Composting at Home

Making a hot compost pile

Hot composting is a method where microbial activity within the compost pile is optimized using heat, resulting in usable compost in a relatively shorter period of time. This method is a little more involved than some people want, but it smells less than other methods and it can continue doing its thing all year long.

1. Choose a location

You'll first want to choose the optimal location for your hot compost pile. This type requires access to full sun, so no surrounding buildings or trees to cast shade. Shade will cool the pile and will slow down the decomposition process.

2. Select your container

Next you'll need to select a container, if necessary. The size of your hot compost pile is important-- too small and the pile will not heat up sufficiently. A good size for the average composter is at least four feet wide by four feet high. You may want to cover with a thick layer of straw or a tarp to help retain heat.

If you are using a container, it is well to select a black or brown one that will absorb and retain more heat. Make sure it has a lid to retain heat as well as holes for aeration.

3. Get your materials ready

You may add materials over time, but it is best to have all your materials ready when you build the hot compost pile. You will need a large amount of organic matter with the correct carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. Your hot compost pile should have 25 parts brown (carbon) materials and one parts nitrogen-rich (green) materials. You do not need to layer the materials using this method. Remember to chop up and mix the materials you put in to aid in the decomposition process.

4. Add compost activators

Once your pile is established, you can add natural compost activators to ensure your pile heats us quickly. These might include farm animal manures, a handful of existing soil or compost, and bloodmeal.

5. Mix it up!

Mix all the ingredients together, water it so the ingredients are evenly moist and let it sit. Let the pile settle for three to four days before turning.

A few things to watch are the temperature, moisture levels, and mixture.

• The optimal temperature for microbial activity is 130 to 140 degrees. You can measure this with a soil/compost thermometer, or by simply sticking your hand into the pile. You'll want to monitor the temperature daily. If it's uncomfortably hot, it's at the right temperature. Once the pile starts to cool down below 130 degrees, it's time to turn the pile. Turning the pile aerates it, kickstarting microbial activity again.
  
• Moisture is also essential. The contents of your compost pile should feel like a sponge that has been wrung out well. Too dry, and microbial activity will be diminished. Too wet, and the microbes that thrive in anaerobic conditions will take over, this often results in bad odors in the pile and an almost complete halt of decomposition. If you find that your pile is too dry, give it a watering with the hose. If it's too wet, turn it, adding shredded paper, to help soak up excess moisture. If it is going to rain, cover the pile with a tarp.
• Turning your pile three times a week is usually ideal if just starting the process. Do not turn every day. As your compost matures, turning should be limited to once a week. When you add new items, turn your pile, so the new items reach the center. The process will slow down in the winter, but you should still turn the pile.

After about one to three months of following this routine, you should have dark brown compost. It’s important to let the pile rest an additional two weeks before using it.

Making a cold compost pile

Cold composting is the easiest way to compost at home, because at its name suggests, it does not require heat to do its job. It requires little work to get it started and you don’t need to keep checking the temperature of the pile. You will need a decent amount of space, but with cold composting you don’t need to worry about the carbon and nitrogen ratios. However, it takes much longer to get usable compost, especially depending on your local climate, and its more prone to water logging when in a container.

1. Choose a location

To get started, pick a shady location for your compost pile or bin. This type does not need to be near the sun, and can be done on a porch, under a tree, or even in the kitchen.

2. Select your container

Once you've selected your location, choose a container (or not). If you use a container, you'll want to make sure plenty of air can enter the container to promote beneficial microbial activity. There are many examples online, from turn style indoor/outdoor containers, wood pallets, Rubbermaid bins, trash cans, and more. Select one that suits your needs. If you are not using a container, start with bare ground.

3. Get your materials ready and begin layering

Now that you are prepared, you can begin by layering your brown materials at the bottom (shredded leaves, branches, twigs, newspaper, or torn up cardboard). Then layer about four to six inches of green materials on top (grass clippings, kitchen scraps, etc.). Aim for 2 parts brown and 1 part green so your compost pile doesn’t get too wet and air can circulate well. Keep layering, alternating between browns and greens. Always end so you have brown material on top. Lastly, dampen your pile with enough water to make it feel like a damp sponge, but not so much that it is soaking wet. 

