A large share of what households throw away is organic: peels, leftovers, garden cuttings. Composted properly, that material becomes a dark, crumbly soil conditioner that holds water and feeds plants.
Balance your greens and browns
- Greens (nitrogen): vegetable peels, fruit scraps, coffee grounds, fresh grass.
- Browns (carbon): dry leaves, cardboard, newspaper, straw.
- Aim for roughly two to three parts brown to one part green.
Keep it out of the heap
Meat, dairy, oily food and pet waste attract pests and slow everything down. Plastic “biodegradable” bags rarely break down in a home heap — leave them out.
Turn, water, wait
Turn your heap every week or two and keep it as damp as a wrung-out sponge. In warm weather you can have usable compost in two to three months.