4 Simple Steps for Making Compost to Feed Your Garden (2024)

Gardening
Caring for Your Yard
Compost

Turn your food scraps and yard waste into "black gold" that will feed your plants and improve your soil.

Andrea Beck

Andrea Beck served as garden editor at BHG and her work has appeared on Food & Wine, Martha Stewart, MyRecipes, and more.

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Updated on May 1, 2023

Reviewed by

Sylvia Duax

Reviewed bySylvia Duax

Sylvia Duax has over 15 years of experience as a professional Horticulturist with expertise in: sustainable garden maintenance techniques; Southeastern U.S., especially in the mid-Atlantic regional gardening; native plants; wildlife gardening; small space, urban and container gardening and community engagement.

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Types of Composting

Before you start, it's important to know that there are several types of composting. Here we're covering cold compost, hot compost, and vermicompost. Cold composting is as simple as collecting yard waste or taking out the organic materials in your trash (such as fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds and filters, and eggshells) and then corralling them in a pile or bin. Over the course of a year or so, the material will decompose.

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Hot composting requires you to take a more active role, but the return is that it's a faster process; you'll get compost in one to three months during warm weather. Four ingredients are required for fast-cooking hot compost: nitrogen, carbon, air, and water. Together, these items feed microorganisms, which speed up the process of decay. During the growing season when garden waste is plentiful, you can mix one big batch of compost and then start a second one while the first one "cooks."

Another type of compost is vermicompost, which is made with the help of worms. When these worms eat your food scraps, they release castings, which are rich in nitrogen. You can't use just any old worms for this. You need redworms (also called "red wigglers"). Worms for composting can be purchased inexpensively online or at a garden supplier.

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What to Compost

Composting at home is a great way to use the things in your refrigerator that are a little past their prime, which helps reduce food waste. You can also compost certain kinds of yard waste rather than send them to the dump. Collect these materials to start off your compost pile right:

Fruit scraps
Vegetable scraps
Coffee grounds
Eggshells (though they can take a while to break down)
Grass and plant clippings
Dry leaves
Finely chopped wood and bark chips
Shredded newspaper
Straw
Sawdust from untreated wood

Never add meat scraps, dairy, cheese, fats/oils, pet waste, or chemically treated wood. These items either cause unpleasant odors or could contain harmful diseases or chemicals.

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Keeping a container in your kitchen is an easy way to accumulate composting materials as you prep meals. If you don't want to buy one, you can make your own indoor or outdoor compost bin. For kitchen scraps that could start spoiling quickly, another option is to store them in the freezer until you are ready to add them to your larger outdoor pile.

How to Make Hot Compost

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Combine Green and Brown Materials

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To make your own hot-compost heap, wait until you have enough materials to make a pile at least 3 feet deep with a combination of wet (green) items and dry (brown) items. Brown materials include dried plant materials, fallen leaves, shredded tree branches, cardboard, newspaper, hay, straw, and wood shavings. These items add carbon. Green materials include kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, animal manures (not from dogs or cats), and fresh plant and grass trimmings. These items add nitrogen.

For best results, start building your compost pile by mixing three parts brown materials with one part green material. If your compost pile looks too wet and smells unpleasant, add more brown items or mix your compost with a garden fork to aerate. If you see it looks extremely brown and dry, add green items and water to make it slightly moist.

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Water Your Compost Pile

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Sprinkle water over the compost pile regularly so it has the consistency of a damp sponge. Don't add too much water or the microorganisms in your compost pile will become waterlogged and drown. If this happens, your pile will rot instead of compost. You can monitor the temperature of your compost pile with a compost thermometer to be sure the materials are properly decomposing. Or, simply reach into the middle of the compost pile with your hand. Your compost pile should feel warm.

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Stir Your Compost Pile

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During the growing season, you should provide the compost pile with oxygen by turning it once a week with a garden fork or other garden tools (such as this Better Homes & Gardens Stainless Steel Gardening Tool Set, $40, Walmart). The best time to turn the compost is when the center of the pile feels warm or when a thermometer reads between 130°F and 150°F. Stirring the compost pile will help it cook faster and prevents materials from becoming matted down and developing an odor. At this point, the brown and green layers have served their purpose so it's ok to stir thoroughly and intermix the two materials.

