Do It Yourself Compost: A Complete Guide for Fast, Easy Results

Do it yourself compost turns your kitchen scraps and yard waste into rich soil enhancer. It’s simple to start your own compost pile or bin in the backyard. You just need the right mix of green and brown materials.

Then, give it some patience. Nature will do the rest.

Successful compost happens when you keep the pile warm and moist, turning it regularly. A pile about 3 feet wide and tall helps keep up the heat for fast breakdown.

Watch for the pile’s center feeling warm. That’s the best time to mix it up.

What Is Do It Yourself Composting and How Does It Work?

Do it yourself composting means recycling your kitchen scraps and yard waste at home. You allow leaves, vegetable peelings, and grass clippings to break down naturally into rich soil. This process helps return nutrients back to your garden, improving its health and growth.

Composting works through microbes that feed on organic material, turning it into nutrient-rich dirt.

You create good conditions with green matter and brown matter. Green matter means food scraps. Brown matter includes dried leaves.

The microbes need air and moisture. So turning your pile often and keeping it damp speeds this up. Composting at home reduces the waste you throw out, lowering your trash volume and landfill impact.

You save money by cutting down on store-bought fertilizers. Compost helps your garden hold moisture.

It typically takes 1 to 6 months for home compost, depending on weather and care. You don’t need any fancy tools or chemicals, just space, scraps, and a little effort.

Which Materials Should You Compost and Which to Avoid?

Add two to three parts brown materials for every one green part. This balance helps keep your compost healthy and working well.

Greens provide nitrogen and moisture, while browns add carbon and dry matter. Balancing these inputs stops smells, avoids pests, and helps materials break down faster.

Greens include fruit and vegetable scraps, grass clippings, coffee grounds, and gently used paper tea bags. Eggshells fit into greens too but only if crushed well to speed decomposition.

Comfrey leaves work as greens because they’re soft and high in nitrogen. Avoid dairy like cheese and milk; they smell bad and draw animals.

Browns are dry leaves, woody twigs, shredded newspaper, cardboard without coating, and untreated wood chips. They help soak up excess moisture from greens.

Add brown materials if the pile looks soggy or smells sour. Never add meat, fats, oils, or cooked food as they attract pests and slow compost.

Mix the materials as you collect them to keep the right ratio. Your pile should ideally be 3 to 5 feet tall to heat up properly.

Turn or mix your compost when the center feels warm. Aim for 130 to 150°F to speed up the breakdown.

Watch for bad smells or wet spots. These usually mean too many greens or not enough brown material. Add dry leaves or shredded cardboard if the mix looks soggy or gives off odors.

Bad smells from your compost mean it needs more dry brown materials. Turn it to add air and reduce odors.

Don’t add aggressive weeds that may spread or diseased plants as they won’t break down safely. Avoid treated wood, pet waste, and anything with glue or stickers. You want only natural, safe materials that rot well without causing problems in your yard.

How to Choose or Build the Perfect DIY Compost Bin

You can build many types of DIY compost bins or piles, each with pros and cons. Your choice depends on space, materials, and how much time you want to spend maintaining it.

Size matters for airflow and turning. So pick a bin or pile that fits your garden and workload.

Common DIY Bin Types

Pallet bins are popular for being cheap and easy to build. They create a square or rectangular container with good airflow. Wire fencing bins are lightweight and assemble quickly.

They provide plenty of ventilation. However, they hold their shape less well.

Plastic totes or trash bins make simple composters if you add holes for air circulation. Straw bale bins are temporary and absorb moisture well but break down faster. You can also make tumblers from barrels for faster turning and composting.

Ideal Bin and Pile Sizes

A compost bin or pile should be at least 3 feet wide, long, and deep. This size retains heat and moisture for better composting.

A 3- to 5-foot square works well for most home gardens. It balances ease of turning with good space use.

Smaller piles, about 1 cubic yard, can work but may compost slower and dry out quickly. Larger piles take more effort to turn but keep heat longer. Choose the size that suits your materials and physical ability to maintain it.

Materials Needed for Bin Building

Common materials include wooden pallets, chicken wire or hardware cloth, plastic bins, barrels, and straw bales. Pallets need nails or screws and a hammer or screwdriver. Wire fencing requires sturdy stakes or posts for support and wire cutters to trim.

