Vegetation thrives on healthy, rich soil packed with vitamins and nutrients and while we offer some wonderful products for instant soil gratification, we also encourage and enjoy some good old fashion composting – it’s great for your garden, the environment and it keeps the trash bill low!
So how should you start your compost bin and what do you want to put it in (and what should be left out)?
How to choose your compost container:
First of all, you’ll want something to capture your “ingredients” in. This should be a plastic bin of sorts, ideally with a spout at the bottom for easy capturing of the rich, ready soil, though any plastic container will due.
When choosing a bin, make sure to think about where you’d like to keep it and how much compost you plan to go through. A smaller bin fits perfectly in a kitchen to allow for easy composting. If you have a large family, or eat a lot of eggs, fruits and veggies, then an outdoor bin may be a better fit.
Make sure to not use a material that will end up composting itself! Cardboard is a great brown material that will compost down – good for the compost, bad for the storage of it.
Starting your compost:
Now that you have your container ready for catching scraps and clippings, you’ll want to start your compost. A healthy mix of brown and green ingredients is necessary for a good base, and starting off with some rich soil is a nice way to add a little extra boost right from the get go, though it’s not necessary.
Maintaining a balance of brown and green “ingredients” is necessary for effective composting. Brown ingredients will soak up excess moisture and green ingredients provide wonderful nutrients. Finding a balance can be tricky, but essential. There are lots of resources online to help to determine the weights and ratios of ingredients to use; trial and error can also be effective!
What to compost:
Once you start your compost, you should simply be able to add to it whenever you have something that will contribute to nurturing your compost. Here’s a list of things that DO go in compost:
Brown Ingredients:
Cardboard
Egg Shells
Dry leaves
Dry grass clippings
Saw dust
Wood chips
Paper towels
Coffee filters
Twigs
Green Ingredients:
Fresh grass clippings
Fruit cores and peels
Vegetable scraps
Coffee grounds
Bread and cereals
Used tea leaves/bags
And, importantly, what to NOT compost:
Human or animal feces (though, manure is fine)
Fish or animal byproducts (meat, skin, etc)
Dairy (milk, butter, cheese)
Products that don’t break down (plastic, glass, foil, etc)
Plants that like to shoot (potatoes, garlic, onions, etc – composing these things are possible, but take a bit more work, just be informed about how to compost them before trying!)
Are you a composter? What else would you add to our list? Let us know in the comments or reach out with questions here!
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