How to set up your own compost pile

Get a bin for your compost

You can buy bins, but all you really need is a place to put your compost. One of the members in our team uses an old dryer drum from her broken clothes dryer. You can take any bin that has no bottom on it and start putting compost in it.

Composting

Composting is fairly easy, all you need to do is put scraps of food in your bin. But you do need to balance your “greens” and “browns”. “Browns” are usually dry things (eggshells, leaves, dried grass, etc. “Greens” are things that are more moist (banana peals, apple cores, orange peals, etc. You want to have more “greens” than “browns.” If you keep your pile balanced your compost pile won’t smell bad.

Using compost

Once your compost gets a nice, rich brown you can use it in your garden. If you used a bin with no bottom, you can simply lift the bin a little and scoop the compost out. Compost feeds your plants, helping them grow tall and healthy.

 

If you want to learn more about composting, here are some links to kid-friendly websites about composting.

http://www.wikihow.com/Compost

http://www.ecofriendlykids.co.uk/composting.html

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/blog/make-trash-can-composter

http://www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com/how-to-start-a-compost-pile-in-4-easy-steps/