Chuck it all on a heap and forget about it If you chuck everything in a pile and add to it when you have waste, you'll get compost eventually. You do want to avoid adding anything smelly if you care about getting pests. Even if you bury it, your pile will likely not get hot.
Cold composting is as simple as collecting yard waste or taking out the organic materials in your trash (such as fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds and filters, and eggshells) and then corralling them in a pile or bin. Over the course of a year or so, the material will decompose.
Hot composting is a method of composting that involves actively managing the compost pile to maintain high temperatures, usually between 130-160°F (54-71°C). These high temperatures help break down organic matter more quickly than in a cold compost pile.
Composting Don'ts
Don't add fish, meat, dairy products, bones, baked goods, fatty foods or grease to your compost pile. These food scraps do not easily decompose and may attract animals. Don't use diseased plants or plants that are toxic to other plants.
You can put your compost pile in the sun or in the shade, but putting it in the sun will hasten the composting process. Sun helps increase the temperature, so the bacteria and fungi work faster.
Urine fits in as one of the 'green' layers in composting, along with the likes of grass clippings from mowing a lawn and kitchen waste, that all contain nitrogen. However, the higher concentration of nitrogen in urine acts as a compost activator and actively speeds up the process of composting.
Decomposition will be complete anywhere from two weeks to two years depending on the materials used, the size of the pile, and how often it is turned.
Using “unfinished” or immature material that contains food scraps can attract pests and can cause harm to young plants, so make sure your compost has fully decomposed before adding it to your garden beds.
Ensure that the pile has a carbon: nitrogen ratio of roughly 1:30. Ensure the moisture level is about 50%. Build a pile of at least 36″ x 36″ x 36″, using bins if possible. The pile needs to be turned every day to reach a finished stage within two weeks (or slightly longer).
Activators Around the House
Rabbit food (pellets) and dry dog food are also organic activators that are often have on-hand. Human urine is an interesting (and free) compost activator if you're game. It's loaded with nitrogen, minerals, and vitamins, making it a dandy activator.
Turning once a week or once every two weeks had generally lower decomposition rates. To maintain a thermophilic pile (pile with high heat), it should be turned every three to four days, or when the temperature drops below 104 F. However, if most of the material has been decomposed, less frequent turning is adequate.
Compost loses volume over time
The shrinkage does continue but slows down considerably as the compost becomes more stable. However, it will still slowly decrease in bulk over time. If you leave it too long, you are feeding microorganisms in the compost, rather than in the soil.
Does composting produce soil? The end product of composting is not soil. Instead, decomposing organic waste produces a nutrient-rich and biologically active substance, which can be added to the soil. But it does not turn into soil.
Sawdust from all types of trees, be they soft or hard, can be used in your compost pile. For composting purposes, sawdust is considered a “brown” composting material. It is therefore used to add carbon to the mix as well as to balance the nitrogen from the “green” composting materials, like greens and food wastes.
Pour 6 ounces of beer into the bucket; beer contains yeast that will help to accelerate the decomposition process. Add one-half cup of ammonia to the beer to provide an extra shot of nitrogen to the compost and help speed up the breakdown of leaves, food and other ingredients in the compost bin.
Urine can be used in compost because it is high in nitrogen and other micronutrients beneficial to your plants. However, this practice should be done with care to prevent contamination by pathogens or creating too much nitrogen content in the composting process.
Temperatures rising in a hot-compost pile come from the activity of numerous organisms breaking down organic matter. To keep a pile running hot, pay attention to four elements: carbon, nitrogen, water, and air. A hot pile requires enough high-nitrogen materials to get the pile to heat up.
Composting works in sun or shade Piles in sunny spots will decompose quicker but also dry out faster and may need supplemental watering during hot dry weather. Those located in a shadier spot will stay moist longer but decompose slower. In either case, make sure the soil below the pile is well-drained.
Citrus fruit, tomato products and pickled food products can do harm to your compost. High acidity can actually kill the good bacteria that helps break down the material in your compost pile.
Don't put diseased plants, pet droppings (apart from chook manure), cooking fat, glossy paper, weeds with seeds, treated timber and large branches in your compost bin. Some gardeners say you should avoid adding meat and bones unless you have a larger compost system.
Bad leaves for compost: Bad leaves are those higher in lignin and lower in nitrogen and calcium. These include beech, oak leaves, holly, and sweet chestnut. Also, make sure to avoid using leaves of black walnut and eucalyptus as these plants contain natural herbicides that will prevent seeds from germinating.
Weeds have many nutrients so they are a great addition to the compost pile, but you do not want compost filled with viable weed seeds. The best time to take care of weeds is when they are small and have not established deep roots or seed heads (easier to pull, too, especially if ground is still moist).