Home Composting: Five Easy Steps

For the average, mainstream Marylander, starting a home compost pile may sound ridiculously West Coast (or -- dare I utter the words today -- New England!) But once you get started, you'll be surprised at how amazingly easy it is, and by how many benefits it has to offer -- for the environment, your community and your own household.

Step One: Get the Facts

Basic: Composting is what nature does on its own, very efficiently and well. Take a walk in the forest and sift through the layers on the ground.  On top will be freshly-fallen leaves; below, leaves and twigs in various stages of decay; below that, rich organic matter that would boost production in any garden.  Left to its own devices, any living matter will decompose, and by applying a few selective rules, you can take advantage of that process.

Advanced: The forest floor is an example of anaerobic decomposition; this means it takes place without air and with very little effort, other than the inadvertent turning of soil that happens when animals amble through it.  If you're in no hurry and don't mind waiting a few years to use your compost, you can do the same thing in your yard, but if you want to access it in a matter of months, you'll need to speed up the process.  More on that later.

Step Two: Find a Container

Basic: if you have a large yard, or an area you don't mind being slightly unsightly from time to time, your "container" can be as simple as a patch of ground. An empty trash bin also works great, but drill some holes in the bottom for drainage. If you're handy, build one yourself with chicken wire, shipping pallets or another low-cost material.

Advanced: if you have a little more time and money to spend, consider an "official" composting container.  Anne Arundel County gives them away for free to residents, so this may not be as much of an expense depending on where you live.  If you're looking to buy, beware flimsy plastic bins: we once ordered one that was smashed to pieces by the time it arrived at our house.  Look for durable construction and ease of access.

Step Two: Gather Materials

Easy: Aim for mostly browns with a little green mixed in.  Browns include dried leaves and grass, straw and even sawdust -- things that look brown -- as well as newspaper.  Greens are fresh materials: grass clippings, leaves and weeds, and kitchen scraps like coffee grounds, eggshells and vegetable peelings.

Better: The smaller your pieces, the faster they will decompose.  Large branches won't work, and leaves will break down faster if you run a lawnmower over them first.  Crush your eggshells by hand (this can be wonderfully cathartic.)  Chop up larger items, like broccoli stems and grapefruit peels.  Shred or tear newspaper into small strips.

Step Three: Water

Easy: Water feeds the bacteria that are working hard to decompose your trash. Your compost pile should be damp, but not sopping: leave the cover or lid off when it rains, and give it a sprinkle when you're watering the garden or lawn (and when you turn it, below.)

Better: The correct consistency is that of a wrung-out sponge; the pile should feel and smell like a damp forest.  Time and practice will give you better instincts.

Step Four: Air

Easy: You can skip this step, or be lazy about it, but remember it will be much longer (years) before you get to use your compost.  It's still better than sending your organic matter to a landfill, where estimates suggest it will decompose roughly 50 percent every 20 years in the presence of non-biodegradable trash.

Better: Turn your pile every few weeks.  It's easier to do this if you have two bins, since you can empty one into the other. If not, grab a pitchfork or shovel and go at it.  The more air get to the beneficial bacteria, the more quickly the matter will break down.

Step Five: Troubleshoot

Easy: Avoid all animal products except eggshells: fat and bones attract nasty pests, and animal waste contains harmful pathogens. If the bin is too wet, it needs more drainage and less water; too dry, more water or green materials.  If it smells bad, add more brown material and be sparing about kitchen scraps until the problem is solved.

Better: worms will find your compost on their own, but you can give it a jump-start by adding your own (file this under Things You Never Guessed You Could Buy Online.)

When is it Done?

Finished compost will look like the organic matter you buy from gardening stores: dark brown, warm and damp, with barely-discernable bits of sticks and leaves sprinkled throughout.  It will contain the leaves that made your yard look trashy, the produce that languished in your crisper drawer too long and the weeds you pulled from your vegetable and flower beds, and it will go right back to work making your plants beautiful and strong.