Composting 101

Hubby and I scored a major deal on a double bin composter last weekend and I couldn't be more excited!!  (You know you're old when get excited over something like that...)  It's a beaut with two 50 gallon bins that each rotate separately.  When our sweet neighbor who is moving next week set it out with a for sale sign on it, we didn't hesitate to jump on it.  This means that our yard will end up looking as lovely as their impeccably beautiful landscape, right??

While I grew up composting (and quite honestly, thought that's just what one did) Hubby clearly did not.  He's been throwing a little of everything in there, while I keep pulling things out.  Composting is really pretty simple, once you know the dos and the don'ts.  For a successful compost pile, you need a combination of browns and greens. 

BROWNS include cardboard, dry leaves and grass clippings, straw, shredded paper, newspaper, cardboard egg cartons, and egg shells (not including walnut).

GREENS include vegetable and fruit scraps (think peels, strawberry tops, melon rinds), tea bags, coffee grounds, spent flower bouquets, and weeds.

DO NOT compost meats, fish, bones, dairy products, pet waste, cooked food waste, oils and fats, glossy paper, and charcoal.

Typically a good mix is one part green to two parts brown.  Make sure to mix and turn your compost once a week and water so that it's just moist.  Once it turns dark and is like soil you're ready to use the black gold in the garden.  

In the meantime, I found the cutest small compost bucket for the kitchen that almost matches my beloved Portmeirion.  While I currently don't mind going out to the big tumbler every night, I know that once winter hits I won't be quite as enthused.  This allows us to continue composting while keeping the kitchen looking cute and not freezing to death either.

Happy Composting!

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