A guide to making your own compost.
You say “composte,” I say compost!
But either way, I want to help you learn to make your own composte at home.
Here’s a rundown of the resources available on this site:
In a hurry? Learn How to Composte In One Page.
Still have questions about composting? Ask on our Composting Questions and Answers page.
Check out our Chart of Materials that you can and can’t use when composting.
Want to know Why to Composte? We’ve got a page for that too.
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.
Are you dealing with compost odor, or afraid to begin composting because you’re worried about bad smells?
If your compost has a bad odor, then there is something wrong. When the composting process is working correctly, then there are not any bad smells or strong odors.
Compost has a strong ammonia smell
A strong ammonia smell is typically related to too many nitrogen rich materials, and too much moisture.
Solution:
Add sawdust, shredded leaves, shredded newspaper or shredded cardboard to add more carbon rich materials, dry out the pile, and bring it back into balance. If it’s a bin, leave the lid off in sunny weather so that the moisture can burn off.
Compost smells rotten
A rotten smell is usually related to adding materials to your pile that should not have been composted in the first place. Are you added meat, dairy, grease or bones to your compost pile or bin? If so, stop!
Solution:
You can try adding more carbon rich materials like leaves and sawdust to bury the smelly materials.
You could dig a hole and bury the entire contents of the bin or pile and start over, avoiding meat, dairy, grease and bones in your next batch. Trench composting takes place underground, but there aren’t any smells because the materials are fully buried.
There are organic products that rapidly end any odors, and they work! I like this BioWish Odor Control product.
Do you have a different kind of stink with your compost?
Leave a comment here and tell us about it, or go to our Composting Questions page for help.