When composting, remember that you want everything in the pile to be in the smallest pieces possible. Don’t just throw full peelings or giant chunks of paper into the pile. By shredding them and making small pieces, you’ll drastically speed up the composting process.
Cardboard is a great addition to compost piles. They will add the necessary carbon that is vital for a compost pile’s success. Just don’t use processed cardboard (like cereal boxes). Use blank and unprocessed cardboard like egg cartons or some shipping material.
Grass clippings, leaves, and other greens are a great addition o your compost pile. They add the nitrogen that a compost pile also needs to thrive. Make sure they’re mixed in well with the other material.
Speaking of browns and greens, you want to make sure you get the right mixture. Brown adds carbon, and greens add nitrogen. You usually want more carbon than nitrogen, so remember that when adding things to your pile.
Don’t ever add greens to your compost pile that have been treated with insecticides or herbicides. It can cause issues with your compost pile, and when you finally add the compost to the soil, it can ruin things. When in doubt, throw it out. That’s the rule to follow with greens.
Don’t ever add fats, pet droppings, or animal products to your compost pile. It might seem like a good idea, but they will actually do harm to your compost. The products will begin to stink and they attract pests that will root through and damage your compost pile. Stick to veggies, fruits, simple papers and cardboards, egg shells, etc. No meat, egg yolks, fish, etc.
You’ll want to aerate the compost and make sure it’s getting turned on a regular basis. This gives the compost the necessary oxygen to fuel the compost pile. If you don’t, the pile will compost unevenly and some of it will even begin to rot in a bad way.
As a general rule, you want your compost pile to be somewhere around 3 feet by 3 feet. This exact size isn’t necessary, but the bigger the pile, the faster it composts usually. However, any more than that, and it can be hard to properly aerate and mix.
The moisture of the compost pile is essential in having the best pile possible. If it’s too dry, the pile won’t compost properly. If it’s too wet, it will begin to stink and rot. Typically, you want the compost to feel as moist as a damp sponge.
Remember that you really can’t add too many coffee grounds to your compost pile, especially if you’re trying to encourage worms. The love coffee grounds. You can also add ash to keep the compost process going, but add them sparingly. Too much, and it can throw off the whole pile.
