We are getting into garden planting season, and those big bags of quality compost can sure add up on the $$$ front. One cubic foot of quality compost around here can run up to $15 if you aren’t buying in bulk! Just topping of your beds can cost a pretty penny. Building and maintaining your own compost pile is a great way to get that nutrient dense soil for pennies in comparison. It doesn’t have to be complicated. If you are looking for the long and more in depth version, its right here!!!

This article contains affiliate links and my big composting do’s and don’ts. These are my thoughts on composting, if it doesn’t work for you , that’s okay. There are a lot of articles on composting available and I encourage you to read as many or few of them as you want. 

Lazy Composting Still Composts 

Keep your vegetable kitchen scraps, tear up your egg cartons, rip up some cardboard, shred some leaves, and throw it in a pile in your yard eventually you will have gorgeous compost gold. 

Easy/Hands off Composting Important Notes

If you buy a compost tumbler, you are going to have to pay attention to it. You are going to have to monitor your balance of browns and greens (go back to the in depth post for info on this), and you’re going to have to turn it regularly. If this is your only option (HOA) then just know, you can’t just forget about it in the corner of your backyard. If you go for a pile or stall system and you forget about your pile it will just compost at a lower rate, if you forget about your tumbling enclosed composter you could potentially end up with a stinky and soggy mess. 

You’re also much more likely to forget about this tumbler because you bought it to hide it, so it’s easy to let it get lost in the corner of your yard and forgotten about.

An open air pile can be completely free, you just need to pick a spot in the corner of your yard or property and start dumping your compostable materials there. Or you can use a stall system. We have one of these plus its add-on kit.

With an open air pile in your backyard, you really only need to pay attention to the compostable materials in your house. What does this mean? It means you need to bring your compostable materials outside to your pile. I highly recommend dumping it everyday or every other day.

You need to pay attention to getting the browns out of your house and into the pile. This will keep your recycling and regular trash to a minimum. I have had days where I walk into our mudroom/craft room/office and find 6 or 7 egg cartons that we just haven’t dealt with. If its nice, the girls and I will having a “rip it up” party right in front of our compost stalls. If its crummy outside we will sit on the living room floor and rip it all up, and put it in a reusable shopping back to be brought out by a grownup or to be brought out and easily dumped in the pile during a break in the weather. 

Paying attention to getting the greens out of your house is the BIGGEST issue most encounter with composting. Falling behind on this is like having an enclosed tumbler on your counter, that you haven’t turned, and haven’t added browns too. Remember what happens when we do that? “Wet and stinky mess” is the answer, in case you needed a reminder.

I also do NOT recommend these vented kitchen compost containers with any type of filter that claims to keep odors at bay. It is DECOMPOSING (read: rotting ) food. It is going to smell. Take it outside. Those filters are hard to replace, water gets stuck in weird crevices of the lid when you try to wash it. They are overall frustrating and can really put a damper on your composting adventure. I know that these seem appealing because they are cute, and the promise of no smell sounds fantstic, but they just don’t work. 

I HIGHLY recommend this type of container. It is a simple hotel pan with a lid in a nice wood enclosure to keep it pretty on your counter. It is so easy to stick in the dishwasher and get a nice clean if you happen to get stink buildup (again, not likely when you are dumping often). 

Once you get the stinky stuff out of your house you will be well on your way to rich, nutrient dense compost, to feed your garden. 

Simple Ideas to Speed Up Your Lazy/Mostly Hands-Off Composting

1. The smaller pieces that you start with in your pile, the quicker they will break down – so if you had rotting fruit in your fridge it is going to be better if you can stomach breaking/cutting it up into smaller pieces to make speed the process along. If it grosses you out, chuck the whole thing in your pile, just note it is not going to break down as quickly.
2. Give it a turn – stick a pitchfork in there every now and then and flip everything in there. This is also an opportunity to poke holes in those whole foods you threw in due to the ick factor or just being in a hurry.
3. Keep your pile wet. The common measurement for wetness of a compost pile is that of a rung out sponge. I really have never been sure how to compare wet dirt to a moist sponge, but that’s what they say. Keep your pile wet/damp/moist. It shouldn’t be a mud pile, but it shouldn’t be dry. Does that help?
4. Send a man out to relieve himself on the pile. While it doesn’t really matter if it is male or female urine on your pile, men’s equipment tends to make this a much easier feat for them. It adds both nitrogen and moisture to your pile. It shouldn’t be the forever go-to spot for a bathroom, but if they’re already out there doing chores, no need to come inside to relieve themselves. Composting reminder: nitrogen (greens) help break down your carbons (browns).

My Love of Composting

Composting has interested me for years. I’ve always been intrigued with turning trash into treasure. Whether it is refinishing an old piece of furniture that someone is throwing out to creating beautiful compost to nourish our garden. I write these articles to try to share my love, to encourage just one more person, or one more family to add to their self sufficiency. I’m going to keep working on my list, trying to add more and more things that we no longer have to buy from the store.