Composting at home is nature’s way of recycling, turning your daily kitchen and yard waste into a dark, rich material that helps your soil and plants grow strong. It’s a straightforward process, using things like food scraps, dry leaves, and stick trimmings from your garden. Home composting doesn’t have to be hard work or take a lot of equipment or special skills. It’s a simple activity that helps reduce what you throw away, and it can make gardening even more enjoyable.
This guide will help you understand the basics of composting at home-from how it works and what you’ll need, to picking the right composting system for your space. We’ll also cover what to add to your compost and how to use it when it’s ready. With these simple steps, you can turn “waste” into useful soil and make a positive difference for your garden and the environment.
What is home composting?
Home composting is when you help natural processes break down plant-based materials like grass clippings, leaves, and food scraps, turning them into compost. Microorganisms like bacteria and fungi eat the waste and digest it, changing it into a crumbly material that looks and smells like fresh soil. This is called compost, and it is great for your garden because it adds nutrients to the soil and improves its quality.
How does composting change kitchen and yard waste?
When you compost, you change leftover food and yard waste into something useful, instead of letting it fill up landfills. The compost pile is home to lots of tiny helpers that use the carbon and nitrogen in your scraps to grow. Water and oxygen help them as they work. Their activity takes large plant pieces and breaks them down into smaller parts that your garden plants can use. This process also helps you throw away less trash and get better results from your soil.
Important parts of the composting process
To make good compost, you need to get four things right: carbon-rich items (“browns”), nitrogen-rich items (“greens”), water, and air. Browns like dry leaves and cardboard give the compost energy and structure. Greens like food scraps and grass supply nitrogen that helps the microorganisms grow. Water keeps the pile moist, and air lets the good bacteria live and work. If the pile doesn’t get enough air, it will start to smell. Managing these four ingredients helps your compost break down well and gives you the best results.
Why compost at home?
Composting at home is helpful in many ways. You can save money, help your garden, and care for the environment-all at the same time. It’s one of the easiest actions you can take to make less waste and live in a way that helps nature and your community.
Environmental benefits: cutting down on food waste
A big reason to compost is that it helps cut back on food waste. In the US, up to 40% of food is wasted, and most landfill greenhouse gas comes from this wasted food. By composting, you keep food scraps out of the landfill and stop harmful gases like methane from forming. Turning this waste into compost means you’re finding a good use for it instead, helping reduce pollution and save resources.
How composting helps your soil
Compost makes your soil better by adding nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, and other important minerals. It also helps the soil hold water, so you don’t have to water your plants as often. By mixing compost into your garden beds, you create soil that supports stronger, healthier plants and needs fewer extra fertilizers. Compost also attracts worms and other helpful insects, making your garden healthier without chemicals.
Composting and climate change
When you compost, you do more than just help your garden-you also help the planet. Composting keeps organic trash out of landfills, stopping the buildup of methane (a strong greenhouse gas). Plus, using compost helps store carbon in the soil, keeping it out of the air. Compost also means you use fewer chemical fertilizers, which are energy-intensive to make. With home composting, you play your part in tackling climate change.
What methods can you use for home composting?
There’s no one right way to compost at home. Whether you have a backyard or just a small balcony, you can find a method that fits your living space and lifestyle. The system you choose depends on how much waste you have and where you want to put your compost bin or pile.
Backyard composting options
If you have outdoor space, the simplest setup is a compost pile. You can also make a bin from wire, wood, or concrete blocks. Covered bins and tumblers (which help you turn the pile more easily) keep compost neat and discourage animals. Pick a spot that’s shaded and dry, away from your house but close enough so you’ll use it. Good drainage is important wherever you put it.
Worm composting (vermicomposting)
No backyard? Worm composting works well indoors or outside. Special worms (usually “red wigglers”) break down food scraps quickly in a vented plastic bin. These bins fit under a sink, in a closet, or on a balcony. Worm bins should be kept cool and out of direct sun. As long as you avoid meat, dairy, and greasy foods, your worm bin shouldn’t smell or attract pests. The end result is “worm castings”-some of the best compost for your plants.
Indoor composting for smaller spaces
If you live in a small apartment, there are other indoor options. Some local governments collect food scraps for composting, or you might drop them off at community gardens. Bokashi bins are another choice-they ferment food scraps in a sealed container, shrinking their size and preparing them for outdoor composting. Machines that dry out scraps are also available, though they don’t create finished compost, just dried material you’ll need to add to another system. For all indoor methods, a snug lid helps keep smells away and stops pests, and you can freeze scraps until you’re ready to compost them.
What do you need to start composting at home?
You don’t need to buy lots of new equipment. Most people can start composting with basic things found at home. You’ll need a container or space for your pile, somewhere to put it, and a way to keep the area tidy and free of unwanted critters or odors.
Pick a compost bin or container
Your compost bin holds everything together. Outdoors, you can use a wire cage, old trash bin, wooden box, or a store-bought tumbler. Tumblers are helpful because you can spin them to mix the compost. If you want to stop animals from getting in, pick a bin with small holes (no larger than ¼ inch). Indoors, a plastic box with air holes works for worms. Choose a size and type that you can handle and that fits where you live.
