Let's Compost
This one's for you, Dad.
Interested in composting? I got you covered.
At a glance, composting can seem complicated, but it's actually increadible easy and can fit anyone's budget and space.
The WHY
Did I already mention affordability and feasibility? While that may not be a big reason as to why you should compost, it's certainly a good reason to ask yourself, why not? Composting has a range of benefits; one being the reduction in food waste. According to Environmental Defense Fund,160 billion pounds (80 million tons) of food is wasted every year in the United States. That is the equivalent weight of 200 Empire State Buildings. EVERY YEAR. Gross. So if some of this food waste can be converted into a low cost, nutrient-dense plant food, why not take advantage of it? Besides, if you already paid for the food or went through the work to grow it yourself, why not use every single bit of it?
The rest of the benefits pour out from the results of composting:
Cost: It's cheaper than purchasing compost at the store
Chemical-free: homemade compost will have fewer chemicals than in-store fertilizers and composts
Increased Quality: Compost in an organic state will improve soil health, root growth and nutrient absorption.
Less Pollution: No plastic packaging, no chemicals, no waste.
The WHAT
Composting is the process that breaks down organic materials into nutrient rich soil. In order for this process to be successful, there needs to be a balance between a few things. First, is the C-N Ratio. Second and more imporantly, we have the balance of oxygen (aeration), heat, and moisture. Spoiler alert: that beautiful balance of oxygen, heat and moisture can all be derived from your carbon and nitrogen levels.
3:1
The Carbon-Nitrogen Ratio controls the amount of carbon and nitrogen in your compost. Both elements are absolutely crucial for microorganisms to thrive and break down all of that organic matter. Now, there are a lot of opinions on what this perfect ratio is, and some composters don't even believe in using the carbon-nitrogen ratio, so take this as a general rule of thumb to get you on the right track. Whether you bother with ratios or not is entirely up to you, but what this will help you understand is the importance of each element and how you can play with this ratio for troubleshooting purposes.
Carbon-rich materials include dry leaves, bark, shredded paper and cardboard (without staples, glue, plastic coating), wood chips/sawdust, plant stalks, twigs, dry hay, etc. These materials provide several benefits to your compost. Paper and cardboard help absorb excess liquid, so your compost doesn't get slimy. Woody materials trap oxygen in pockets of space, helping with aeration. Carbon is also necessary for microorganisms to use as an energy source needed to break down organic matter. Too much carbon, however, will slow down the composting process, which is where our nitrogen-rich materials come in.
Nitrogen is essential to plant life. It helps develop cell growth and is required for microorganisms to populate in your compost, which helps produce heat. Nitrogen-rich matter will also increase the moisture in your compost. Simply put, apple cores, carrot peels, and grass clippings tend to contain more liquid than wood chips, dry leaves and cardboard. These "green" materials will most likely come from your kitchen: Tops, bottoms, peels and cores from fruits and veggies (best if seeds are removed), eggshells (best if washed and ground), coffee grounds, tea bags (paper bags with staples removed), grass clippings and yard trimmings. While nitrogen is considered one of the big superheroes in soil and plant health, the reason we don't want too much of it in our compost is ammonia. This is what causes your compost to stink. Nobody wants that.
In short, to avoid a stinky or slimy compost, just add more carbon (brown materials). To increase the moisture, heat and speed of the composting process, just add nitrogen (green materials). Below is a handy-dandy list to print and hang on your fridge for quick reference, including what not to add. It should be noted that this list is a guide for common backyard composting. Dairy and meat products are commonly left out of backyard compost because it attracts pests and slows down the composting process. These materials can ultimately be composted in the proper environment.
The HOW
There are several different types of composting methods, but we are going to focus on the two best methods for composting right at home. The best part is, these can be done anywhere from your kitchen countertop to a plot of land. The first, is aerobic compost and the second is vermicompost.
Aerobic
Aerobic composting means composting with oxygen. This is the most common method among households due to the ease and variation a compost station can be set up. Both methods we will look at here are considered "cold composting" because the "hot composting" requires at least 140F. Cold methods take the most amount of time to convert matter into compost - anywhere from 6 months to a year. The cold composting process is just as described above, so let's look at the variations of setup.
