My daughter was 18 months old and allowed me to outfit her in a pink sundress because she was not yet aware of sweatpants and hoodies. I noted the beautiful day as she tore through the house and threw herself outside. Minutes later she returned, eyes shining with wonderment. Breathlessly she uttered, “Wums!” In her tiny pink hands she cradled a gag-inducing earthworm about seven inches long.
Her father had pulled the startled worm from our compost. Me, I’m not a fan of our slithery friends but recognize their value in home composting: by eating the contents of the compost bin they aerate the compost and add nutrients from their digestive tracts.
Which brings me to my point: how to compost.
You’ll need a compost bin in your yard, preferably one without a bottom so worms can easily find and access your rot. To the bin, add roughly half “green/nitrogen-rich” and half “brown/carbon-rich” material. Green includes: vegetable scraps from meals, grass clippings, leaves, spent plants, seaweed. Brown includes: shredded newspaper, dried leaves, small sticks.
Avoid the following:
- Animal leftovers and manure or your yard will smell like death.
- Weeds.
- Large compacted items like piles of wet paper or whole cabbages that’ll take forever to break down.
Whether or not you can include peels (banana, orange, etc.) is a dicey topic among composters. I’ll avoid it so as not to get caught in the cross-fire.
Grab a pitchfork and aerate the mess once a week. The green items should provide enough moisture but if gets too dry then add a bit of water. Make sure to cover it - compost is a lovely snack for bugs and birds.
Your compost should be black and loamy.