Or if you prefer, you can use the batch method, where you fill up the bin all at once with a good ratio of “browns” and “greens” — carbon rich and nitrogen rich materials. You can learn more about the Spin Bin composter at Amazon.com. Requires no maintenance but takes longer to break down. Also I show you how I make black gold compost on the homestead! Collect enough materials to build your compost pile at least 3’x3’x3’. The four key factors for thriving DIY compost include: In a way, a compost pile reminds me of the human gut, teeming with organisms. This method works, but it has several disadvantages. Ripped up cardboard (best if ink-free and untreated). You can barely fit anything inside. It’s optional, but some people choose to cover the top of compost with a tarp to keep it moist. What do you do with compost? When compared to your average compost … And while the thought of reusing human waste as a soil amendment seems like an efficient, healthy idea on the surface, there are issues to watch out for. Add A Source Of Nitrogen To Help Compost Leaves. Dairy, meat, bones and other animal products, Paper (Some people recommend it, but it could contain toxic printer ink chemicals, so I avoid it. With a 60 gallon capacity, the Spin Bin is big enough for brutally effective composting. (Plus How to Do It), What Causes Blood in Stool? Get the mix right when it comes to ingredients. layer of green material (plant debris, kitchen scraps, grass clippings...) on top of the brown layer Water until the pile is damp. Some people literally just pile up all of their grass clippings, fallen leaves and food scraps in a corner of their back yard and leave it there until it eventually turns into finished compost. This dark, crumbly, "black gold", is made up of decomposing organic matter. Work over a large storage bin, a wheelbarrow, or even a tarp. DIY Compost: Simple Steps to Make ‘Black Gold’ at Home. If you want to keep it simple, you can just add materials as you generate them and slowly fill up the bin over weeks or months. Once your compost pile is established, mix grass clippings and green waste into the pile and bury fruit and vegetable waste under 10 inches of compost material. Here is to making incredible compost from your leaves this year, and having mountains of black gold next spring! When the material at the bottom is dark and rich in color, your compost is ready to use. Leave a Comment / Gardening / By Andrew C. ... Folks with smaller yards and less yard waste to compost can make their own compost bin out of a 55-gallon drum or a large plastic garbage can by drilling ½- to ¾-inch holes every few inches all over it. If there was only one piece of advice I could give to improve your soil, it would be to compost. By adding organic matter i.e. This article is based on scientific evidence, written by experts and fact checked by our trained editorial staff. Compost can be shop bought but it … It improves your soil and keeps kitchen scraps and yard debris out of landfills. With the Spin Bin, there are many ways to approach using the compost tumbler. Retains moisture and promotes earthworm activity. We may earn an affiliate commission if you buy from one of our product links, at no extra cost to you. Your compost should release a fresh, earthy smell when the ratio is correct. Compost. Choose a compost bin that’s right for you or build a pile direction on the ground. The organic nature of compost … (8). I like to keep it basic with backyard composting, keeping animal waste out of the equation. There are many reasons to make a compost pile. So taking home composting into your own hands is a great way to keep toxic chemicals out of your yard. Before buying a commercial product, call the number on the bag and ask the source of the material. It should never smell bad, and instead have a rich, earthy aroma to it. For the purposes of this article, we’re focusing on non-manure household waste like lawn and food scraps. An overly small pile is one of the biggest mistakes people make when starting. Very informative. You’ll have to get out your pitch fork, or shovel and painstakingly mix up the materials every few weeks to make sure that your compost is breaking down correctly. As the bin approaches fullness, just stop adding materials for a few weeks and let all the most recent materials finish breaking down and you’ll have a bin of your own finished compost to add to your garden, yard, or flowers and shrubs. If alternating layers, make each layer 2 to 4 inches thick, the USDA stresses. Increase soil structure to help prevent erosion. Gross! Help plants retain more moisture during periods of drought, which is becoming more common with. The Spin Bin composter was designed specifically with the homeowner in mind. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. (You’ll be amazed at how quickly materials will shrink as they decompose into compost!) Also I show you how I make black gold compost on the homestead! Move materials from the center to the outside and vice versa. The consistency should be dark brown in color and crumbly in consistency. Select a dry, shady spot near a water source for your compost pile or bin. But if you are using a traditional compost bin, how are you going to keep your materials mixed up so that they break down more effectively? ), Soft, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe, How to Get Rid of Bags Under the Eyes: 13 Easy, Natural Ways, Secret Detox Drink Recipe (A Natural Detox Drink Recipe), The Best Sunscreens, Toxic Ones to Avoid & the State of Sunscreen in America, How Many Hugs a Day Does a Person Need? Don’t compost these things: Look outside of any home improvement or garden store in the spring and you’ll see bags of “organic compost.” Just a word of caution: Many of these products are actually human sewage sludge. Trouble is, this human sewage sludge in compost contains more than natural fertilizer. Compost improves existing soil structure. Remember, compost is “done” when it smells sweet and is cool and crumbly to the touch. 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