Composting at home can sound like a big commitment, especially if you’re short on space. Sometimes, grabbing a bag of compost from the local garden store just seems easier. But if you are looking to reduce waste and stay more connected to the natural growing process, there’s never been a better time to give composting a try.
The good news? It’s much easier than most people think. You don’t need a farm, a big yard, or an agriculture degree to compost successfully. With just a few basics, you can turn everyday kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich soil, cut down on landfill waste, and give your plants a natural boost, all at the same time!
To help you get started, we’ve broken down the essentials of home composting: identifying exactly what can (and can't) go into your bin, understanding "green" and "brown" materials and why their ratio matters, and how to integrate your finished compost into your gardening.
Benefits of composting at home
There are two main benefits to composting at home. The first, and most obvious, is to reduce your waste footprint. The second, and arguably more fun, is to create nutrient-dense plant food to support thriving vegetation growth. Pete & Gerry's organic eggshells, for example, are an excellent source of calcium, while coffee grounds are good nitrogen contributors that help with the composting process.
In addition to nitrogen, compost contains countless macro- and micronutrients such as phosphorus, potassium, copper, iron, manganese, sulfur, magnesium, iodine, and zinc. These natural fertilizers are hard to come by in store-bought soil but are present in significant quantities in most at-home compost. Adding compost to anything, from your garden to a potted plant, also neutralizes the soil pH, improving growth and overall plant health!
What to compost (and what not to compost)
Before getting started, it's important to understand what you should and shouldn't compost. Compostable materials fall into two categories: greens and browns.
Greens are fresh, nitrogen-rich materials like grass clippings, weeds, and kitchen scraps (which you'll collect in an indoor bin, discussed later). Kitchen scraps should include things like uncooked vegetables and fruits, tea bags, coffee grounds, and of course, your eggshells. (Crushing eggshells helps them break down faster.) Think of greens as materials that were recently living. They help kickstart decomposition.
Browns are dry, carbon-rich materials, like dried leaves, dried grass clippings, pine needles, corn cobs, or hay. These materials can also include items from inside your house, like newspaper or coffee filters. Browns are rich in carbon and help feed the microorganisms that do the work of breaking everything down.
There are many materials to avoid composting, including anything containing fats, oil, meat, or processed foods. (Note: If you sign up for a composting service to pick up your scraps, you may be able to include many of these items. Be sure to read their specific guidelines.
Selecting your compost containers
To compost at home, you'll need two different containers: one to keep indoors for kitchen scraps and one to keep outdoors for combining those household compostables with "brown" materials you find outside. The outdoor container is where the composting process happens.
Indoor kitchen scraps compost container
A small bin in the kitchen makes it easy to collect daily scraps and keep odors contained. Many people keep one under the kitchen sink to bring up to the counter while cooking. This bin can be anything that you don't mind cleaning out, but if you search online, there are several brands that make bins specifically for indoor composting.
Outdoor compost container
Your outdoor setup can be simple or structured: a chicken-wire fence, wooden box, standing pail with a few holes for air circulation, or a compost tumbler will all work well. As you spruce up your yard, weed your garden, mow your lawn, or rake leaves, you can add these greens and browns to your outdoor compost container, making sure to leave room for your kitchen scraps as you collect them indoors. Turn or mix compost regularly to speed things along.
Oh, and be sure to make it secure! Local critters often find the contents of a compost container very interesting.
Keeping your compost balanced
When you’re ready, start combining your greens and browns in your outdoor compost container to kick things off. Each time your kitchen scraps container fills up, bring it outside, empty it into the outdoor container, and mix everything together thoroughly. Your goal is to maintain a one-to-one balance of the two in a moist, but not soaking, environment. Microorganisms will break down the materials, creating nutrient-rich soil in 4–12 weeks. It really can be just that easy.
There are a few ways to gauge how well you are balancing your compost: if you notice a strong odor, your mix likely has too much nitrogen, so adding more browns will help. On the other hand, if decomposition seems slow, you may need more greens.
Keeping your compost moist
Good compost should feel like damp topsoil. In dry climates, covering your pile can help retain moisture and warmth, while in rainy or humid areas, a tarp can make sure your compost doesn’t get waterlogged.
A good balance of greens, browns, and moisture keeps everything working smoothly.
Bringing it all back to earth
Once you see firsthand the significant difference that compost makes in your soil quality and plant growth, it’s hard to go back.
Add compost to your flower and vegetable garden beds in the spring and mix it into the soil as you plant. Continue nourishing plants throughout the growing season with additional compost as needed. If you are working with a smaller space or planting more densely, prioritizing nutrient-rich soil becomes even more important.
For midseason support, add compost directly to planting holes when introducing new plants, or work it gently into the topsoil around established vegetation. Focus on keeping nutrients close to the roots so plants absorb them efficiently. As the growing season comes to an end, spread a thin layer of compost over your topsoil before winter. This simple step helps replenish nutrients and ensures healthy, ready-to-use soil when spring arrives.
Composting at home is a small but meaningful way to support healthier soil, stronger plants, and a more thoughtful approach to everyday food waste, one eggshell at a time.
