by Linda Muller

Created on: May 08, 2008   Last Updated: May 20, 2008

You've heard about composting. Considered it. You just haven't gotten around to it and need a compelling reason or two. Start with the loftier reasons that it reduces the amount of waste you contribute to the landfill.

That's a load off your mind, sure, but what will composting do for my day-to-day existence you might ask.

First, it's not as difficult as you think. Second, you'll end up with a make-it-yourself organic fertilizer for your herb, flower or vegetable garden, not to mention what it could do for your lawn.

Make it simple to start. Compost is a pile or container of biodegradable materials. The good news is that you don't have to compost everything. Just get an idea of the types of waste you have around the house and the yard and figure out where you want to store your compost while it stews.

Start simple by starting a pile in the back yard. Structure it a little with a three-sided enclosure just to keep things looking tidy. Invest a little more and get yourself a compost tumbler. Keep gallon-sized crock or stainless steel pail handy in the kitchen to collect your egg shells, coffee grounds, veggie peels, until you decide to make a trip to the pile or tumbler.

Now you know what your containers look like. What will you put in them? The biodegradable waste that goes into your compost pile or bin fall into two categories, brown and green. Brown waste consists of dried leaves, straw and wood chips. Manure from vegetarian animals also lands in the brown category. Green waste is a little fresher. This includes grass clippings and the waste you've been collecting in the kitchen. And in case you're wondering, yes you can throw in the filter with the coffee grounds. See a chart on specific materials to use and avoid at www.compostguide.com.

The ratio of brown to green should be approximately 25-to-1. For the most part you can estimate, but there are signs that will tell you if your compost is out of balance. Too much of the carbon rich brown waste causes your compost to decompose too slow. Nitrogen rich green waste in excess will cause the pile to grow stinky. Keep an eye on your compost moisture too. It needs to be moist, but too much will smother the aerobic organisms working to decompose things.

You can leave the pile alone, adding materials as you collect them or maintain it by turning things every so often. Either way, with a little patience you'll have made your own fertilizer and reduced your contribution to the landfill.

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