4. Turn your pile regularly

Every week or so, turn the compost before adding new green then brown layers, to ensure air gets to the inner most layers. Keep adding layers until your compost bin or pile is full. You'll want to continue turning it every so often to aerate and check on the progress. When it's ready, your compost pile should start to look smaller than when you started. The compost should look dark brown, smell good, and feel moist. There should not be any recognizable pieces of the ingredients added. At this point, you should be able to use your compost in your garden.

Making a worm compost bin

Worm composting, also known as vermicomposting, is the use of surface-swelling red worms or red wigglers to recycle food scraps and other organic material into an excellent soil amendment and coveted fertilizer called worm castings, or black gold.

Worm composting is a good option if space is limited, or you do not have a garden to use traditional compost in. Often, people keep their worm composters in their basements, under kitchen sinks, out on the porch, or anywhere that is convenient. This type of composting does not smell unless there is too much material added in the bin for the worms to break down quickly.

1. Select your container

For a worm bin outside, many people have been successful using a simple wood box with gaps between the planks (like a pallet). This is lined with a heavy-duty plastic, such as greenhouse plastic, which is punctured with holes for drainage and airflow.

For a worm bin inside, you can use plastic bins with a lid, several five-gallon buckets, or pretty much anything you can think of to contain the worms. A single container requires you to dig out and separate your worms, whereas multiple does not. Otherwise, most of the information remains the same. With any worm bin design, the goal is to have good ventilation and drainage, as well as a dark, moist environment.

When using multiple containers, you'll want to stack them gradually and change them out over time to keep the process going. Drill holes in the bottom of all but one container, and put the in-tact container on the bottom of the stack. Add a screen or aerated lid to prevent escape.

2. Prepare the bins

Once you've selected your bins, you'll want to prepare them for your worms. Fill the bins about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way full with bedding material and soil (optional). Bedding can be leaves, straw, shredded paper, shredded cardboard, or egg cartons.

Once you've got the bedding materials in, add water until the moisture level is the same as a wet sponge–not too wet, not too dry. If you squeeze bedding in your fist, there shouldn't be much water dripping out. Too much water could drown the worms.

3. Add the worms

After preparing the bins, add the worms, and close the lid. Let them get used to the bins for a day before feeding them.

4. Feed the worms

Feed the worms once a week. You can use food scraps like vegetable and fruit peelings, used coffee grounds in small quantities, crushed eggshells, pumpkin, squash, and green leafy vegetables. Add more bedding, cover with moist soil, and put the lid back on. Remember to keep the worm bin moist so the worms can move freely.

5. Collect your worm compost!

As time passes, you will notice less bedding and more compost in your bin. After three to five months, when your bin is filled with compost and very little bedding, it is time to remove the compost from the bin. To prepare for harvesting, do not add any new food to the bins for two weeks. There are two methods for harvesting:

Hands off method

Push all of the worm bin contents to one half of the bin, removing any large pieces of undecomposed food or newspaper. Put fresh bedding and food scraps in empty side of bin. Continue burying food scraps only in freshly bedded half.

Over the next 2-3 weeks, the worms will move over to the new side (where the food is), conveniently leaving their compost behind in one section. When this has happened, remove the compost and replace it with fresh bedding. To facilitate worm migration, cover only the new side of the bin, causing the old side to dry out and encouraging the worms to leave the old side.

Hands on method

Dump the entire contents of the worm bin on to a sheet of plastic or paper. Make several individual cone-shaped piles. Each pile will contain worms, compost and undecomposed food and bedding. As the piles are exposed to light, the worms will migrate towards the bottom of the pile. Remove the top layer of compost from the pile, separating out pieces of undecomposed food and newspaper. After removing the top layer, let pile sit under light for 2-3 minutes as the worms migrate down. Then remove the next layer of compost.

Repeat this process until all of the worms are left at the bottom of the pile. Collect the worms and put them back in their bin with fresh bedding. For both methods, you can continue to compost your food scraps after harvesting. Just add fresh bedding and food scraps to the bin. If you don’t want to continue, add the worms to a garden. The worm compost can be used right away or stored for the gardening season.

Regardless of which method you choose the compost you harvest will most likely contain a worm or two, along with old food scraps and bedding. If you are using the compost outdoors, there is no need to worry, the worms will find a happy home and the food scraps and bedding will eventually decompose. If you are using the compost indoors, you may want to remove old bedding and food scraps for aesthetic purposes and ensure that there are no worms in the compost. Though the worms will not harm your plants, the worms may not like living in a small pot.