Choose a spot for your compost
Put your compost pile or bin somewhere that’s easy to reach all year, has drainage, and isn’t right against your home. Shade keeps the pile from drying out. Near a hose is best so you can add water if needed. For worm bins, put them in a cool, dark area like a basement or under the sink. Worms are most comfortable at temperatures between 59° and 77°F.
Keeping smells and pests away
To avoid smells or animals, balance green and brown materials and make sure to let enough air in. A pile with the right balance will smell earthy, not bad. If it smells, add more dry “browns” and mix it. Never put in meat, dairy, oils, or fatty foods-these invite pests. Always cover fresh food scraps with a layer of leaves or paper to hide them and keep flies away. For worm bins, a tight lid and the right foods will prevent problems.
What can you compost at home?
Knowing what you can and can’t compost makes a big difference. Only certain kitchen and garden scraps work well in home compost, while others can cause issues or shouldn’t go in at all.
Good things to compost
Add these to your pile:
- Fruit and vegetable scraps
- Coffee grounds and paper filters
- Eggshells (crushed)
- Grass clippings
- Dry leaves
- Twigs and garden trimmings
- Shredded cardboard and plain paper (no wax or glossy finish)
- Brown paper bags (torn up)
Greens vs. browns: keeping the right mix
| Greens (Nitrogen-rich) | Browns (Carbon-rich) |
|---|---|
| Vegetable and fruit scraps, fresh grass clippings, coffee grounds | Dried leaves, cardboard, twigs, shredded paper |
Keep two to three times more browns than greens by volume. Too many greens make piles wet and smelly. Too many browns slow things down. Always cover food scraps with browns to stop pests and odors.
Things to keep out of your compost
- Meat, fish, bones
- Cheese and dairy products
- Oils, butter, fats, greasy foods
- Pet waste or cat litter
- Painted or treated wood, or wood with chemicals
- Diseased plants or weeds with seeds
- Glossy or colored paper, cleaning wipes, produce stickers
- “Compostable” plastic items (these need high heat found only in industrial composting)
How do you compost at home: step-by-step instructions
Composting is not hard. These simple steps will help you turn your scraps into compost:
1. Collect and save food scraps
Put a small bin or container in your kitchen for fruit and veggie scraps. Keep it handy on your counter, under your sink, or in the freezer if you want to stop bugs and smells. Outside, store a pile or bin of dry leaves and paper for browns.
2. Start your pile or fill the bin
Chop big items like corn cobs to make them break down faster. Cover the bottom of your pile with a few inches of sticks or wood chips for drainage. Then start adding your greens and browns in layers.
3. Layer greens and browns
After your base layer, keep adding food scraps (“greens”), then cover them with two or three times as much dry material (“browns”). Keep repeating these layers. Always cover food scraps well to hide them and control smells. Spray a little water if your pile feels dry-the moisture should be like a wrung-out sponge.
4. Mix and aerate often
Turning your pile every week or so adds air and speeds things up. Use a fork or shovel to bring the outer layers to the middle and mix everything. If you forget, your compost will still work, but it will take longer.
5. Watch moisture and temperature
Touch the pile-it should feel damp, but should not drip. Add water if it’s too dry, or more dry browns if it’s too wet. A well-managed pile heats up in the middle. This is a good sign that the microbes are working fast.
6. Harvest and use your compost
After a few months (or up to a year if left alone), your compost will look like soil and smell earthy. Most materials will no longer be visible. Let your finished compost sit for a few more weeks to finish breaking down. Sift it to remove sticks or big bits, and put those back in your pile. Now your homemade compost is ready to use on plants or in the garden.
Common compost problems and fixes
Composting usually works well, but sometimes things go wrong. Here are solutions to the most common composting issues:
Stopping smells and fruit flies
If your pile smells bad, it probably has too much green material or is too wet. Add more dry leaves or paper and turn it to let in air. Always bury and cover food scraps with browns to hide them from insects. Freezing scraps also helps avoid fruit fly problems.
Keeping out rodents and bigger pests
Never compost meat, dairy, or greasy foods-they attract unwanted animals. Bury your food scraps deep in the pile and cover them with plenty of browns. If animals are a big problem, switch to a sealed compost tumbler.
Correcting piles that are too wet or dry
If your compost is soggy, mix in dry browns and turn it to add air. If it’s dry and breaking down slowly, sprinkle water as you turn the pile. Keep checking for the right ‘just damp’ feeling, like a wrung-out sponge.
How to use finished compost in your garden
When your compost is ready, you can use it anywhere you want better soil and healthier plants.
Easy ways to add compost for stronger plants
- Mix 2-4 inches of compost into your garden beds before planting
- Spread a 1-3 inch layer on top of the soil as mulch
- Stir compost into the top of potted plant soil
- Use as a thin top layer on your lawn
- Sprinkle compost around trees and shrubs
When planting new flowers or vegetables, put a handful of compost in each planting hole. Add compost in the fall to help your beds get ready for spring planting.
How much compost to use
You can’t really use too much compost since it’s gentle and slow to release its nutrients. For garden beds, 2-4 inches mixed in, or 1-3 inches on top, is a good rule. The more compost you make and use, the better your soil will become over time.
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