Open Air
If you have enough space on your property, you can just throw those greens and browns into a pile and periodically churn the organic waste in order to aerate the pile (mix in oxygen). Be sure to create some sort of barrier around the pile to keep it together as it builds and gets churned. Common barriers are made from chicken wire or pallet boards. My open air pile is made from pallet boards that I was actually paid to remove off a property. You can usually find free pallet boards available on OfferUp. While the pile method is certainly the cheapest and easiest to start, it's worth noting that there is a risk for pests. Rodents, skunks, bears, and other wildlife will take advantage of this free snack pile if found.
Container Composting
This is my personal favorite, because it's just as easy as the pile method, except it keeps pests out. The affordability is dependent on which container you choose.
$: Used or new storage bins with a lid work great! Take two storage bins and stack one on top of the other. The bin on top should have holes drilled in the bottom to let any excess moisture leak out into the bottom binto be collected (this makes great fertilizer). Both bins should have holes around the sides for aeration. This method makes it easy to churn and works great for small spaces such as an apartment patio or side yard.
$$: Tumblers are my favorite containers, because they are the easiest to churn for a large amount of compost. Simply open the hatch, throw in your organic matter, lock it up, and spin. No real manual labor required. Tumblers are available in all prices $100-$1,000. Be sure to consider quality when shopping around. If it looks cheaply made, it probably won't last long. Again, I recommend looking for used tumblers first on OfferUp. I found my LifeTime tumbler in the photo above for only $60 and that brand will last.
$$$: If you have the money to spend, then I have to mention Lomi Kitchen Composter. Lomi composting bins are small, sleek and meant to be left on your kitchen counter. This product is great for apartments or anyone who doesn't need a lot of compost for home gardens. The biggest perk to Lomi products is the speed. Lomi will convert food waste to fertilizer in a matter of hours.
Vermicompost
Worms! Sweet, wriggly, beautiful earthworms - little blessings to soil everywhere. If you are looking for a compost process with low maintenance pets included, look no further! Vermicompost is created from worm castings (manure). The soil and organic waste that worms eat, come out as manure in even higher quality. Vermicompost can be setup in a variety of sizes and can also be maintained indoors. In fact, if you live in a climate zone with cold winters, your worms will need to move inside if the soil temperature gets below 55°F.
Housing
Just like aerobic composting, vermicompost bins can vary in both price, size and style. The set-up however, requires more attention in order to cater to the needs of our dear worms. So let's break it down. Before we look at styles, lets look at our vermicompost "ingredients". Vermicompost requires dirt, damp newspaper or cardboard, food scraps and of course, worms. Red wrigglers are the best choice because they actually like the compost environment. You can buy worms online or select garden centers.
$: To make your own worm bin, all you need are three buckets, a lid and a drill. To cut down your reading time and provide a lovely visual, you can watch this tutorial taught by master gardener, Jaimie Chan, from one of my favorite DIY and clean living sites, The Spruce. Video is here.
$$: Like everything else, you can order vermicompost bins from Amazon, but I want to focus elsewhere. If you want a one stop shop for all of your vermicompost needs, please check out Uncle Jim's Worm Farm. They have indoor and outdoor bins for all price ranges. If you are looking for an affordable bin, check out the Worm Buffet and the Vego In-Ground Worm Composter, both found in that link. For an moderately priced indoor bin, I recommend the Hot Frog Living Composter. It has a nice, sleek style and you can buy additional trays to increase your quantity. You can find it right here.
$$$: Another business I'd like to highlight for high quality bins is Brother's Worm Farm in Austin, TX. They have a smaller selection, but the indoor Urbalive composting bin has a modern look and even a spigot to drain excess fluids (to use as fertilizer). Outdoor bins are available as well.
The CONCLUSION
No matter the season, it is always the right time to start composting. It is easy to do and brings nothing but benefits. Whether you have a garden or not, composting your food reduces food waste and allows those earthly scraps to be used for good. Donate your compost to a community garden or that neighbor of yours with those brag-worthy raised beds. Start your garden with even a single tomato plant. Free yourself from relying on expensive compost from the store. Since these cold compost methods take a while to break down, you have plenty of time to decide what to do with it.
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