Drill several holes about 1 inch wide around the plastic bin. Make holes on the sides and bottom. This lets air flow and water drain.

Barrels need two sturdy supports and a way to rotate, like a rod through the middle. Have gloves and a tarp ready to protect your work area and cover the pile.

How to Protect from Pests and Weather

Pests avoid well-maintained compost bins with no food scraps on the surface. Cover your bin with a lid, tarp, or cardboard. This keeps animals out.

It also stops rain from soaking the pile. Weigh down the cover on your open bin. This prevents wind from blowing it away.

Place the bin on soil, not concrete, for airflow and drainage. Avoid putting it near your house to reduce rodent interest. Regular turning keeps the pile aerated and less attractive to pests.

Try this simple way to build a wood pallet compost bin.

1. Gather four wooden pallets of similar size.
2. Stand three pallets upright to form a U-shape.
3. Secure the pallets together with nails or screws at the corners.
4. Use the fourth pallet as a removable front or lid.
5. Place the bin on level soil with good drainage.
6. Fill with compost materials keeping ratio of greens to browns balanced.
7. Turn compost weekly to mix and aerate it.

What Are the Best Methods for DIY Composting at Home?

You have three main options for composting at home: hot composting, vermicomposting, and trench composting. Each method fits different garden sizes, time frames, and effort levels. Choosing the right compost system depends on your space.

Think about how fast you want compost. Also consider what tools and gear you have.

Hot Composting Basics

Hot composting speeds up decomposition by keeping the pile warm, between 130°F and 160°F. This heat comes from microbes breaking down materials, killing most seeds and pathogens. Start with a layer of green waste like grass clippings.

Add a layer of brown waste such as dry leaves. Keep it moist and turn it every few days for air.

Hot composting works best in piles about 3 feet wide and tall to hold heat well. You can expect finished compost in 2 to 3 months if you keep it active. It does require regular attention and enough space, but delivers nutrient-rich compost fast.

Vermicomposting Essentials

Vermicomposting uses worms to break down kitchen scraps and paper inside a container. Red wigglers are the best worms because they thrive in a small bin and work quickly. Feed the worms fruit and vegetable scraps only.

Avoid meat, dairy, and oily foods to keep the bin fresh. This helps keep the compost healthy.

Worm bins work well indoors or in small spaces. They fit nicely on balconies or kitchen counters. This makes composting easier for limited space.

Worm castings take about 3 months to produce. They work great in potting mixes and garden beds.

You’ll get rich soil conditioner for your plants. You’ll need to watch moisture levels and avoid strong smells by balancing food and bedding.

Trench Composting Explained

Trench composting means burying kitchen and garden waste directly in the soil where plants grow. Dig a trench about 8 to 12 inches deep and 12 inches wide. Put your scraps inside the trench.

Cover the scraps back with soil afterward. Microbes and earthworms break it down right in your garden bed over several months.

Trench composting suits gardeners with garden rows or flower beds. It works well if you have little room for piles or bins. This method uses space efficiently.

It requires little to no maintenance and no extra turning. But compost won’t be ready quickly. Avoid trenching near root vegetables to keep them clean and easy to harvest.

Choosing Your Composting Method

Hot composting is best if you want compost in a few months. It also works if you have enough space and time to manage it.

It takes more effort for a faster, cleaner result with less smell. Cold composting or vermicomposting works well if you prefer low maintenance or live in an apartment.

Vermicomposting is great indoors or on a balcony and produces high-quality compost but needs worm care. Trench composting fits small gardens where you want to recycle waste with no setup.

But compost can take up to a year. Pick the method that fits your schedule, space, and patience for best results.

How to Maintain Your Compost for Best Results

Keeping your compost healthy takes some simple steps. Turn it regularly. Water it just right.

Check its heat and mix scraps well. Do these regularly to speed up breaking down and keep bad smells away. Here’s how to keep your pile active and well-fed step by step.

Checking and Turning the Pile

Turning the compost keeps air flowing, which microbes need to work. Turn the pile every week or every two weeks, but not daily. Too much turning cools the pile and slows decomposition.

