Tips & Information about Composting Basics

A small white trash can full to the brim with food waste

How To Reduce Food Waste In Landfills By Composting

By Amy Grant

Click here to learn how to reduce food waste in landfills by composting as well as info on what happens to food in landfills.

A blue shovel digs into a pile of composting food waste

In-Garden Composting Techniques And Tips

By Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist

Click here to learn how to compost directly in the garden as well as some in-garden compost techniques.

Compost Spreading Tools For Farmers And Gardeners

By Susan Albert, Freelance Garden Writer

Small garden or farm field, you’ll probably want to use a spreader at some point to distribute compost. Read about different kinds of equipment before you buy.

When And How To Harvest Compost

By Mary Ellen Ellis

How do you harvest compost? Click the following to find out.

A shovelful of compost is held above a wheelbarrow on a path between beds of colorful flowers

How To Add Compost To Established Garden Beds

By Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist

Adding compost is a key component to healthy soil for vegetables, flowers, fruits and lawns. Learn how and when to add it to your soil.

How To Compost In A 5 Gallon Bucket

By Laura Miller

Is it possible to make compost in a bucket? Click here to learn about making compost in a space as small as a five gallon bucket.

How To Make Compost In-Ground

By Laura Miller

Do you feel guilty throwing kitchen scraps in the trash? There’s a way to compost without big piles – burying it! Click to learn more.

Compost Bag DIY – Can You Make Compost In A Bag

By Mary H. Dyer, Credentialed Garden Writer

Although you can find reusable composting sacks made from sturdy material, you can save a few bucks by making a bag of compost in a sturdy garbage bag. Read on for a basic compost bag DIY.

Plate Of Food Going Into The Compost Pile

Add As You Go Composting – What Is Passive Composting

By Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist

What is passive composting? It is add as you go composting, and the process is as it sounds. Read on to learn more.

Balcony Composting Info – Can You Compost On A Balcony

By Laura Miller

Composting is a great way to reuse kitchen scraps. But can you compost on a balcony? The answer is yes, click here to learn how.

What Is Drunken Composting – How To Make Drunken Compost

By Amy Grant

More and more of us are composting, but the time it takes to turn into something usable may seem like an eternity. That’s where drunken composting comes into play. What is drunken composting? Yes, it has to do with beer – kind of. Learn about this compost accelerator here.

Is My Compost Dead: Tips For Reviving Old Compost

By Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist

Compost heaps tend to be situated out of the way in the landscape. As a result, they often get forgotten and neglected, leading to dry, moldy and just plain old material. Can you revitalize old compost? Find out in the following article. Click here for more information.

Using Compost In Gardens – How Much Compost Is Enough

By Teo Spengler

The appropriate amount of compost for plants depends on certain factors. To learn how much compost is enough, click this article.

Compact Compost Solutions: Composting With Limited Room

By Becca Badgett, Co-author of How to Grow an EMERGENCY Garden

What if you don’t have a yard and barely have the space for a few containers but still want to compost? Practice small space composting. Learn more here.

Composting In An Apartment: Can You Compost On A Balcony

By Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist

Composting in an apartment or other small space comes with some challenges, but it can be done. Taking some simple steps can greatly reduce your waste profile and help the health of our planet. Click here to learn about different urban composting methods for small spaces.

Is My Compost pH Too High: What Should The pH Of Compost Be

By Amy Grant

Have you ever thought about checking the compost pH range? There are a couple of reasons to check the pH of compost. First off, the results will let you know what the current pH is and if you need to adjust or not. Learn how to test compost pH here.

Keeping Compost Bins Clean: How To Clean A Compost Bin

By Mary Ellen Ellis

Cleaning out compost bins is a dreaded chore for many, but it’s necessary. Whether it’s curbside or garden compost, the bins you use to collect and make compost must be cleaned to avoid odors and keep producing good, rich compost. Click here to learn more.

Woman Holding Sprouting Plants In A Greenhouse

Compost Greenhouse Heat Source – Heating A Greenhouse With Compost

By Amy Grant

What if you could use compost as a heat source? Can you warm a greenhouse with compost, for instance? Yes, heating a greenhouse with compost is a possibility, and using compost in greenhouses as a heat source has been around awhile. Learn more here.

Hands Placing Fresh Compost On Tiny Sprout

What To Do With Compost – Learn About Compost Uses In The Garden

By Mary Ellen Ellis

Creating compost out of kitchen and yard waste is a great way to be more environmentally sustainable. But if you’re wondering, “where do I put compost,” you may need some guidance on what to do next. There are many things you can do with that compost. Learn more here.

Is My Compost Finished: How Long Does Compost Take To Mature

By Susan Albert, Freelance Garden Writer

Composting is one way many gardeners recycle garden waste. While seasoned composters know from experience when their compost is ready for use, newcomers to composting may need some direction. Click this article for help in learning “when is compost done?”.

