Compost is a key ingredient in a healthy garden. You can compost basically any organic matter, for example: egg shells, vegetable peels, lemon/orange rinds, apple/fruit core, coffee grinds, etc. As long as it isn’t grease, or a meat and it is a natural substance–you can recycle it back into your garden.
I keep a bowl, actually this one:
in my cabinet (you can also keep it on your counter) so I have it readily available. Coffee cans work wonderfully for this as well.
When I have to peel potatoes, or any other vegetable, I actually peel them into this container first:
That way I don’t have to have the stinky compost container open the whole time, and with it’s oblong shape–it catches the fly away carrot/potatoes peels much easier! In another life, this container held meat from Wal-Mart.
When I’m done doing the job at hand, I open up my compost container and throw it all in. When it starts to get full, I take it out to my compost.
If a coffee can or recycled margarine tub isn’t your thing, and you prefer something a little more presentable, you can even get a ceramic compost keeper or even a stainless-steel composter . The possibilities are endless!
You can also include leaves, twigs and grass clippings into your compost. Some composts can take anywhere from 3 months to a year to fully break down and become usable. It is important to continually keep it flipped, and to add goods to it. Your compost may be ready on the bottom, before it is on the top, so keep checking it and rotating.
This is a great way to clean up your yard, make the most of your food, and feed your garden at the same time!
This post is linked to Tammy’s Recipes and Works For Me Wednesday.
Do you have a compost or special compost container? What are your successes/failures with it?
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I reuse a large plastic ice cream container for composting.
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I also use a ice cream container. I totally agree with compost being the key to a healthy garden. Last year, our tomato plants went absolutely CRAZY, while everyone else we talked to said their tomatoes were struggling. The only thing we could think of as to why ours were doing so well was our compost.
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I just started composting this year, too! I have a big plastic bowl under the sink and when I’m cooking, just use whatever bowl is handy on the counter, then dump it all together when I’m done. I built a box outside to throw everything in. Got a jump start with a few big bags of leaves from Grana’s house and cow patties from the pasture! Now my compost is turning into beautiful stuff!
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I agree with Jenny. I have been gardening and composting since I was little with my grandfather and father. I rarely have a bad year of produce and I attribute it to my compost. I actually use 2 old garbage cans with holes poked throughout them to hold my outside compost. Just throw a little dirt and worms in to get things going!
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Another thing I will have to read up on! All this is new to me since I’m a city girl. lol
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I used to have a large ice cream bucket on the counter. It didn’t look nice out all the time. I recently started using a plastic cat litter bucket. Since it’s winter I don’t liket o take out the garbage to the compost pile so I can collect a lot of scraps before it needs eptied and the lid snaps closed to keep any odor out of the kitchen.
I’m surprised that the scraps really don’t cause a bad smell. As long as you don’t use meats thes’s really nothing to spoil to casue an odor.
I have a small plastic container that blueberries came in that I use for my daily correction pot and I can empty it all at once into the main bucket.
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I’ve been wanting to try composting, I think I will after reading this tip. Thanks.
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You’ve piqued my curiosity! I’ve been reading about composting lately. We put in our first garden last summer after buying our home. I’m curious, though. What do you put the compost in outside of your house?
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I love to compost…you can also compost paper towels and kleenex (both break down quickly) I also add the bedding from my chicken’s coop as a great layer (chicken poop is one of the BEST fertilizers your garden can have, as long as you let it “mature”).
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I am a composting dropout! I never seem to be able to put it all together somehow! But I like your pre-composting tray–good idea. Maybe I’ll keep trying!
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I love it, I am wanting to compost but am kind of scared
Thanks for posting
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Thanks for the great tip. So often, we just toss the scraps due to it being winter and the compost pile is under the snow…this is a perfect idea.
Peace
~*Michelle*~
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I have been reading about composting for a while now, but have not yet started. Thanks for this easy how to guide.
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My plastic ice cream container recently fell apart and I realized that I had the “perfect” compost holder in the form of a stainless steel mini trash can with foot pedal and liner that started life as a diaper pail. In the hot, rainless summers of Sacramento our compost piles were unsuccessful until we put under the shade of a redwood tree and some red wiggler worms moved in.
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