“Lazy” Composting

I don’t do things “by the book.” By the book works fine for complete newbies & maybe for people who start something but aren’t likely to stick with it. There are dozens, if not hundreds of “do’s & don’ts” sites  out there on the web. I’m also lazy. Very lazy. But this method has provided me with 2-4 FULL wheelbarrow loads of finished compost/year depending on my level of lazy & whether I flip it spring AND fall, or just one time. And there’s only 2 of us living here, contributing material.

Decomp isn’t pretty but it IS natural. So sometimes odors will happen, various molds will grow, and insects will abound. The key to that NOT happening in the house is to empty your collection container AT LEAST every other day. The container shouldn’t be larger than 1 gallon & should be covered. This where if you want to spend $25 for “pretty,” it’s worth it. There are tons of compost “crocks” available that look nice next to the kitchen sink and most come with replaceable charcoal filters that go in the lid. Most are also dishwasher safe, depending on what they are made of. It is important though to rinse (or wash it) thoroughly every time you empty it or it will get stinky. In our house EVERYTHING biodegradable that’s generated in the kitchen gets composted – vegetable, animal, & paper (paper towels & napkins). The “rules” say no animal material other than egg shells but my outdoor pile is far enough from the house that I never have an issue with odors. Critters will be addressed below.

Outside you can go as simple as just a pile (or piles) or as complex & expensive as the various plastic bins & barrels. It works better and looks better if you keep it at least slightly contained. I use 4 wooden pallets, tied together with heavy twine. Pallets are free all over the place (my neighbor gives them to me). If you want to be fancy, you can paint them. Mine are about 150ft from my house, supported on one side by a tree & tightly tied. If I’m lazy (or short a pallet), it’s 3 sided with no door and I just rake the material back into it when it starts to spill out from critters messing in it. I’ve put out a trail camera before and captured a raccoon, skunk, and opossum all sharing space at the same time in it, but nothing troubles near the house (our birdfeeders are another matter). Crows like to take paper towels out and toss them around.

I dump the kitchen bucket about every 2 days and all my garden waste goes in it. This is another point of “rules” argument. It gets hot but not hot enough to kill most weeds (or tomato seeds). I won’t throw invasives like knotweed in it and if I throw wads of crabgrass, I cut the roots off & just toss those in my woods. And anything obviously diseased doesn’t go in it. But everything else is fair game. If I have leaves, I put those in too, but mostly I mow the leaves (remember, I’m lazy). I never water it. If it stays wet it’ll “cook” a little faster, but to me, it’s not worth wasting the water. I also put in shredded paper (household docs). Some people say that messes up the pH, I shrug. BUT too many shreds will get packed down and go anaerobic if it gets really wet, which WILL slow down your decomp. So a lot of paper means you should mix it up at least a couple of times during the season.

Rules say the more you aerate, the faster it’ll cook – true, hence the “barrel tumblers” you can buy (for several hundred $$). Like I said before, early spring, the top layer gets flipped, finished material gets raked out, new pile gets started. And sometimes again in fall, depending on the yellowjacket activity. (I’m allergic, so I don’t mess around) I actually have 2 outdoor bins & flip from one to the other. Finally, you can buy all sorts of stuff to add – “starter” bacteria, worms, etc. I HAVE added bacteria in the past but I don’t know that it really makes a difference. And the worms will come on their own – red worms – the good ones. If you add a whole bunch, you’re more likely to attract the critters that like to eat worms. Nature does a fine job on her own. Oh, the one thing I DID invest in is a heavy duty compost sifter screen. When I’m pulling the finished material, I sift it into the wheelbarrow & toss anything that is still decomposing back. It also helps get sticks and small rocks & stuff like that out. The finished compost looks & smells just like really nice damp soil.

~ Deb Fields