Today, we’re going to take a look at how to make compost.

Here at the Office Compost Program, we proudly offer our office composting services to businesses across the Waterloo Region, helping to affect climate change in a positive way – contact us today to get started!

Let’s now dig in see how to make compost!

How to Make Compost In 4 Easy Steps

If you’re planning on composting in your yard, you’ll first want to create a landing space for the elements you will add.

According to the City of Guelph, there are many different ways to compost at home.

The most popular is the pre-manufactured backyard composter but there are drum composters, cone composters, homemade composters and just plain heaps!

Step 1: Collect Compostable Materials

Compost is generally made up of browns and greens. According to Garden Myths, “Browns are any plant material that is brown, and includes fall leaves, dried grass, wood products, paper and straw. Greens are – you guessed it- green. It includes fresh grass clippings, freshly picked weeds, plant clippings and most kitchen scrap”.”

There are specific guidelines as to what you can put in your Green Bin:

• All food scraps including bones, peelings, shells, baking and cooking ingredients, spoiled, raw, and cooked food (remove all packaging and stickers)

• Small amounts of liquids (no more than one cup per Green Bin)

• Some paper products, such as paper plates, paper towels, facial tissue, greasy take-out paper packaging, paper baking cups, shredded paper.

Click here to learn more about what goes in your Green Bin.

According to Better Homes and Gardens, you should start building your own compost pile by mixing three parts brown with one part green materials for best results. 

Start collecting compostabale materials in your Green Bin.

Step 2: Water Your Compost Pile

You need to sprinkle water over the pile regularly so it has the consistency of a damp sponge. Don’t add too much water, though, or your pile will rot instead of compost.

If your compost pile looks too wet and smells, add more brown items; ff it’s brown and dry, add green items and water to make it slightly moist.

Cover the pile to make sure it doesn’t get too wet from the rain.

Step 3: Stir Your Compost Pile

Provide the pile with oxygen by turning it once a week with a garden fork.

The best time to aerate your compost is when the centre of the pile feels warm or when a thermometer reads between 130 and 150 degrees F, according to modern steader.

From Better Homes and Gardens: “Stirring up the pile will help it cook faster and prevents material from becoming matted down and developing an odor. At this point, the layers have served their purpose of creating equal amounts of green and brown materials throughout the pile, so stir thoroughly.”

Get some good garden tools to help with composting at home.

Step 4: Feed Your Garden

Compost improves your garden’s capacity to hold water and nutrients, and increases the activity of beneficial yet unseen organisms.

Compost is generally spread on top of your garden beds, but can be worked in through tilling to improve the way soil particles fit together, as well as the way air and water move through them.

You can also use it on lawns and in pots, baskets and containers. If you have enough of it, it makes an excellent mulch.

Read more about how to use compost as garden soil here.