Composting 101

Last year I thought it would be a good idea to start a compost pile in my backyard but I didn’t want to spend a few hundred dollars on a large bin so I decided to make my own compact one.

Well as you can see from the pictures it didn’t turn out so well. The cover blew off and I neglected to make drainage holes. The result was a mucky mess similar to what you might find in your gutters. Oh well, I learned from my mistakes and I took another crack at it.

This time I purchased a thin, light plastic garbage can with a lock and wheels. I drilled a lot of air holes on the top and sides (air circulation and drainage is important).

Now the bin is ready to be filled. I don’t have to worry too much about layers since I will be tumbling the contents.

Here is a list of things I’m  adding:

Hair (untreated – no chemicals or dyes)
Dryer lint
Coffee grounds
Muck from gutters
Crushed egg shells
Leaves
Grass
Non–meat scraps from kitchen (cut up into small pieces – un-cooked)

My neighbor adds a can of beer to “get things started” !

Once the bin is filled (I don’t want to over-fill it since I want plenty of air circulation and the contents to be able to move around freely when I roll it) I place the bin on its side and roll it around. I do this about once a week and in 4 to 6 weeks I should have beautiful homemade compost for my garden.

I’ll keep you posted.