Live and Let Rot!

Did you know that nature has devised an ingenious and efficient recycling process that can be harnessed by anybody to beautify their landscape, reduce their waste, lower their carbon footprint, and enrich their life? We all know about recycling of paper, glass, metals, etc., something that’s been made necessary by the sheer volume of ‘throw-away’ materials produced by our industrial consumer economy. For most of us, recycling is an added chore that we mostly willingly take on in order to reduce our waste stream and as an acknowledgement that some things shouldn’t be used once and then buried in the ground. The recycling I am referring to, though, is nearly effortless, happens naturally, and can be harnessed to fit into a nook of your outdoor spaces or even in a closet or under the kitchen sink. It is home composting, probably one of the easiest things you can do to make a difference in your environmental impact.

The Humble & Indispensable World Under Our Feet

Decomposition has been the way in which nature’s organic garbage has been recycled for eons. Ever since the first prehistoric creatures began slithering along the sea bottom or up onto terra firma, an entire suite of microorganisms and smaller creatures showed up to clean up the mess when something pooped, shed its skin or died. Indeed, the soil under our feet, far from being lifeless dirt, is a living food chain of bacteria, fungi, worms, and various creepy crawlies who break down plant and animal waste and carcasses into useable resources for the benefit of the entire above-ground ecosystem. This process has been known by people around the world for generations, although they may not have always understood it’s microscopic complexity. It is only since we’ve become enmeshed in our modern consumer economy, divorced from the land, that we have been habituated into believing that dealing with the trash is someone else’s problem. In so doing, we’ve lost touch with a vital connection to natural processes and the humbling knowledge and rewards that come with that.

The Noble History of Compost

Composting wasn’t always a ‘thing’ that people consciously did or didn’t do. For generations after the rise of agriculture, composting mostly just happened. People disposed of their garden and kitchen waste, and that of their livestock, in out of the way places, knowing that it would eventually break down and disappear. Many cultures did recognize the end product as useful fertilizer. Use of manure as fertilizer was a common practice in many parts of the world. The ingenious chinampas, floating island gardens developed by the Aztecs to feed the thriving population of Tenochtitlan, were fertilized by waste from the city. German farmers often maintained dunghaufen, or dung heaps, where livestock manure mixed with straw was piled up in order to decompose for later use in fertilizing crop fields. In some cultures, where hogs were commonly maintained and eaten, most of the waste from the kitchen ended up being fed to the pigs, where it was converted into pork products or pig manure.

Modern composting got its start as recently as the early 20^th century when Sir Albert Howard, a British agronomist, developed a method of layered composting for use in India to help enrich soil fertility. Around the same time, Austrian philosopher, Rudolf Steiner, developed the principles of biodynamic agriculture, which included composting as a central practice. Around mid-century, American J.I. Rodale used Howard’s composting ideas as part of his development of organic farming and gardening practices. Although the rise of industrial fertilizers after World War II resulted in abandonment of home-grown fertilizers and the adoption of industrial farming practices in much of the developed world, the natural forces of decomposition weren’t going anywhere. Today’s modern regenerative agriculture is the latest development which incorporates composting on a landscape scale to support soil health and recycle wastes.

Bringing it Home

Home composting is nothing more than a scaled down version of the same practices used on farms. Composting here is confined to a container or bin(s) situated in an out-of-the-way place near the garden. Many gardeners see this primarily as a great way to home-grow the fertilizers used to support their lawn and garden. The fact that waste is diverted from the weekly curbside pick-up is often a secondary goal. On an even simpler scale, apartment dwellers can create or purchase a vermicomposter (i.e., worm bin) to compost fruit and vegetable scraps to a hungry population of well-contained red worms. Worm bins can be compact enough to fit in a closet, breezeway or even under a kitchen sink.

The first step in effective home composting is determining what and how much of your organic waste you want to compost and balancing this with how much space you’re willing to devote to it. An avid home gardener looking to compost as much of their garden waste, lawn clippings, weeds, leaves, etc. as possible will require at least a 64 cubic-foot space (4x4x4 ft.) if not slightly larger to accommodate the volume of organic material generated. Those without gardens, or with simpler ambitions, can make do with a smaller compost container or worm bin to handle the fruit and vegetable scraps from their kitchen. Compost bins are easy to create as a DIY project; however, there are many quality products on the market for home composting (and some not-so-effective ones as well, but I’ll refer back to this later).

