Composting

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How do I start composting? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago by Mindlight@lemmy.world to c/composting

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Two years ago I started composting the cut grass from the lawnmower and occasionally some thin twigs and leaves. "Composting" as in dining it all in a cheap plastic compost container without any bottom.

In my head worms and other things would find their way there and start munching away.

In reality the end result was dry cut grass cakes and twigs. So this spring we got rid of the contents.

So ... What beginners guide to easy composting do you recommend.

I would like to start easy and in a distant future, if all goes well now, I might get an isolated container for leftover food and scrap. But that seems very distant right now.

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[–] dream_weasel@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I literally just started so so someone else will probably come correct me.

What you did was sort of miss half the composting ingredients. Generally speaking, you need both green (food scrappy ish stuff) and brown (yard waste kinda stuff) matter to make good compost. Just egg shells, banana peels, and coffee grounds go a long way in the green matter department. I don't know much about directly on the ground composting, but for hot composting in a container that rotates (or one you turn manually) I follow these rules: plant waste only (excluding eggshells), no grains, no weeds or anything I wouldn't like to grow, and paper towels or cardboard only VERY occasionally. If it starts to stink, add more brown. If it gets too dry, add more green (or less brown). While castings (worm waste) is awesome from specific worm species, they are not actually necessary.

In the summer, 4-6 weeks will break down just about anything but gourds using hot compost it seems like.

You kinda just dried and pattied your yard waste and set up for a great burn pile lol.