Test Garden Tip: In addition to aerating regularly, chop and shred raw ingredients into smaller sizes to speed up the composting process.

Feed Your Garden with Compost

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When the compost pile no longer gives off heat and becomes dry, brown, and crumbly, it's fully cooked and ready to feed to the garden. Add about 4 to 6 inches of compost to your flower beds and a thick layer to the top of pots at the beginning of each planting season.

Some gardeners make what's known as compost tea with finished compost. This involves allowing fully formed compost to "steep" in water for several days, then straining it to use as a homemade liquid fertilizer.

Every gardener is different, so it's up to you to decide which composting method best fits your lifestyle. Fortunately, no matter which route you choose, composting at home is easy and environmentally friendly. Plus, it's a treat for your garden. With some kitchen scraps, yard trimmings, and some patience, you'll have the happiest garden on the block.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a compost starter?
A compost starter (also known as a “compost accelerator” or “compost activator”) is any additive that you mix in with your organic scraps to boost the natural decomposition process. Compost starters are not required for the composting process but can be good catalysts because they are rich in the carbon, nitrogen, and microorganisms that break down the food and plant matter in your compost pile. A compost starter could be especially helpful if you are struggling to achieve the perfect ratio of green (like kitchen scraps and coffee grounds) to brown (like leaves, twigs, and newspaper) materials in your compost pile.
How long does it take to make compost?
Depending on your materials, methods, and conditions, it could take anywhere from a few weeks to several years to make compost. The slowest (but simplest and most passive) method is cold composting, which can easily take a year or more before your pile decomposes.
How much space do I need to make compost?
You can create a compost pile in a space as small as 1 cubic yard (or 3 feet wide, 3 feet long, and 3 feet deep), but for most gardens, a 3 to 5-foot square space is ideal. Just be sure to build your compost pile on moderately level ground near a water source and away from tree roots, fences, and buildings. If you have a very small outdoor space (like an apartment patio or deck) you can also create compost in a portable compost tumbler or a DIY compost box. Just poke holes in a large plastic storage bin, place your container in the sun with a drainage tray, and then follow the steps for vermicomposting with worms.

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I'm an avid gardening enthusiast with a deep understanding of composting techniques and sustainable garden maintenance. Composting is a fantastic way to turn kitchen scraps and yard waste into valuable soil enrichers, commonly referred to as "black gold." Now, let's delve into the key concepts covered in the article:

Types of Composting:
- Cold Composting: Simple collection of yard waste and organic materials in a pile or bin, allowing them to decompose over time.
- Hot Composting: A more active process that involves creating a mix of nitrogen-rich (green) and carbon-rich (brown) materials. This method yields compost in a faster timeframe, typically one to three months.
- Vermicomposting: Utilizing worms, specifically redworms, to aid in the decomposition process. Worms release castings rich in nitrogen.
What to Compost:
- Kitchen scraps: Fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, eggshells.
- Yard waste: Grass and plant clippings, dry leaves, finely chopped wood, bark chips.
- Other materials: Shredded newspaper, straw, sawdust from untreated wood.
Avoid adding: Meat scraps, dairy, cheese, fats/oils, pet waste, chemically treated wood.
How to Make Hot Compost:
- Combine green and brown materials in a 3:1 ratio (brown materials being carbon-rich, and green materials nitrogen-rich).
- Maintain the compost pile's moisture level, similar to a damp sponge.
- Regularly turn the compost pile to provide oxygen, speeding up the decomposition process.
- When the compost is no longer generating heat and becomes dry, brown, and crumbly, it's ready to be used in the garden.
Additional Tips:
- Chop and shred raw ingredients into smaller sizes to accelerate the composting process.
- Compost tea can be made by allowing fully formed compost to steep in water for several days, then straining it for use as a liquid fertilizer.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Compost Starter: An additive that boosts the natural decomposition process by providing carbon, nitrogen, and microorganisms.
- Time to Make Compost: Varied, depending on materials and methods. Cold composting is slower (a year or more), while hot composting can take a few weeks to a few months.
- Space for Composting: Can be as small as 1 cubic yard, but a 3 to 5-foot square space is ideal. Portable options like compost tumblers or DIY compost boxes are suitable for small spaces.

This comprehensive approach to composting ensures a sustainable and environmentally friendly way to enhance your garden's health and productivity.