Whether you’re a gardener looking for a free natural soil amendment, or just hoping to keep your food scraps out of the landfill, home composting is simple!
Teresa Prokopanko, our Sustainability Coordinator, tells you everything you need to know to start composting in your backyard.
Compost happens thanks to a community of billions of microorganisms (and some bigger beasties) that eat the scraps and waste you add to the bin. They need food, moisture, and air to do their jobs for you, so you can think of taking care of your compost bin a little like caring for a useful, low-maintenance pet. Nature wants things to rot, so all you have to do is work with it to shape that process.
First, you need a spot to compost: a compost bin that you make or purchase. It’s a good idea to look for a “rodent-proof” bin or line your homemade compost bin with a wire mesh to reduce any concern about vermin. Any type of bin is fine, just make sure that air can get to the compost, and that it’s at least a cubic metre in volume. If you’re in an area where larger animals like bears may be attracted to the compost, it’s important to choose a bear-resistant bin.
Next, feed your bin. Collect your scraps in a way that works for you: you can use any kind of container you like to collect your scraps, but it’s good to pick something easy to wash and not too big. To avoid smells and fruit flies, keep it covered and bring your scraps to the bin once a week or more often. Don’t use compostable bags: they don’t break down well in low-heat backyard bins.
You can use a smaller container inside to collect items to add to your larger outdoor compost bin
You can put a compost bin in the back corner of your yard
You need both “greens” (nitrogen-rich items like green leaves, grass clippings, and food scraps) and “browns” (carbon-rich items like dried grass, fine wood shavings, dried leaves, and paper towels) in order to feed your compost bin. Usually, you want about one bucket of greens for two buckets of browns. More greens will make the pile hotter and make you compost faster; more browns will help prevent any smells. A good rule of thumb for “what to compost” is that if it comes from a plant, you can put it in the bin (the rules are different if you have access to a compost pickup service; those go to higher-heat facilities and can handle all sorts of inputs). Animal products generally shouldn’t go in your backyard bin: they can be smelly, and they can attract pests.
As you regularly add your greens, toss some browns on top. Stir or aerate your compost about once a week through the warm months. Does it feel hot when you turn it on? Awesome! That means things are composting well! Make sure it’s moist, but not sopping wet: a handful of compost from the bin should feel like a wrung-out sponge. If it’s too dry, it’ll stop composting, and you’ll want to water your bin. You’ll know if it’s too wet: it’ll stink! Add more brown material to fix that.
Finally, the part you’ve been waiting for - finished compost! It’s ready to use in your garden when it looks, feels, and smells like dirt. The only visible food particles left should be woody things like avocado pits; it should be cool to the touch; and it shouldn’t smell like anything other than soil. It’s important not to use immature compost on delicate garden plants, as it can potentially harm them – if you’re not sure your compost is done, you can put it in a pile for a few months to “cure”, or you can add it to the base of a tree or hardy, established shrub.
Compost is the perfect food for plants and adding it to your garden soil regularly (tilling it in or spreading it on top) can significantly reduce your need for fertilizers. You can even make “compost tea”, which has anti-fungal properties (just don’t drink it...)!
Want more information on composting? Green Action Centre has lots of great backyard composting and vermicomposting information on their website and runs Manitoba’s Composting InfoLine at 1-866-394-8880 or at 204-925-3777 in Winnipeg.
