A Cheap and Easy Way to Compost (Weekend Gardening)

1. Healthy Compost is composed of 1 part green (the stuff you save in your kitchen) to 2 parts brown (dead tree leaves, healthy leftover soil from repotting, etc).

2. Add to it and turn it over regularly. Every 4-5 weeks. Make sure to cover food scraps with dirt when you turn it.

3. Cut your vegetables scraps small so they break down faster, or you can even run them through a blender.

4. Good compost takes 2 to 6 months to create, but your patience will be rewarded with nutrient-rich compost to add to your garden.

5. The composter contents should be moist like a wrung-out sponge. If the contents are too dry, it will take overly long to compost; and if too wet, the contents may begin to smell. If the pile does not decrease in size or generate heat, composting may need a boost. If the pile is dry, add water – mixing thoroughly

6. Put the right stuff in. Good things to compost include vegetable peelings, fruit waste, teabags, plant prunings and grass cuttings. These are fast to break down and provide important nitrogen as well as moisture. It’s also good to include things such as cardboard egg boxes, scrunched up paper and fallen leaves