How to Compost at Home

If You’ve Always Want to Try, Composting is Easy

The Tropical Grower is covering How to Compost at Home this week because we get a ton of interest from Growers and Non-Growers alike.  If you’ve always wanted to try Composting, you’re going to be surprised at how easy it can be at home.  Those negatives, like critters, can even be uninvited with the right method.  So, if you’re looking for a steady supply of free rich soil or you just want to reduce your carbon footprint, we’re Composting this week.

We love to Compost here at The Tropical Grower.  Free Awesome Soil.  Yes!  Recycle and Reuse Vegetation.  Double Win!  You also control what goes into your piles, and as a result, your soil.  The negatives, it’s work, it can smell and it takes time.  I’ve also heard complaints about critters, snakes and bugs.  Oh my.

The Negatives

Let’s cover the negatives right up front.  If you’re concerned about critters, snakes and bugs, choose a design that doesn’t attract them or keeps them out.  Closed containers and tightly woven fencing are great at keeping out critters and snakes.  Bugs are more difficult as some of them actually aid in the composting process.  If you’re not going to work in a closed system, move your composting away from your house and treat specific bugs only if there is a problem.  We treat for bugs around our compost piles, not our piles, along with the rest of our yard and have had little problem with bug infestations in the compost piles.  They would rather attack the veggies.

Composting also takes some work and time.  Don’t kid yourself.  How much also depends on the design.  If you’re not going to go out and hand shovel 3 foot piles, choose a closed container or basket design.  If you can’t lift or turn a 3 foot by 3 foot basket, make them smaller or don’t fill them full.  Just so you know, I indeed had both these problems at one point and had to change the design to something that worked better for me.

The Smell

I’m not going to lie, I rarely notice a smell.  On occasion, it does smell vinegary especially if I’m hand turning a pile, but never if I’m just walking by them.  If you’re having a lot of problems with smell, I would check the amount of ‘green’ materials going in and make sure you’re not creating a swamp. Our trick is layering our ‘green’ organics that are going to rot thinly in between layers of ‘brown’ organics.  It also helps that all the liquids are absorbed under the piles.  Trapping the rot helps reduce the smell coming off the piles.  If you have a big pile of rotting green stuff sitting on top, it’s probably not going to smell very nice.  Always top with a layer of ‘brown’ like dead leaves.

If you have a Closed Container, using a tray to catch the smelly liquids and emptying often, helps.  This nasty smelling liquid, also known as ‘compost tea’, can be used to fertilize plants, but be careful of the nitrogen content and water down before you hit your plants with it.  Straight compost liquids usually contain high nitrogen levels which will burn your plants if applied directly.  You can also place the Container in an area you want to enrich with the goo if it isn’t planted.  Make sure you turn the area thoroughly before planting.  It is recommended you place your closed container directly over soil if you aren’t catching the liquids in a tray.  Placing it on concrete or pavers will make a smelly mess and will probably stain.      

The Design

My Mom started Our Garden’s 1st Compost Pile with the weed grass she cleared to place her first bags of dirt.  It’s in a corner of our inner chain link fencing.  The Area has taken many forms and shapes over the years, and I can tell you right now the fencing I’m using at the moment is not recommended as it isn’t sturdy enough.  We also have a back area for composting and wood drying as well as several piles in the natural areas.  This is in addition to all the natural composting we do in the beds.  I did mention we love composting.  We also have lots of vegetation to manage.  Because we’ve tried it many ways, we know they all work.  It is just mimicking nature.

Know You

If you don’t want to chop up all your vegetation into small chunks, you’re probably going to need Large Baskets, Piles or Stalls.  If you only have leaves and kitchen compost, you probably are only going to need Smalls Baskets or a Container.  You just won’t have the ‘green’ and ‘brown’ stuff to fill a Stall.  On the flip side, if you have grass clippings you want to Compost, a Small Container probably isn’t going to meet your needs.  Thinking about what you are going to put into compost will help you figure out the type and area you will need.

