Once you begin composting at home, you quickly realize that your kitchen is a great source of materials to throw in your compost bin or compost pile.

But who wants to make a trip back and forth to the yard every time you make a meal at home?

That’s where a compost crock comes in handy. You can just keep one on your kitchen counter and add eggshells, coffee grounds, orange rinds, apple cores and any other fruit or vegetable odds and ends that you end up with. Throw them into the crock and then just empty it once every few days, or once a week!

Here is a selection of nice looking compost crocks that you might consider for your house.

If you’re too cheap to buy one of these, you can always use a Tupperware container, by the way!

A plastic compost crock is your simplest choice. This green one holds almost two gallons’ worth of kitchen scraps, and has a nice handle and a carbon filter to keep out any smells. It’s around $20, online.

This Bamboo Compost Crock is cool because it’s made of a sustainable material. However, we should point out that it has a plastic liner on the inside, so it’s not all wine and eco roses. Holds about 3 liters’ worth of materials, and also has a carbon filter and nice handle. $39 online.

And what about a stainless steel compost crock? Goes perfectly with your stainless kitchen appliances! Holds about a gallon, dishwasher safe, has carbon filters, and a nice handle. Also around $39 online.

This white ceramic compost crock is simple and elegant. Holds about a gallon, uses a carbon filter, has a handle, and is also dishwasher safe like the others. The downside to ceramic is that if you drop it, CRASH! $39 online.

I’ve heard that once you use a black ceramic compost crock, you never go back! This one has the same specs as the white one, with just the opposite color. Also $39, available online.

So which one of these compost crocks is your favorite? I prefer the white ceramic crock.

Compost activator is not vital to the success of your compost pile – in other words, it will not make or break the final product. However, the truth remains that compost activator can certainly help out when it comes to composting. The main function of compost activator is simply to speed up the compost process.

Sounds great, but how does it do that?

Compost activator speeds up the composting process by using a combination of pH balances, energy sources, and microorganisms. Basically, you can buy compost activator (also called “compost accelerator”) by the bag, and then just add it to your compost pile. It’s that easy. You will notice that any organic matter that you have that is difficult to compost may break down a bit more quickly, and that once the rapid decomposition takes place, you are on your way to quicker compost.

As previously stated, it’s not entirely necessary when it comes to your compost, but it can certainly help speed up the process.

Where to buy compost activator

You can find compost activator at online stores like this one, and often at your local garden center.

So much like compost activator, compost starter is a great thing to have in your corner to speed up the compost process. It is not required for having that perfect compost when all is said and done – compost can still be produced without it. The fact remains though that it can be quite helpful.

Compost starter is typically a natural biological activator that really gets the compost going, and aids in the decomposition process. As a result, you can get to that sweet black gold in no time! Since it is all natural, it is 100 percent safe for the environment, and in some cases a little 4 ounce bottle can be used for up to 1,000 pounds of compost – so you can use it with ease.

If you are looking to speed up the decomposition process right from the get-go, then compost starter is where it’s at.

Photo found on Flickr.com courtesy of Collin J.

Making a compost bin is easy – you just have to make sure that it is where rodents can’t get at it, and that it is in a location conveniently placed to where you can get at it frequently if need be. There are many different styles of compost bins you can build, including the following:

Photo found on Flickr.com courtesy of Clean Air Gardening.

Spinning or tumbling composters can be quite popular – especially when it comes to the spring and summer months, or when it comes to keeping your compost in check. However, there seems to be an ongoing debate – are these composters useful, or is it just too much overkill? Well, while there may seem to be more advantages than disadvantages to owning a spinning or tumbling composter, we have decided to lay the pros and cons out for you so you can help decide for yourself.

Compost Tumbler Advantages:

Compost turners are great for homemade bins! Typically, when you make a homemade bin, the opening will be large and there will be a lot of room for excess compost and organic material. This means the compost has to be turned with a certain frequency – as there is no tumbling motion such as seen in rotating or tumbling composters.

So, when you purchase a compost turner, you are able to properly aerate and mix your compost in a matter of minutes. Using a tool is simple – just plunge it into the compost and then move it and mix the compost around. It’s that simple. You are then able to blend the different elements in your compost bin together, make sure they get the proper amount of exposure and aeration, and then let nature do the rest of the work. A compost turning tool works twice as well as a shovel or pitchfork, and really lets you get down deep into the soil.