Compost And Slugs – Are Slugs Good For Compost

By Mary H. Dyer, Credentialed Garden Writer

It may seem odd, but slugs are actually valuable in certain ways, especially when it comes to composting. In fact, slugs in compost should be welcomed, not shunned. Here we explore the idea of compost and slugs and provide helpful tips for managing compost slugs.

What Is Leaf Mold: What Makes Leaf Mold Compost So Special

By Becca Badgett, Co-author of How to Grow an EMERGENCY Garden

What is leaf mold? Leaf mold compost is a simple process that allows you to break down your fallen leaves for future use in gardens and flower beds. Click the following article for more information on using leaf mold for soil.

Gardener Pouring Compost Tea On Plants In Garden

Tips For Using Compost Tea – How Do I Apply Compost Tea To My Plants

By Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist

Most of us have heard of the benefits of compost, but do you know how to use compost tea? It is one of the easier fertilizing methods and can even be made from household items like kitchen scraps. Click here for info on compost tea applications and other tips.

Bokashi Compost Info: How To Make Fermented Compost

By Darcy Larum, Landscape Designer

Have you always wanted to try composting but simply do not have the space? If so, then bokashi composting may be for you. To learn more about bokashi fermenting methods, click on the following article and get started.

Gardener Putting Soil On Seedling In Garden

Compost vs. Humus: Why Is Humus Important In The Garden

By Shelley Pierce

One myth that we need to stop feeding or circulating is the one where we declare that compost is humus. So "what is the difference between humus and compost?" and "how is humus used in gardens?" you ask? Click here to get the dirt about compost vs. humus.

Pit Composting In Gardens: Can You Dig Holes In Garden For Food Scraps

By Amy Grant

Many people compost in one way or another. What if you don?t have room for a compost pile or your municipality doesn?t have a composting program? Can you dig holes in the garden for food scraps? If so, how do you compost in a hole in the ground? Find out here.

Composting Fruit And Vegetable Waste – Should You Cut Up Compost Scraps

By Ilana Goldowitz Jimenez, Plant Scientist & Writer

Should you cut up compost scraps? Shredding scraps for composting is a common practice, but you may have wondered if this practice is necessary or even effective. Click this article to find out more about composting fruit and vegetable waste.

Learn About Fast Ways To Compost: Tips On How To Make Compost Faster

By Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist

Making kitchen scraps and yard waste into compost faster can be done with a few tips and some good practices. Let's learn how to make compost faster and have a good cycle of consistent plant material with the information found in this article.

Steam rises from a large pile of brown bark mulch

My Compost Is Too Hot: What To Do About Overheated Compost Piles

By Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist

The optimum temperature for compost to process is 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 C). In sunny hot climates where the pile hasn't been turned recently, higher temperatures can happen. Can compost get too hot? Find out here.

Composting Structures: Learn About Turning Units For Composts

By Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist

Turning units for compost need to have a way to mix the organic material. These may be barrel units or simple 3-bin units. Composting structures such as these can be built by even a novice as long as looks aren't important. This article will help.

What Is Ericaceous Compost: Information And Plants For Acidic Compost

By Mary H. Dyer, Credentialed Garden Writer

The term "Ericaceous" refers to a family of plants in the Ericaceae family - plants that grow primarily in infertile or acidic growing conditions. But what is ericaceous compost? Read this article to learn more about ericaceous compost.

What Is Trench Composting: Learn About Creating Compost In A Pit

By Mary H. Dyer, Credentialed Garden Writer

Composting converts organic material into nutrient-rich material that improves the soil and fertilizes plants. Although you can use an expensive, high-tech composting system, a simple pit or trench is highly effective. Learn more here.

Managing Compost Odors: How To Keep An Odorless Compost Bin

By Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist

Keeping an odorless compost bin takes a little effort. Managing compost odors means balancing the nitrogen and carbon in the material and keeping the pile moderately moist and aerated. Click here for more information to avoid stinky compost.

My Compost Tea Stinks: What To Do When Compost Tea Smells Bad

By Amy Grant

Using compost with water as an extract for plants has been used for hundreds of years. Today, most people make brewed compost tea rather than an extract. But what happens if your compost tea smells bad? Click here to find out.

Vegetable Sprouts Popping Up From Compost Pile

Why Are Vegetables Popping Up In Compost Pile?

By Amy Grant

Occasionally, errant veggies or other plants pop up in compost. While of no particular concern, some folks are a bit disquieted by this and wonder how to prevent seeds from sprouting in their compost. This article will help with that.

Gardening With Compost: How Compost Helps Plants And Soil

By Amy Grant

Most of us have heard that gardening with compost is a good thing, but what specifically are the benefits of composting, and how does compost help? In what way is garden compost beneficial? Read this article to find out.

The Ultimate Guide To Composting For Beginners

By Nikki Tilley, Author of The Bulb-o-licious Garden

Using compost for gardens is as popular these days as it was long ago. But what if you?re just getting started with compost? In this article, you will find the basics of composting for beginners and others, including how to start, what to use and more.