To Turn, or Not to Turn

Are you willing to turn you Compost Piles with a shovel or pitch fork?  It’s an honest question.  I know growers who turn their piles every couple of days while they’re in heavy rot, and I know growers who turn their piles once a month.  Turning your piles raises the temperature by inserting oxygen into the rotting mix.  Obviously, flipping baskets or turning your containers is an easier task.  Or you can make piles and never turn.  We have piles of Yard Compost I never turn.  They live in the yard until they are ready and I’m chopping them up.  We also have baskets I’m flipping and wetting every time their temperature drops. It’s really a personal preference and motivation level.

You should be painfully honest with yourself about what you will actually do.  You’re going to compost much faster if you are willing to chop up everything you put into your piles and turn it often, but you don’t want it to be so much work you dread doing it.  Big piles heat up, but they also have to be turned by hand.  Being honest with yourself will help you decide on a method that will fit into your time and space.  Anything that doesn’t is doomed to fail – meaning you composting, not composting itself.  The actual compost will just sit in your yard for a few years before it’s ready.

Your Space

The biggest decision you need to make is how much space are you willing to commit to Compost Piles.  If you live in a Planned Community, have a small lot or are in an HOA, you can still Compost in Containers.  You simply place them beside your trash and recycle cans.  Since you are not ‘making’ an open pile, it’s closed and you don’t attract critters, you can fit Containers into almost any small space or environment. Unfortunately, you may still have to get it approved.

If you have a larger area, the sky is the limit.  I’ve seen everything from crazy huge machines that look like small factories to just open piles in an area.  Baskets, or cylinders of fencing, are a favorite as after they are filled, you just flip the basket upside down to turn the whole pile, no pitch fork or shovel needed.  If you’ve ever looked at starting your own compost pile, you know how many types are out there.  You can build wood stalls, shape fencing, use barrels, bags, whatever.  Basically, you are looking to contain vegetation to an area where you can pile it until it decomposes.       

Common Mistakes

People generally start bigger Compost Piles than they can manage because bigger piles heat up.  Smaller piles never reach the temperatures necessary to cook seed, fungus, bacteria, etc.  There are 2 completely different thoughts on which is better.  Both agree baking seeds is preferable, but heating to the 140 to 160 degrees necessary pretty much kills everything in the soil both beneficial and not.  You need to decide which type you are before you design your pile.

Not planning enough space is another common mistake.  The magic number seems to be 3 piles for most people, but it depends entirely on how much compost you need, the organics you have, and how quickly you can make it.  Usually, at minimum, people use at least 2 piles, 1 cooking while the other is being layered with organics.  If you have a bunch of organics, you probably will want to plan more piles.  If you have only a few leaves and some kitchen organics, 1 will work for a long time until it is ready to finish cooking.  Then, you have to find another place to put the new organics.

Common Compost Piles

Containers

These are an obvious choice for most people.  They are small and fit into most people’s space and environment.  You can buy composting containers specific for the purpose for about $100 or you can buy or reuse a trash can with a sealable top (a bungee also works) and drilled with holes. They also come in inexpensive bags. Barrels also fall under this category.  The concept is simple.  You layer your ‘green’ and ‘brown’ organics inside, water and turn. Compost.  

Pros and Cons

Pros are: they fit into most people’s spaces; turning is easier, consisting of rotating the entire container instead of shoveling a pile; and they look better.  Cons are they can leak smelly liquids, cost money and the capacity is on the smaller side.  The bigger the container, the more expensive. The entirely closed systems are quite pricey.

Baskets

Baskets are open cylinders of fencing usually with a metal stake(s) or post(s).  We currently use this design in Our Garden, and it tends to be the most popular.  Using fencing at least 3 feet tall, it is wrapped into a cylinder shape and a post or posts are used to hold the basket in the cylinder shape and in place.  The size of the cylinder depends on how much you can turn.  Usually, 3 feet wide is recommended for larger piles, but I have difficulty turning this size and mine are a bit smaller.

Pros and Cons

The biggest pro for me is I can turn these by flipping the basket instead of having to turn the pile with a pitch fork or shovel.  They can also be made to size, are easy to make, all the liquids drain into the ground, and I can move them anywhere into any configuration.  The Cons are critters can get at them easily, they are ugly needing to be screened, and they cost some money for materials.         

Stalls

Stalls can be made out of anything.  Traditionally, you see them made of wood, non-pressure treated as you don’t want the treatment on the wood leaching into your piles.  We had stalls made of fencing for a bit.  The important part is the form.  You’re basically laying out an area to contain your piles of vegetation.  Stalls are usually a rectangular outer fence with 2 internal fence dividers that make 3 squares.  Some are open on the front side, others have gates or a way to open them.  Since you are adding, subtracting and turning in the middle, you have to have easy access.

