Composting Without a Bin

You don't need a fancy bin or composting system to turn your yard waste into compost. Heap-style composting requires only a bare spot in your yard where you have room to pile up the waste during the composting process. Place your compost heap in an area protected from direct sunlight and heavy rain, as exposure to these extreme elements can inhibit the composting process. Make two heaps when possible, so you can begin building a new heap while the first is still completing the composting process.

Things You'll Need

• Branches
• Grass clippings
• Dead leaves
• Pitchfork

Instructions

1. Place a layer of tree branches or chopped brush over a 5-by-3-foot area. Make the branch layer 2- to 4-inches thick. The branches allow air to circulate under the compost heap.

2. Pile your composting materials on top of the branch scaffolding. Use equal parts leaves and grass clippings or green plant materials. This ratio gives the heap the proper ratio of carbon- and nitrogen-producing materials. Build up the pile until it is approximately 3 feet tall.

3. Sprinkle a shovelful of healthy garden soil on top of the compost heap. Garden soil contains microbes that speed the composting process.

4. Mix all the composting materials, except the branch scaffolding, together with a pitchfork until they are thoroughly combined. Form the pile so it has a slight depression in the center.

5. Spray the pile with water until the materials are as moist as a wrung-out sponge. Check the moisture in the pile every two or three days and provide additional water to maintain this moisture level.

6. Turn the compost pile every two to four weeks with the pitchfork. Add water before turning, if necessary. Regular turning speeds up the composting process but isn't necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• Compost heaps take up to 12 months to produce finished compost, but frequent turning can finish the compost in as little as two months.

• The compost is finished and ready for use once all the materials break down and resemble a nearly black, soil-like substance.

• Do not add dairy, meat or greasy foods to the compost pile because these break down slowly and may attract pests.

References

• University of Illinois Extension: Composting Methods
• University of Alaska Fairbanks; The Compost Heap Basic Composting in Alaska; Heidi Rader
• Ohio State University; Composting at Home; Frederick C. Michel, Jr., et al.