How to Start a Compost Pile

Save money, Save the Earth

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Recommend a compost bin

1. Go to Sam's Club or Costco and buy one of their plastic (recycled) compost bins. $30 or so. if not you can normally find cheap ones online or even make your own.

2. Find a nice level piece of ground, preferably on the grass or dirt. Add mulched leaves or shredded cardboard (browns) , grass clippings, vegetable waste, coffee filters, egg shells (greens), and just about anything you would normally throw out in the trash.
   The mix should be 4 parts browns to one part greens

3. Always throw a layer of browns (leaves, or a little dirt) on top of the veggies (greens) it keeps the bugs away.

4. Turn pile about once a week, if its dry you might have to sprinkle a little water or add more greens, after a few weeks you will always have a fresh supply of nutrient rich compost for your garden. Your compost should smell like the forest floor not a garbage can. If it smells add more browns to the mix.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't be alarmed to see beetles and worms in your compost pile these are good bugs and speed up the composting process
• Don't throw meat, fish or poultry into your mix it will draw animals to the bin.

[jbs2212]

on 10/4/2009 very good article 5* and a recommend!

[FrazzledNanny]

on 8/17/2009 Thanks for the helpful article on starting a compost pile. Very important information. 5*

[magnadea]

on 6/19/2009 Starting a compost pile along with recycling also cuts down on your garbage. Nice article. Thanks 5* and rec

[cclofmead]

on 5/23/2009 Great tips!! Just what I was looking for !!5*

[texasag]

on 5/17/2009 Compost is great stuff - thanks for the article!