The material they are made of is entirely dependent on preference.  If you want to keep out critters, you’ll want something small enough they cannot get through and completely sealable, like flush wood planks with wire top.  We have big dogs, and critters in the front areas haven’t been an issue.  We occasionally get a raid at night.  As long as I’m not feeding them, I don’t mind the occasional steal.  We certainly don’t need the vegetation.  It’s pretty high risk for any critter, especially if the dogs wake up My Mom in the middle of the night.  They’re going out.

Pros and Cons

The Pros to Stalls is they are easy to get everything in and out of, you can make larger piles, and you can build them to fit your area.  The biggest con for me is you have to turn the piles by hand.  There are 2 basic ways to work a stall.  You can either make your ‘green’ and ‘brown’ layer pile on one side and turn the whole thing to the other side, or you can use the traditional method and make your layers in the middle and shovel the bottom and outsides of the pile on top as it decomposes and spreads.  It’s both an Arm and Aerobic High Intensity workout which was not working out for me in the 98% humidity rainy seasons. Just being honest with myself.

Helpful Hint: Leaving an area around your piles insides the stalls, away from the sides, gives more room to turn your piles. If you fill your piles all the way to the sides in an even layer, like a bucket, you are going to have to dig down at the sides of your stalls all the way to the bottom to turn the pile. Maybe you’re an expert shoveler and won’t hit the sides. I find myself whacking at sides, catching on them, basically the whole structure is just in my way. I’m turning dirt. We pile in the middle.

The other con is you have to build it.  While you might be able to buy a kit, it still takes a skill set and time.  It also requires some cash whether you reclaim some wood and have to buy the chicken wire or you want fencing and stakes.  It’s obviously easier to roll out fencing and push in the metal posts, skill set minimal, but it isn’t as permanent or stable as other materials.  So, you have to decide how much time, effort, and cash you’re willing to give.     

Piles

These are the easiest to make.  You simply start making your layers in a pile.  You turn them just like the stalls, only there is no defined area.  I usually work these from the bottom, piling the outside spread on top.  Or you can just leave them alone, they will break down eventually on their own.  They work best in natural areas or areas with low use as they are just large piles of organic debris.  You don’t really want the piles to be the view from your favorite lanai chair.    

Pros and Cons

The biggest Pros are these are easy to make, you don’t need any special materials, and they can literally be placed anywhere.  The Cons are these are not pretty, they are difficult to turn if you are turning them, and they attract critters.  If you are worried about snake eggs, this would not be a method for you because it could happen.  I’ve personally only ran into this problem once in all the years we’ve had Our Garden, but still.

Beds, Natural Composting

We talk about natural composting often on the blog because it is a regular part of Our Garden.  If you are Growing Tropical, you should absolutely be considering natural composting.  It’s free and good for your tropicals.  This isn’t some great epiphany or grower trick, it is just mimicking nature.  You simply are making or leaving layers of ‘green’ and ‘brown’ organics in the beds.  The important thing to remember is to start with a ‘brown’ layer on the dirt.  You don’t want rotting ‘green’ stuff on the bottom close to the roots and trunk or stem.  Then, when you trim, weed, or a cold snap happens, you leave a thin layer of ‘green’ organics over the bed, covering with a ‘brown’ layer.  Repeat.  This is more an ongoing maintenance rather than a formal compost.

Pros and Cons

The number one Pro is this is easy.  You literally are just leaving or throwing organic stuff into a bed.  The Con is this doesn’t look manicured.  You can throw a layer of clean mulch on top repeatedly, but it sort of defeats the purpose. 

Adding borders to the beds helps, but the beds always have a ‘natural’ look.  We like it, but it isn’t the traditional manicured Florida.  You also have to watch to make sure you aren’t creating slimy pockets of rotting ‘green’ stuff in the beds.  While these are super rich in nitrogen, they are so rich it can burn plants.  If you find one, it means you are piling too much ‘green’ stuff together.  Chop it up and mix it into the bed.      

Composting

Once you figure out what design is going to work for you, the basics of Composting are pretty simple.

