Looking for a way to reduce the amount of trash that your home generates? Composting can be a great way to turn that organic waste into great soil for your yard. Here are some tips that can get you started with making your own compost.
Decide Between a Compost Pile or a Container
The first decision you need to make is where you are going to put all of your organic waste for composting. You can decide between getting a bin to put everything into, or forming a compost pile that is left in the open. Each of these methods has their own benefits.
A compost container is going to hide everything, which is great if you have your compost container close to your home. You also do not need to worry about animals digging through the organic waste to find pieces of food. Turning the compost contain can be quite easy, with you only needing to rotate the container to mix things up.
Some people prefer to use a compost pile, which can be in a small fenced off area that is behind a garage or shed. It should still be covered with a tarp when you are not adding to the pile or turning it over manually. The biggest advantage is that you are not limited to the size of the a container, and your compost pile can get as big as you want without any worries of running out of room
Know About Green and Brown Organic Waste
There are two types of material that you should be putting into a compost pile, which are called green and brown organic waste.
Green waste will be considered almost all of the food waste that you generate in your home, such as discarded vegetables, banana peels, and coffee grounds. The one item it does not include is corn cobs, which is considered brown waste. Other examples of brown waste include cotton, dryer lint, straw, sawdust, shredded paper, and dried grass clippings.
Your compost pile should be made from half brown waste and half green waste for it to work successfully.
Know What Should Not Go Into the Compost Pile
There are some items that should never go into a compost pile, such as animal waste, meat, treated wood, and fertilizer. In general, these are things that can either create a very bad smell when they start to rot, or make the soil not safe for growing food.