Making the choice to use organic compost is not only a great way to get rid of kitchen waste, but it's also good for the environment. Every time you use compost as a soil enricher, you enable yourself to avoid using chemical fertilizers and other products, which recycling garbage into rich soil. Making your own organic compost, instead of buying, can help you save money while you improve the over all quality of your garden.
You'll need a compost container, a bucket, leftover scraps and other organic matter that can be composted, and possibly water. For a compost pile, choose an area on the ground away from the house and out of the way. Designate it as the area for your compost, and build or buy a container that will help you protect the compost. Some people use open bottomed wooden bins or fences. Others use fully enclosed containers. Remember that an enclosed container requires drainage to prevent your compost from turning into foul smelling soup. Any type of compost pile container you choose to use should allow you to remove some of the compost when it's finished, without taking apart the whole pile.
To start a pile, you'll need a mixture of materials. They fall into two types when we're making organic compost - "green" and "brown". Green materials are kitchen scraps, garden vegetables that have gone bad, manure from vegetarian pets, and other things that contain a lot of nitrogen. They're the major decaying component of your organic compost pile. However, they don't make up the whole pile by themselves. To keep your compost from getting too wet and unpleasant, you'll also need brown materials. These are high cellulose things like shredded paper, chopped straw, grass clippings and other yard scraps. Get the right balance, and your compost pile will function well.
Some people like to layer their greens and browns. Others go right in and mix them up regularly. If you've heard about turning your compost pile occasionally, it's so that the greens and browns get well mixed together. Remember to avoid including animal products like meat scraps and dairy products, or manure from dogs, cats, or humans. They can cause problems in an ordinary compost pile, as well as attracting scavengers.
Depending on the area where you live, it may be necessary to protect the compost from excessive moisture with a roof (wet areas, such as the Pacific Northwest), contain it in a pit or trench to maintain moisture (the Southwest United States and other dry areas), or just water your compost pile in dry seasons to keep it activated (most temperate areas in the summer). In general, your compost pile should be moist - about the dampness of a sponge that's been wrung out. In warmer months, it'll decompose faster, but things are still going on in the pile during the winter, even under a cap of snow.
You'll know your organic compost is ready to use when it's dark brown, well mixed, and has a soft, crumbly texture. The odor will be like a forest floor, rather than of decay. Once your compost is finished, remove it and use it as you choose to enrich flower beds, gardens, and even the lawn.
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