Turn your compost to break up clumps. Move outer scraps toward the middle.

This helps compost break down faster. This mixes in dry materials to balance moisture if needed.

1. Check the compost’s smell and texture for signs of good progress.
2. Use a pitchfork or shovel to lift and mix the pile.
3. Move materials from the bottom and sides to the top and center.
4. Mix in extra brown materials like dry leaves if the pile feels wet.
5. Fluff the pile to add air space for oxygen.

Don’t turn your compost every day; this wastes heat and slows decay.

Watering and Moisture Balancing

Your compost should feel like a wrung-out sponge, moist but not soggy. Too much water can drown microbes and cause smell. Too little slows down the process.

Water your compost pile when it feels dry. Usually every few days or after dry weather.

Keep it moist but not soaked. Add water slowly and check it carefully.

Mix the water in as you turn. Too much rain can soak your compost pile.

Add dry brown materials to absorb extra moisture. This stops the pile from getting soggy.

Monitoring Temperature

A healthy pile heats between 110°F and 160°F in its core during active breakdown. Use a compost thermometer to check the temperature at the center.

High heat shows microbes are working hard and killing seeds and pathogens. When the pile cools below 90°F, take action.

Turn it well and add food scraps. This helps restart the heat inside the pile.

Adding Materials Correctly

Keep feeding your pile with a mix of about two-thirds brown materials to one-third green ones. Browns are dry items like leaves, straw, and shredded cardboard.

Greens include kitchen scraps and fresh grass clippings. Adding too much green causes sogginess and smell. Too many browns slow down decomposition.

Add fresh materials in layers or mix them in as you turn to keep balance. Over time, adjust the ratio based on how the pile feels and smells.

How Long Does DIY Compost Take and What Affects It?

How long compost takes depends on your method and the weather. Cold weather slows it down. Warm weather can speed up composting.

In warm climates or during summer, compost can finish in as little as two months. Cooler weather, like in fall or winter, can slow decomposition to six months or more.

Active methods that involve turning the pile speed things up. Turning your compost every week or two adds fresh air. This helps it break down faster.

Fresh air speeds up composting. A backyard compost bin might be ready in two to four months.

Turning it regularly helps reach this time. Temperature and materials also affect compost speed.

Temperature inside the pile shows how well decomposition is going. Ideal compost piles heat up to 130 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

This heat kills weed seeds and breaks down food scraps quickly. You can check this with a compost thermometer.

Size and chopping up your green and brown waste matters too. Smaller pieces compost faster because microbes can consume them easier. Shred leaves or chop vegetable scraps before adding them to your pile for a quicker result.

Moisture is key. Your compost should feel like a damp sponge, not soaking wet or dry.

Too much water slows decomposition and causes bad smells. Dry piles stop microbes from working, making the process drag on.

Signs your compost is progressing well include a dark color, crumbly texture, and earthy smell. You won’t recognize your original scraps because they’ve broken down. You still have big leaf or food chunks.

That means it needs more time. Or give it a good turn to speed it up.

Here’s an example. Say you live where temperatures stay between 70 and 85 degrees. You use a medium backyard bin, shredding scraps and turning weekly.

Your compost should be ready in about 8 to 12 weeks. Cooler places or passive bins without turning could take 6 months or longer.

How to Use Finished Compost to Improve Your Garden

You’ll know compost is ready when it looks dark brown or black. It should have a crumbly texture and smell like fresh earth.

When your compost pile feels dry and cool, it’s done. It’s safe to use now.

Harvesting finished compost means removing it gently from the bottom of your compost bin or pile. Use a garden fork or shovel to avoid disturbing any unfinished material. Store compost in a covered container to keep it moist until you use it.

Using compost improves your soil by adding nutrients and helping it hold water. Spread a 2- to 3-inch layer as mulch around your plants.

You can mix compost into garden or raised beds. Use about 25% compost in soil.

Making compost tea is a simple way to feed plants liquid nutrients. Take a shovel-full of finished compost and put it in a 5-gallon bucket of water. Let the compost tea steep for 2 to 3 days.

Stir it from time to time. Pour the liquid around your plants after that.

