Composting 101

So, Joshua and I have decided since we have some spare space outside and we have a septic system that can't handle all kinds of food, that we would start a compost bin. We've never done this before, but are excited to try it. I love the idea that our food trash can turn out to be some great soil! We have a large spot for a garden next year, and this new soil will be wonderful for it!

We found a few websites that we like, with some great information:

www.howtocompost.org  -this has great tips & articles to get started.

http://www.composting101.com/

http://www.plantea.com/compost-materials.htm  -a great list of items you can compost

*I have not checked everything on these pages, but have found some great tips and ideas. I cannot say the whole site is family-friendly!*

A few tips we have learned is that coffee grounds are great for compost- which we happen to have a lot of around here! :-D Also, do not add meat, bones or animal fat, it will attract critters.

From the composting101.com site: Wooden pallets make excellent compost bins. Start with one pallet on the ground. Drive two metal stakes into each side. Slide additional pallets over each support and you have a bin ready for compost. 
We got some wooden pallets for free, and this is exactly what we did! You can also use an old trash can with holes too! Compost needs brown layers and green layers, so we will put newspaper, brown paper trash bags and white shredded paper out there too!

We are collecting our compost in a plastic bucket from ice cream. It is nice because it has a lid & handle and can sit on the counter. We empty it every day or two. It is handy!

It is a great activity for the kids to see. I will update more in the spring when we have results!