Then, mix it up. Turn your compost in an open-air bin with a shovel. With an enclosed bin, you may just need to turn a handle or flip a barrel. Mix often, as air circulation speeds up the decomposition process.
Add water, if necessary. Healthy compost should be moist, but not soggy. If your compost feels dry, add some water. If your compost feels muddy, add more compost material.
Turn up the heat. The sun cooks your compost, which is essential to the decomposition process. If you’re getting more cloudy days than sunny, you may need more patience. The process can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on air, heat, and the types of materials used.
Finally, feed your garden. Soon your kitchen scraps will have miraculously turned to a rich compost ideal for kitchen and flower gardens. If you don’t have a garden, composting may inspire you to start one. If you’re not quite ready for that green-living step, offer your compost to a neighbor, community garden club, or local farm.
A note about small spaces. You can compost even if you don’t have a back yard. One way is to save your kitchen scraps and donate to a friend with a compost bin or a community group with a composting program. Some farms will also accept produce scraps for composting. A composting method ideally suited to apartments: worm bins. When redworms eat your food waste, you end up with soil your garden will find just as tasty as traditional compost.Composting is a small lifestyle choice that pays big dividends. It’s great for teaching kids—and grown-ups—about the life cycle, especially if you grow some of your own food. No need to feel guilty when your organic lettuce wilts before you get a chance to eat it, because that lettuce can serve another purpose: food for a garden. It’s an example of green living at its best—easy, affordable, earth-friendly, educational, and fun.