Tumbling compost bins allow you to mix the material by “tumbling” or rotating everything in a large bin. This is nice, because it eliminates the need for a compost fork or a compost aerator, and really just makes mixing up your compost a quick and painless ordeal. Here is an overview of some different tumbling compost bins/styles:

The Traditional Compost Tumbler:

Tumbling compost bins such as the Tumbleweed are your traditional compost tumblers. Some these composters only have space at the top, while others (such as the tumbleweed) have spaces at the top and bottom to load in your material – leaves, grass, banana peels, apples, carrots – you get the picture. The nice thing about a bin like this is that all you have to do is just load the material in, seal the lid, and give it a few spins. That’s it. The overall compost time will be sped up and you will be on the path to righteous compost quicker than you can imagine. These bins are usually elevated off the ground as well, which is a totally nice feature. By resting off the ground, you don’t have to worry about animals getting into your compost and bringing havoc upon your life and lawn.

Spinning Composter

Photo found on Flickr.com courtesy of Estacey.

A spinning composter, such as the Envirocycle is another excellent way to get your compost on. This style composter is circular and spins on metal rods, so there’s an air of fun to it, and it’s not that bulky. As mentioned in the product review, the Envirocycle in particular is nice because you can just roll it to other areas of the lawn, and it produces up to 5 gallons of compost tea. Quite the nutritious, tasty treat for your plants, vegetables, fruits, and lawn. Because of the spinning nature of this style of composters, compost is also produced quickly – typically in a range of 3-6 weeks. In just a short time, you will be ready for some finely composted material for your gardening needs.

Dual Chamber Compost Tumblers

These bins come in handy because they have two chambers. While one of the chambers is being filled with organic material, the other chamber can be used to mature the material into rich compost. When your material is ready to compost, you can empty out one cycle of the bin and then begin anew. This is perfect, because essentially there is a continual cycle of compost. In addition, these bins often sit off the ground, and are good if you are looking to resist attack from rodents, animals, or various other pests.

Photo found on Flickr.com courtesy of Madness Rivera. Pugs not intended for use in composter – just garden materials. Thank you.

There are so many outstanding benefits associated with the Envirocycle Composter. This compost bin is basically a spinning drum that rotates on a base with eight rollers. Therefore, to turn your compost, all you have to do is just spin the thing around. It stays in place, is not bulky, and is super easy to use. It also produces compost quickly – as you can have compost ready to go in four to six weeks!

Another really outstanding feature of this compost bin is how it can create compost tea with ease. Compost tea is liquid produced by compost, and it’s chock full of nutrients. Because of this, compost tea becomes a fantastic way to spice up the look and feel of everything in your lawn and garden – be it plants, flowers, or even vegetables! The base of the tumbler can collect up to 5 gallons of compost tea! If for some reason you just really aren’t interested in compost tea, don’t worry – you can plug it to where the liquid/nutrients just seep into the ground.

So the composter is great for compost to tea and spins with ease to tumble the compost around – are there any other benefits? Sure. Take the spinning, for example. Since the compost bin spins on the rollers and the bin can roll, if you want to transport the bin to another area of the lawn to use, just pop it off the rollers and roll it over there with ease! This is a function many other compost bins do not have- as if you are to need the compost, you have to shovel it into a wheelbarrow, then transport it across the lawn. By simply rolling this bin from spot to spot, you are easily eliminating about 15-20 minutes of work from your schedule – that’s more time to relax, do some additional gardening, catch the pre-game show before the Stars beat the Red Wings – you name it!

As far as dimensions go, this composter has a height of 29 3/4 inches, a length of 26 1/2 inches, and a depth of 21 inches. It holds approximately 53 gallons (7 cubic feet) of compost – that’s a lot for you to use for your lawn, garden, or both!

This composter is highly recommended for all, and will help you whip out some great compost in no time. We highly recommend it! If this was a system requiring grades, an “A” would be earned, without a doubt. To recap, here’s some of the outstanding features and benefits of this composter:

What is a compost activator? It is often also referred to as compost starter, composter maker or compost accelerator, and is an organic substance that will basically speed up the compost time of your materials in the bin. It aids in the breakdown process simply by speeding it up by using a combination of pH balances, energy sources, and microorganisms.

Compost Accelerator is not entirely necessary to your compost pile. This is because the natural breakdown of materials will occur just as it would in nature. Additionally, sometimes some freshly made compost or nutrient rich soil mixed in with your organic material can help start the process as well. However, the fact remains that compost starter really lives up to its name – it “jump starts” your compost heap and gets everything working in such a way that you will be on the highway to an excellent compost pile in no time.

So if you like to get a quick start on things, consider adding some compost maker into the mix.