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Hesitant to start composting because you fear it will be a smelly, messy inconvenience? Read on. A compost bin can reduce your garbage bill and enrich your garden! The secret is to do it right, and it's not difficult. Here are some tips that will help you become an expert at composting.

* What Can Be Composted *

Any organic matter can be composted, but it is best to stick with vegetable matter, such as coffee grounds, and spoiled or scrap fruit and veggies. Avoid composting animal products, because meat and dairy may attract scavengers. The only exception that is worth the risk is egg ,which are great for enriching your compost with calcium.

* Storing Kitchen Waste *

You don't want to have to venture outside every time you have a scrap to compost,. So how do you keep your kitchen from smelling like rotten food? Some garden catalogs offer special kitchen containers for composting that have a charcoal filter to prevent odors from escaping. However, you can also use any inexpensive storage container that has an airtight seal. Ceramic canisters with a rubber seal around the hinged lid, or even coffee cans with lids, work well.

* How to Compost *

Although it is possible, and free, to compost your kitchen waste by just placing it in a pile in an out-of-the-way area of your yard, this is the least effective way to quickly break down the material that you are trying to compost. Here are the three main storage options:

~ A Compost Pile: Materials that are breaking down need some degree of air circulation and must be mixed or turned at regular intervals. A pile of composting material will break down very slowly unless turned frequently.

~ Traditional Plastic Bins: Compost bins help control the heat and moisture content of the material that is being broken down, and, depending on your perspective, are generally more attractive than a pile of rotting organic matter. You can usually purchase a standard (recycled) plastic compost bin for between $30 and $100 online, or at your local garden supply store. These bins are easy to assemble and are designed to have spacing between the bin's slats that allow air into the bin. Bins are most often black in color, which helps to capture and retain heat, allowing the organic matter to break down more quickly. If you are handy, you can even build your own compost bin at very little expense.

~ Compost Tumblers: You can also purchase compost bins in the form of canisters that you can rotate with a handle, instead of turning or mixing with a pitchfork. Although these tumblers are more convenient, they are also generally much more expensive than traditional bins. Mother Earth News did a study to compare tumblers to traditional composting bins and found compost tumblers to be no more efficient than composting the old fashioned way.

* Turning Waste into a Rich Supplement to Your Garden Soil *

Whichever method you use to compost your kitchen and yard waste, it will take about a year before the organic materials are broken down and ready to add to your garden soil. Regularly turning the pile and occasionally adding compost inoculate (a power containing microbes that help break down organic material) will speed up the process.

* Gardening Resources *

Mother Earth News Comparing Compost Tumblers to Bins

How to Build a Compost Bin

Garden's Alive Organic Composting Supplies

Learn more about this author, Tami Port MS.
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