Methods for Composting

Composting has come a long way from its ancient roots. Compost still works as the most organic fertilizer, since it contains nearly all the nutrients a living plant needs over a period of years. Today, composting is used for multiple treatments and is made in newer, improved containments. Although some compost the same way they did twenty years ago, the technology and techniques have changed enough to speed up the process and produce better results. Layering is the original method, but since then the exciting world of composting has expanded to greater heights.

What are your compost needs? This is the first question you need to answer. If you feel queasy at the thought of worms, then worm composting is probably not the best option for you. On the other hand, if you don’t have a yard and plan to compost kitchen waste, vermicomposting, or using worms to compost, is a great way to compost. Composters.com has customer service representatives that will be happy to answer any lingering questions so you can buy a compost unit with confidence. Open compost piles aren’t that practical in a suburban or urban area. You’re much better off using a compost bin or compost tumbler. Vermicomposting is also an excellent option and requires a worm bin.

The methods you use to compost are entirely dependent on you. It’s your garden you’re taking care of—you should compost it as you see fit. However, Composters.com has come up with some ideas, tips, and troubleshooting advice in case you’re confused.

Tips and Advice

Top dressing: Top dressing refers to compost being spread around soil during the growing season. Perfect for herb and vegetable gardening, compost amends garden soil with nutrients that allow plants to foster healthy growth while keeping plant diseases and insect problems at bay. Poor soil can be augmented with 2-3 inches of compost, whereas one inch of compost is thick enough for spreading on garden beds. Scatter some across the base of your plants, or sprinkle compost over your lawn. You can even top off your household potted plants with small amounts of compost.

Side dressing: Side dressing is a good option if you’re running low on compost. Intentionally spread compost on certain plants or rows. Work the compost into the soil around the plant, starting about an inch from the stem.

When to spread compost: Some recommend spreading compost in late autumn and then covering it with winter mulch like chopped leaves, while others rely on spreading it two weeks before planting time during the spring. There’s not wrong time to distribute compost; the benefits always remain the same.

Compost as mulch: Compost can also be used as mulch, which is meant to cover all of the soil around the plants. Mulches protect from soil erosion and help retain water while adding nutrients. Spread about a half inch to inch thick layer of compost on bare soil under a tree and then cover with a 2-3 inch layer of mulch to help give your trees a nutritious meal.

Topsoil/Lime: There is no need to add topsoil or lime as extras in your compost. Both can actually do more damage than good by reducing the heat or killing beneficial organisms and losing nitrogen.

Composting in the winter: When the temperatures drop, it’s sometimes hard to get your compost to heat up. Place your compost bin at an angle that will slant towards the sun so that your bin is still receiving heat. If you have some, try stacking hay bales or other insulators to keep your bin warm.

Converting kitchen scraps into fertilizer: Take earthworms and introduce them to your compost bin. After the bottom layers of your compost have started to decompose, bring in about five hundred earthworms—these “garbage men of the earth” will work through successive layers you add until your bin is full and help break down your pile. Keep layering, keep it moist, and allow it to decompose for 5-6 weeks. If you transfer the worms into another pile or bin, you’ll be able to produce new compost every six weeks or so.

Composting leaves: People commonly complain that their leaves will not break down. To aid them in decomposing, you can add extra nitrogen (manure is a good bet) to start heating them up. Another thing you can do is shred your leaves with a leaf muncher, which will turn your leaves into super-rich mulch you can use in your garden.

Troubleshooting

Before you take a violent rake to your problematic compost pile, take a look at our table below, listing some of the most common problems you will run into with composting. Chances are, the problem is an easy fix and you will be holding fistfuls of black compost gold in no time.

Problem	Cause	Remedy
Pile smells like sulfur	Pile is too wet or not oxgenated	Turn your pile with an aerator or pitchfork; add dry waste to balance the moisture
Pile smells like ammonia	Too many nitrogen-rich greens	Add more carbon-rich browns
Rats and squirrels and flies, oh my!	Rodents and flies are attracted to food odors	Bury your fresh kitchen scraps under a layer of compost; switch to compost bin to keep animals out
Slow decomposition process	Too many carbon-rich browns or pile is not oxygenated enough	Add nitrogen-rich greens; aerate your pile; consider an accelerators
Pile center is too dry	Not enough moisture	Moisten with rain water collected from your rain barrel
Pile is too damp	Too many nitrogen-rich materials/poor drainage	Add carbon-rich browns
Pile is damp only in the middle	Too small or cold weather slows decomposition	Make sure pile is at least 3x3, or smaller if it’s in a bin
Grass and leaves won’t decompose	Poor aeration or lack of moisture	Avoid thick layers; break up layers and mix up pile, shred up big pieces of material
Pile smells like rancid vinegar or rotten eggs	Not enough oxygen/ too much moisture	Aerate pile so it can breathe; add dry browns like leaves
Pile attracts buzzing insects around my compost	Normal (but annoying!)	Keep flies away by covering kitchen scraps with paper or decomposed waste from pile
Pile attracts fire ants	Pile too dry/kitchen scraps close to surface	Keep pile moist and heated with good mix of materials

