Composting is the easiest way to reduce your food waste and contributions to greenhouse gasses. All it is, is your food scraps and organic matter (fruit and veg skins, seeds, pits, even sticks and twigs) that eventually break down naturally into an amazing fertilizer for your garden! What’s not to love?
All this goodness may sound a little daunting, but we’ve got you covered! Here are three ways you can compost at home today:
1. Hot Pile
This is the perfect way to compost for people with the space and are avid backyard growers. The best way to make the most out of this method is to maintain a 25-30:1 carbon to nitrogen (brown stuff to green stuff) ratio, moisture and aeration. To start a hot compost pile, spread a four to six inch layer of brown material like straw, leaves or dried stems over an area roughly 1 metre long and 1 metre wide. Next, add some green material (grass clippings, weeds, kitchen scraps etc.) Then all you need to do is spread a few full shovels of soil over the top and wet the pile.
2. Cold Pile
A cold pile is a great alternative to a hot pile, as it is easier to maintain. It works on an “add as you go” basis which means that all your kitchen scraps and garden debris may be piled on whenever you feel like it. The debris usually takes between a few months and two years to fully break down. It’s important to be aware of what goes into your pile, as cold composting does not generate heat, which means it does not kill weed seeds or plant diseases like a hot pile will.
3. Worm Bin
Red Wiggler Worms are able to devour an amazing quantity of kitchen scraps and cellulose in a very short amount of time. This method is perfect for people who live in apartments or have limited space. All you need to do to start a worm composting bin is drill air vent holes in the sides and top, and water drain holes in the bottom of a plastic storage bin. Moisten some shredded cardboard and newspaper and fill the bin three quarters full with soil for bedding. Once you have let it sit for a day, you can add the worms! Feed the worms every few days with all of your kitchen food scraps and watch them love it!
Composting is such an easy and fun way to limit the wastage from your very own home! Good luck, and we hope your worms (if opting for the worm bin) love it!