Is it hard to start a compost pile?

Question

My sister said that she had tried it, but gave it up, because it was kind of a pain. I'd like to hear from others that have tried doing composting. How difficult is it? Any tips that have worked particularly well for you?

My husband and I just purchased our first home together, and I think it would be nice to compost. What is the best container to start storing waste in the kitchen? I would like to start it today.

Thanks!!!

:)

Answer 1

Composting is fun!

Start out with a five-gallon bucket with lid.  Place all your food scraps in it:  carrot or potato peels, coffee grounds, crushed egg shells.  Keep the lid on the bucket to keep the flies away (they hate coffee grounds) until you can place the scraps outside in your pile.

You don't really need a container for your yard waste.  Leaves can be kept in one pile to compost on their own, another pile can be used for grass clippings, dead leaves, weeds (before they flower).  You can take a pitch fork and create a moat with those dead grasses and then place your kitchen scraps there every few weeks.

The secret to keeping the compost from smelling or attracting flies is to keep the pile moist (not wet), aerate it every few days, and do not place any animal or sugar wastes on the pile as flies will come.  Wet breads is a great fly attractant, so is old pasta.  Despite what some websites say, I do not put breads and pasta in my compost pile.

Answer 2

Naw, it's real easy.  And your garden will love you for it.

Your kitchen compost container should be airtight and waterproof, and it should be small enough for you to lift easily and carry outside.  If it's not airtight, you will get fruit flies (and regular flies) almost immediately.  It will get to smelling funky real quick in warm weather, so you might want to empty it every day or two, and make sure you rinse it out.

Your outdoor container should be convenient to get to in any weather, and can be as expensive or cheap as you want.  It can be as simple as a pile of leaves with chicken wire fence around it; it can be a purchased fancy one - I've seen them go for as much as $300.00.  You will need to aerate the compost every week or so and make sure that it gets some water so the bacteria can do their thing.  Only use plant material because if you use meat scraps, it will attract rats.

Personally, I prefer purchasing a really cheapo plastic garbage can with a lid.  I cut the bottom out of it (so I can use the oldest compost in my garden) and took my drill and bored large holes all the way around it.  That way, the air can get to it, it's airtight, and doesn't look too bad in the yard.  You can also open the lid and give it a poke to stir things up.  If sun shines on it, you may find that any tomato seeds that go in may give you plants!  I've thrown rotten (or so I thought) potatoes in only to have them sprout and proliferate wildly inside the container!

For ideas, look at various garden supply websites - all have compost containers.

Answer 3

This is what I did and it is super easy!  I took a plastic trash can and drilled holes in the bottom (so worms can get in and out) and then in the top as well to vent!  To start you just need leaves and grass clippings along with produce waste.  All you have to do is turn the trash can (turn it on its side) and roll it around so you can mix the compost about every one or two weeks.  As far as in the kitchen because it should be only veggie waste not meat you really won't have a bad smell so a little garbage can will work so all you have to do is take the kitchen waste out to the trash can when ever you go out.  You also should replenish the grass clippings, weeds, or leaveswhen ever you mow the lawn.  Shredded paper bags work to. It will take about 6 months to a year to have a good amount of compost that will be ready to use, but that is the case with any compost pile that you start.

Answer 4

It isn't hard to start at all. I saw some containers but i forgot what site it was but they looked like miniature tin garbage cans. Right now i just use a big bowl and i empty it  every few days. I built my compost bin using some old wooden crates i had at my warehouse and some chicken wire. But they can be made from 4 posts and chicken wire. Check out bhg.com type in their search composting and there will be articles with how to's and pictures etc. Also here is one more link with 2 videos. They are towards the bottom of the page.

http://www.squidoo.com/naturally_native_...

Answer 5

My wife and I have been composting for the past few years, and we're no rocket scientists.

I don't recommend a container in the kitchen.  We bought a composter at the hardware store, but you can build one as well, just make sure air can get through the sides.  (It's basically a box with a cover that lets some air in).

Lay some dry twigs, leaves, at the bottom.  Wiuth a bit of dirt.  Then, instead of putting your veggie wastes in the garbage, put them in a dish and take them out to the compost box at the end of the day (or after each meal, what ever you feel like).  As it builds up, every once in a while it helps to add a thin layer of dirt.

I think you are in Canada, so your compost probably won't be ready  for use for next summer.  That's alright, keep it for the following summer.   I probably should stir it with a pitch fork every week, but I end up doing that every two or three weeks. At the end of the summer, you can add dry leaves to it, as long as your trees don't have any diseases.

You can put some fruit in the compost, but not just any fruit.  Avoid acidy fruits like orange peels, even banana peels are not recommended.  And don't use meat. This is assuming you are doint completely natural compost.

Itr's really no trouble. In the winter I continue to take compost out to it.

If you get into this seriously, and want to use it in your garden, I suggest the second summer get a second compost box, even if the first is far from full.  The reason is so you can keep adding stuff that will take another year to compost, and the first box can sit quietly and do its work in the meantime.

If you choose to do it in the house, of course, it will compost faster, but, as your sister says, it's "kind of a pain" (smell, dirt, etc.  It's really an outdoor thing!).

We do not add any product, chemical or otherwise. it's slower, but what's the hurry?

It was interesting to see how different people in these answers have made their compost bins. I like the old garbage pail with the bottom taken out.

Answer 6

I bought a compost bin from Whole Foods. Yes it was hard to get started. I used lime a couple of times. What really worked was getting this stuff from Ace Hardware  

Answer 7

Get a 5 gallon pickle bucket or any well-sealing small trash can and put it under the sink.  You can also just use a "garbage bowl" like Rachel Ray has and then walk it out to dump it in the garbage each night once the cooking is about done and then rinse it and hold it for the next night - or store it in a sealed container and put it out every few days - your choice.  We cold-compost, which is easy: we have a couple pieces of old fencing that make a little bin outdoors - about 3'x3'x3'.  Into this we throw our dead garden stuff and dead leaves and grass clippings and vegie wastes and now and then we take a pitchfork out there and rustle around in it to give it a stir - do not let it get too wet and always stir it up good when adding lots of grass clippings or other "wet" or "green" stuff or it will get matted and yucky - just remember the dirt-like stuff and the dead-like stuff need to mix with the green or yucky stuff and it will work - our cold pile takes about 8 months to process - but you can also add more green stuff or some composted manure and speed things up.  When we are putting something smelly (like a rotten potato or moldy tomato) out, I just pull up the edge of the stuff on top of the heap and tuck the messy bit under that so it will not smell.  It is smells, give it a stir, but normally it won't smell at all.  Ours it right under the kitchen window, so (tricky us) we open the window and toss stuff right down into it! LOL  ;)

Answer 8

I use one of those large garbage cans with the wheels on em, i drilled holes in a pvc pipe glued it to the bottem right in the middle of can when it rains i take the cover off and let everything get wet or fill pvc with a hose to keep it damp. work pretty good.  

Answer 9

Some might call me cheap but I prefer the word poor.  I use a coffee container in the house and empty it daily sometimes more often.

I also have a homade bin...it works fine..

Check your local availability some states and cities provide access to a compost bin at greatly reduced prices...See link below for example ( my state does not)

http://www.pressandguide.com/stories/071...

Compost Guide - Composting Fundamentals

What to Compost/w sub links

  Introduction to Composting

How to Compost

What to Compost

What NOT to Compost

Composting Bins and Systems

Composting Resources

http://vegweb.com/composting/what.shtml

********Please NOTE********

The cute compost jar photo in the link above

It's so easy to do and you can really improve your soil with compost