The Recipe

1 part green stuff to 2 parts brown stuff, add water and pressure.  Wait.  Walla, Compost!  It really is that simple.  The stuff in the pile and heat will determine how long.  Basically, you are trapping layers of rotting vegetation, nitrogen, which heats up during decomposition, rotting, between layers of brown breaking down carbons.  Don’t worry, it sounds more complicated than it is.

Organics

Compost is made up of organics.  Yeah, the stuff that grows, in most of its forms.  The ‘green’ organics are living or active when they go into the pile.  The ‘brown’ stuff is mostly dead or dried when it goes into the pile.  

If you chop up all your organics into little bits, it takes less time for them to break down.  This includes both ‘green’ stuff and ‘brown’ stuff.  A large living branch will take more time to break down than a dead stick.  Even faster if you chop up the dead stick.  Logs take the longest.  Small bits of green leaves, the shortest.  The length of time your compost takes to break down is directly related to the amount of time you’re willing to put into breaking down the materials going into the piles. Chop now, or chop more when you’re done.

The type of materials you put into your piles is also important.  Fibrous materials take longer to break down than non-fibrous materials.  If you’ve ever tried to cut up a plantain tree or Red Lobster Claw Heliconia, you know these take forever to break down whether or not they are in your piles.  Vegetation with thorns is also an issue.  If you spend any time with your hands in the piles pushing them down, you can see where this is a problem.  Thorns don’t like to break down at all, and you don’t want to pull them out of your piles inside your fingers.  No Bougainvillea goes into my piles.  Dragon Fruit Cactus is also absent as it tends to root instead of break down just like the Sweet Potatoes.          

‘Green’ Organics

Surprise, this is the ‘green’ living organics.  Grass clippings, green leaves, stems, coffee grounds, manure, kitchen prep scraps, garden waste, are all examples of the ‘green’ layer of organics in a compost pile.  It’s the stuff that is going to rot, decompose, and make nitrogen and the other useful nutrients for your next crop.  You want this in thin layers rotting in between layers of ‘brown’ organics.

‘Brown’ Organics

These are the mix of stabilizers, the base, for your too rich ‘green’ stuff to mix with and make soil suitable for plants to grow in.  It’s also the layer that is going to super heat the trapped ‘green’ stuff in your compost pile and keep it all in place.  Once broken down, it provides the chunks that absorb water and keep the soil moist.  Don’t skimp on the ‘brown’ stuff.  Examples include, dried leaves, branches, pine needles, cardboard, shredded newspaper, sawdust, straw, paper bags, and mulch.  

Many growers collect bags or bins of dried leaves in the fall to use throughout the year for their compost piles.  I had one after Hurricane Ian.  If you’re running low on ‘brown’ stuff, trim branches with living leaves and let the leaves dry on the branches.  You can then remove the dead leaves to use in your piles.  Many people use cardboard.  We tend to recycle cardboard as I’m iffy about adding the dyes from the ink to our piles.  It’s just a personal preference.  

Layering

The layering is the easy part.  I walk around with a bucket cutting plants, gathering weeds, and doing general maintenance.  The ratio is super easy when I think about it as 1 ‘green’ bucket to 2 ‘brown’ buckets.  The amount isn’t as important as the ratio.  You just want to make sure you’re adding twice as much ‘brown’ stuff as ‘green’ stuff.  This will make sure you’re not adding too much nitrogen and other nutrients to your plants when your scooping compost from you ready piles into your beds.

Common Mistakes

The biggest mistake people make with new compost piles is continuing to add ‘green’ organics from preparing meals or harvesting without remembering to double the ‘brown’.  It makes a kind of slimy swamp especially if it’s getting the right amount of water, and it is super stinky.  If you have slime, add ‘brown’ and mix well.  

Buy a thermometer.  For under $10 you can regulate your piles in real time.  Knowing when your pile is no longer highly active, lets you know when to add water and turn.  Simplify your process.  

Start Composting

Are you ready to make some Compost?  You’ll find once you start it becomes a little addictive.  There’s nothing quite like walking out your back door and grabbing Free, Rich, Well Drained Soil whenever you want it.  No more going to the store or waiting for it to be delivered.  Whatever project or planting is ready to do or start today. Awesome.