Choosing the Right Composter

Composting is easier than ever, thanks to a variety of makes, models and colors. Choosing the right composter for you should take some thought and evaluation. Each system has its advantages, so it’s really all about what you need. Purchasing a compost bin or compost tumbler is as much a personal preference choice as it is a functional choice. Some bins are educational or allow the whole family to participate, while others require a bit more maintenance. Ask yourself questions like, “How much yard material do I have to compost?” or “Which systems best fits my lifestyle?” There are two types of bins: open-sided and enclosed. Open-sided bins work well in large yards and allow easier access for unloading and loading material; enclosed bins hold heat and moisture better, thus taking less time to decompose. If you’re going to compost a lot of kitchen waste, consider a plastic bin that will help resist rodents better.

Compost Bins

Compost bins, while ranging from simple to complex, usually looks like a slatted or mesh wire pen, although there are square and cone-shaped models out there. Compost bins help enclose your compost and hold heat by keeping the compost close to the center. Take the time to think about your compost bin placement—it can save you hassle and regret later. Do not place your compost bin in a heavily shaded, stuffy, or damp area, or you create the perfect environment for anaerobic activity and consequent odor problems. Avoid placing the compost bin near wells or slopes that drain to streams or ponds. Compost piles near trees may create future problems; if tree roots grow into the bottom of the pile, it can make turning the compost difficult. From an aesthetic perspective, you may wish to place the bin where it is hidden from the view of your neighbors and street. Your chosen spot should not interfere with regular gardening and should be accessible to you and your family year round. An ideal location is partially sunny so that the pile can reach proper temperatures, and shielded from high winds so it would not dry out. If kept in direct sun or wind, you will need to water the pile more regularly. Suggestions include near the garden or between a garage and house. Composters.com has a great selection of compost bins, but the BioStack Bin is a standout, with three bottomless tiers so you can add to them as your pile grows—it’s also pest resistant and attractive compared to other bins on the market.

Compost Tumblers

A compost tumbler is specially designed to turn or “tumble” the maturing compost in an internal chamber for aeration. The constant turning keeps microbes active while maintaining relatively high temperatures. Compost tumblers are much easier on the eye compared to compost piles oozing black gold in the backyard. Tumblers are also much more resistant to pests, since they rest higher out of reach from rodents and pets. The enclosed space of a tumbler provides protection from the elements; in hot weather the compost stays damp longer, while in wet weather, the compost doesn’t become sodden. But probably the best benefit about compost tumblers is that they are easy to keep aerated—no pitchfork or aerator necessary. Flip the composter over, and ta-da! Your compost is now mixed, minus the labor. Now your compost is decomposing faster without much hassle like you do with a giant pile. Composters.com also has a wide selection of compost tumblers, and the ComposTwin Dual Tumbler features an unique two-chamber design. This means your pile can cook your batch of compost in one section, and the other can be filled with fresh scraps. The Bio-Orb U-Roll system requires a little more work by rolling the compost in the orb every five to ten days. The rolling helps the compost decompose faster, plus it’s a great way to work out those arms!

Composting Accessories and other Helpful Hints

In addition to a great selection of compost bins and compost tumblers, Composters.com also features composting supplies and accessories to help you jumpstart that pile. Compost accelerators are handy compost accessory that stimulates microbial activity, hastening the decomposition of organic waste in your pile. A compost aerator simplifies the composting process because it’s specifically designed to turn and aerate the pile. They’re a sophisticated, efficient choice for hand-mixed composting. Leaf munchers will turn dead leaves and yard debris into nutritious garden mulch. A kitchen scrap carrier is useful for taking scraps like coffee ground and fruit peels to your compost bin outside without sticky hands or spillage. Lawn sweepers carry up fallen yard debris, and chipper shredders turn tree limbs into beneficial wood chips—all great browns and greens to throw into your compost pile. Rodents are always going to be around, and while few bins are 100% rodent-proof, there are ways you can avoid rodent entry into your humus. Make sure the bottom lip of the compost bin is buried under the soil surface, since rodents usually enter through the bottom. Secondly, keep all lids and doors securely fastened or locked (some thieves, like raccoons, can easily work latches). If you have a known rodent problem, select bins that don’t have any large openings between the slats. Moreover, when discarding your food scraps, bury them in the compost pile center so that access to them is difficult. To prevent entry from below, buy a few yards of chicken coop wire with a small mesh diameter and line the bottom of the bin or bury the wire a few inches below the surface. Try to avoid using poisons as pest control. We offer eco-friendly alternatives like humane rodent traps, or you can try predator urine, hot pepper wax, kitty litter or peppermint extract. This question has come up before: are there bear-proof composters? Unfortunately, we are aware of no bear-proof compost bin on the market. Your best bet is to move your compost bin indoors, choose an indoor composter from our wide selection, or use a worm compost bin.

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