Get Started Composting

First, What is composting?

Composting is a term you’ve probably heard tossed around but might not be entirely sure of what it means or why people do it.  To put it simply, compost is the practice of recycling organic materials and waste you have readily available around the house and turning it into nutrient-rich, organic soil called compost!  Compost can be made from a variety of things you probably throw away each day including: leaves, grass clippings, food scraps, natural paper products, and more!  Take all of that, combine it together, let it decompose and then you’ve hit pay dirt!  What you are left with is fondly called Black Gold a.k.a. compost!  While you might think that you would need a large yard or outdoor space to compost you can easily accomplish small space composting in an apartment or in an urban environment.  But before we discuss that let’s talk about why you should compost!

Why Should I Start Composting?

Think of compost as a free, readily available energizer for your plants.  Because compost is made up of broken down, decomposed organic matter, it is rich in natural nutrients.  Adding compost to your soil feeds the soil, providing your plants with a huge boost of nutrients it needs to grow stronger and healthier.

It helps make fruits and veggies taste better and helps plants ward off pests and disease reducing the need to spend money on pesticides. If that wasn’t enough, adding compost to your soil helps your soil retain more water which means less watering for you!  Making compost also helps you cut down on waste.  Instead of throwing these materials away, you can recycle them, harnessing their hidden nutrients and returning them back to nature to aid in future growth!  The Circle of Life!

I Want to Compost, but do I Have Space for it?

The great thing about composting is that it can be accomplished anywhere!  While you may already be familiar with large compost bins or compost piles, you can actually accomplish the same thing on a smaller scale with small space composting!  Whether you are composting indoors in an apartment in a city or composting outdoors in a small urban garden, there are options for both.

Click below for more on composting structures, composting materials, and composting tips for your small space.