Composting at home: the basics
What can and can't be composted, the balance to keep, and how to avoid bad smells.
What can be composted
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| "Green" waste (nitrogen-rich, wet) | Peelings, coffee grounds, fruit and vegetables, fresh grass clippings |
| "Brown" waste (carbon-rich, dry) | Dead leaves, plain cardboard, paper, small branches |
What doesn't belong (in a typical home compost)
- Meat, fish, dairy (attracts pests, causes odor).
- Citrus and onions in large amounts (slow decomposition, bother worms).
- Diseased plants, weeds that have gone to seed.
- Litter from carnivorous pets.
A good compost alternates roughly 2 parts "brown" to 1 part "green": too much green alone quickly turns wet and smelly.
Avoiding bad smells
An unpleasant smell almost always signals too much moisture or green material: add dry brown material (cardboard, dead leaves) and mix it in to aerate.
The cycle
1. Alternate layers of green and brown 2. Mix/aerate regularly (every 1-2 weeks) 3. Keep moist without soaking (like a wrung-out sponge) 4. Wait 3 to 12 months depending on method and season
Compost is ready when it's dark, crumbly, and smells like forest soil.
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