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by Allison on June 4, 2009 in Home, home_diy · 4 comments

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I’m making all sorts of efforts to help my family go a little bit more green each year, and this is the year of composting. We had a lovely garden last Summer and are starting a new one right now, are using the clothes line Victor strung from the backyard play set to the fence, and this Summer, we’re going to compost.

Stainless Compost Pail
3 quart
{via Sustain Stores}
$42

I’ve started with this counter top compost pail, which we’ll then transfer to our compost pile in the garden. I’m filling it to the brim with banana peels, apple cores, and egg shells. It ought to be full fairly soon, and then we wait for the decomposition to begin!

Anyone had experience with a garden compost pile? What do I need to get it started? Do I go big or small my first year? Should I just contribute to the compost pile already in progress at my parents, the hippies? Please give me your composting tips, I don’t even know where to start.

Article by Allison Czarnecki

I'm Allison, founder and editor of Petit Elefant. I run the gamut from granola to glamour and love everything in between. I think the beach is always a good idea, as is Diet Dr. Pepper; on ice. Sometimes I put out the fires and sometimes I start them. Sometimes I really do have it all together. Sometimes my children say otherwise. We just like to keep it real around here.

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{ 4 comments }

1 KJ June 4, 2009 at 2:05 pm: I'm interested in this as well, since this is the year of our first garden, square-foot style. We started with some store-bought compost, but really should do our own. Do I have to have a pile in my yard? Can I keep it all in a bin? Does it smell terrible?
2 Leslie June 4, 2009 at 2:35 pm: my husband is in charge of the compost pile here, we've had one for several years. you'd be amazed at how quickly it will fill up (and how much trash you will avoid throwing out!). our kids love to get in on the action, too. we have a large plastic compost bin out back. my husband adds coffee grounds (from the local starbucks), and gives it a stir every few days with a pitchfork. that is the extent of my knowledge.
3 Anna June 4, 2009 at 9:26 pm: If you really want to get compost out of it, it does take a bit of managing. You have to stir it, and add the right ratios of 'browns' (dead, dried stuff) to 'greens' (kitchen scraps, yard waste). We never have enough browns, so we just toss stuff in and stir it from time to time. As a result of this non-management, we do get fruit flies from time to time, and I have never really gotten much compost out if it, but the amazing thing is how much food scraps we really do dump in and don't have to throw out. We have an Earth Machine, which keeps things covered and smelling ok.
4 Naomi June 4, 2009 at 10:07 pm: We have the same compost pail by our sink. It is remarkable how much less garbage we have in our trash cans since we got one-can curbside recycling and composting. Yay!
Bob keeps several compost piles going. Anna is right, you need to have a mix of stuff to get it to break down quickly. You could start by piling up some yard waste and hollowing out a little bowl for your compost. Cover it with dry leaves and twigs or grass clippings and let it fester. Bob keeps a pitchfork handy to toss it every once in a while. It does get a lot of bug action but it attracts its own worm population, too, which makes for speedier production.