Follow these steps to harvest and use your compost properly:

1. Check that the compost is dark, crumbly, and smells earthy.
2. Use a garden fork to scoop finished compost from the bottom.
3. Store compost in a breathable container to keep it moist.
4. Spread 2 to 3 inches of compost as mulch around plants.
5. Mix compost into soil at a ratio of 1 part compost to 3 parts soil.
6. Put a shovel-full of compost in a 5-gallon bucket of water.
7. Stir and let it steep for 2 to 3 days to make compost tea.
8. Pour compost tea around plant bases to promote growth.

Common Composting Problems and How to Fix Them

Slow composting usually means your pile lacks the right mix of materials or moisture. Use two or three parts brown materials like dry leaves. Add one part green, moist scraps like vegetable peels.

This mix helps your compost break down well. Check if your pile feels like a wrung-out sponge. Add water if dry or add dry leaves if soggy.

Bad smells often come from too much wet green waste or poor airflow. Turn your compost to add oxygen. This stops sour or ammonia smells.

Add dry browns on top after each green layer. This blocks smells. It also stops flies from landing on fresh scraps.

Pests come looking for food if you compost items they love, like meat or dairy. Avoid those foods completely to keep rats, raccoons, and other animals away. Cover the pile after adding new waste.

Use 6 to 8 inches of soil or dry leaves. This blocks pests and keeps odors contained.

Low temperatures slow decomposition. Compost should heat up to 110, 160°F during active breakdown. Add more greens for nitrogen when it stays cold.

Turn the pile to increase airflow and heat. A black plastic compost bin can help trap heat in cooler weather.

For mold and insects, they’re usually part of natural decay and don’t need drastic action. Spot mold is fine.

But if it smells bad or spreads fast, sift through and add dry browns. Avoid pesticides; good ventilation and moisture control keep bugs manageable.

Don’t add meat, dairy, or oily foods to your compost. They attract pests and cause odors.

Step-by-Step Action Plan to Start Your DIY Compost

Follow these steps to get your compost started and healthy from day one.

1. Before You Start: Choose a dry, shady spot for your bin. Check the area stays cool but doesn’t flood.
2. Day 1: Add a layer of browns like dry leaves or shredded paper. This helps air flow well in your pile.
3. Day 2: Place fresh greens such as vegetable scraps or grass clippings on top. A 2-to-1 ratio of browns to greens works best.
4. Week 1: Turn the pile gently once or twice to mix materials and add air. Look for earthworm activity as a good sign.
5. Week 2-3: Keep the pile moist but not wet. Squeeze a handful; it should feel like a damp sponge.
6. Week 4: Add more greens and browns in layers. Keep turning weekly to speed up decomposition.
7. After 5-6 Weeks: Start checking for finished compost. It should look dark, crumbly, and smell like soil.
8. After 8 Weeks or More: Use finished compost in your garden beds or pots. Notice improved soil texture and plant growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Just Compost on the Ground?

Yes, you can compost directly on the ground. It lets soil organisms help break down materials faster. Avoid composting on concrete to maintain good drainage and airflow.

Are Eggshells Brown or Green Compost?

Eggshells are brown compost because they are carbon-rich. They add calcium and help balance nitrogen-rich green materials. Crush them before adding to speed up decomposition.

Can You Compost Comfrey?

Yes, comfrey is great for compost because it breaks down quickly. It adds nutrients and speeds up the composting process. Chop comfrey leaves before adding to mix it well.

How Do the Amish Make Compost?

Amish typically use simple piles with layers of green and brown materials. They turn the pile regularly to aerate and speed decomposition. They avoid chemicals, relying on natural materials from their farms.

Is It Necessary to Turn DIY Compost Regularly?

Turning speeds up breakdown by adding oxygen to the pile. It also helps mix materials evenly and controls moisture. Aim to turn your compost every 1 to 2 weeks.

Can I Compost Cooked Food Scraps at Home?

Cooked foods often attract pests and can cause odors in your bin. It’s best to avoid them or use a worm bin that handles them better. If composting cooked scraps, bury them deep inside the pile.

Before You Go

Making your own compost at home is simple with steady care. Start adding kitchen scraps today and watch your soil improve. Choose a good spot for your compost bin outside.

Gather some dry leaves. Start layering them in the bin.