices.)

When you build your initial compost, it helps to alternate layers of carbon with layers of nitrogen. It also helps to break things down into their smallest possible parts. If you’re up for it, chop your food scraps up into tiny bits. Break twigs down. Shred leaves and chop grass. Then, wet the pile. An ideal pile is moist, but not sopping. Use your best judgement.

That’s all there is to it. Shred, layer, and wet.

It’s also good to note that any compost pile should be about 50/50 carbon materials and nitrogen materials, but if you have to—err on the side of being carbon-heavy. Too much nitrogen causes more problems (smells, compaction) than too much carbon.

Tending your compost

To maintain your compost, you’ll want to add new materials on a regular basis. You’ll also want to mix, stir, and turn everything on occasion.  

When it comes to adding new materials, balance is key. Add a little nitrogen each time you add carbon, and add carbon each time you add nitrogen. For example, if you’re adding a big bowl of food scraps from last night’s dinner (reminder: that’s nitrogen!), throw in a few handfuls of dead leaves (carbon!), at the same time or soon after. Personally, I like to dig a small hole in the top of my pile, add the food scraps, and then cover them with leaves or twigs.

I also add a little water if the pile is looking dry.  

From time-to-time, you’ll also want to completely turn your compost over. This brings all the material on the outer and upper edges of your compost into the center and bottom, which ensures everything has a chance to break down. It also aids with ongoing aeration. Most composters will turn their piles every 4-5 weeks. If your compost starts to get hot, you can turn as frequently as every 2 weeks.

Using Your Compost

Your compost is ready to use when it starts looking and smelling like fresh, dark, crumbly earth. There isn’t usually an exact timeframe that this happens in, but use your eyes and follow your nose, and you should be just fine. You can use your finished compost in your garden, your houseplants, give it away to friends, or donate it to a local school or farm. I mentioned this in last week’s issue, but you can also “guerrila compost” (like me). That means walking around and putting your compost in various public areas, like roadside crevices and parkways.

I hope this basic guide is a helpful starting point for anybody who is just starting out on their compost journey. If I missed something, or if you have more questions, write back and let me know. I also accept pictures of your home compost.

Love,

Cass