The Joys of Decomposition

This is probably a good time to point out to those already skeptical of the idea of home composting based on assumptions they have about smells and bugs, that none of this needs to be the case. A well-tended home composting set-up, while requiring biology (mainly harmless soil bacteria, fungi, and worms of various stripes) to function, will not produce foul odors or result in mice and fruit flies invading your home and garden. In fact, the biology of a compost pile can be fascinating and educational to watch. You’ll have to actively engage with your compost (highly recommended) to see all of this teeming life, though. It mostly takes place out of sight and in the moist, dark, earthy layers of your compostables. Your encounters can be limited to those few times of year that you will be turning your compost with a pitchfork to ensure proper layering and mixing of ingredients; however, I suggest checking in with your compost more regularly, at least once every few weeks. This will not only ensure that your moisture levels are appropriate and that potential problems with smells or pests can be nipped in the bud but will provide you with the sense of wonder that comes from engaging with, getting to know, and learning from the lower forms of life that truly run the world.

Why Bother?

This is also a good time to dispense with the rationale, why bother with home composting when landscape waste is already picked up at the curb and composted commercially? While not universal, most waste hauling services do collect and compost yard waste and, in fact, many communities now also offer the option (for an extra fee) to include kitchen waste mixed with landscape waste as part of your weekly curbside waste service. The convenience of this sort of composting, while better than none at all, is not going to reduce your carbon footprint as much since your waste still needs to be transported in a truck. More importantly, relying on your local waste hauler to do all of the composting deprives you of the material AND spiritual benefits of connecting in a deep way with your own soil and the biological magic that helps it thrive. I am an advocate of taking the road less traveled and more rewarding, and home composting fits this metaphor.

Dos & Don’ts

I’m not going to provide a detailed ‘how-to’ here, as there are ample resources to help guide you, some of which I’ve cited below. Proper composting can be done in many different ways; however, there are some important yet simple dos and don’ts that always apply.

• DO layer your compostables as though you’re creating a lasagna (see image below). This is important if your goal to compost efficiently and create a useable compost within a few months!
• DO categorize your ingredients as wet-green, dry-brown and black-activator. This is a simple but useful way to layer items for efficient decomposition.
• DO use a good garden soil or finished compost (purchased or gifted from a neighbor) as your black activator. This is where the micro-biology gets added to your layers to get the whole process going.
• DO maintain appropriate moisture levels, described as the consistency of a wrung-out sponge, watering your compost when necessary, during dry weather OR covering it to avoid over-soaking during heavy rains.

• DON’T add meat or dairy waste, ever! These items will attract rodents.
• DON’T add pet or human waste, ever! These items contain harmful bacteria that you don’t want in you finished compost.
• DON’T add diseased plants or those sprayed with herbicides. These can persist over time and affect the quality of your compost.
• DON’T let your materials dry out OR get sopping wet. Moisture is a key factor in effective composting.
• DON’T or avoid adding ‘durable’ organics like twigs, wood chips, oak leaves, and pine needles. These items will break down but will take a few years to do so.
• DON’T expect the new ‘bio-compostable’ food containers to compost quickly. Many of these products require high-heat commercial composting to break down.
• DON’T add large quantities of any single waste ingredient all at once. As already mentioned, layer ingredients to ensure proper ratios and mixing.

Whether you purchase a commercially made composter or choose to construct your own bins really depends on your aesthetics and how much space you decide to devote to composting. I advise that you avoid the use of a purchased compost ‘tumbler’ that sits above the ground. Maintaining proper moisture levels and the necessary biology will be difficult when your compost is not in contact with the soil. The exception here are indoor vermicomposters, which are less prone to drying out. You may have already figured out that the recommended layering of compostables means that you need to have a variety of stuff on hand whenever you add to your compost pile. I have found that stockpiling materials can work well and doesn’t require you to maintain ‘junk piles’ on your property. Leaves and lawn clippings are the easiest to stockpile, as they can be stored in the landscape bags most people use to place these items on the curb for pick-up. Leaves can also be stored ON your landscape as natural mulch around vegetables, berry bushes, trees and shrubs and flower beds. While serving this purpose, they will begin to break down and can be added to your compost pile whenever brown ingredients are needed. If you decide to collect and stockpile your fruit and vegetable scraps in the house, which is more convenient than going out to the compost pile after every meal, you’ll want to use a sealed container to avoid the early odors of decomposition from permeating your kitchen.

Time to Reap the Rewards

Home composting can be taken up on its own or as part of a suite of green landscape care practices. However it is done, it will not only reduce what you send to the landfill on a weekly basis but it can actually improve the health of your soil and your landscape in general. Home-grown compost is rich not only in soil nutrients but in the micro-biology that revitalizes soils. Healthy soil translates into healthy plants. When you nurture the amazing, hidden food chain that handles nature’s – and now your – trash, you make a connection that will enrich your life.

Useful Links

There is LOTS of information and expertise out there, including from local garden clubs and University Extension Services. Here’s a few links to get you started.

Composting At Home | US EPA

A Beginners Guide to Composting at Home – Zero Waste Kitchen

Composting: A Guide – earth.fm

All About Composting: Learn how to compost from Gardener’s Supply

Compost History: The Fascinating Story of an Ancient Science