From Scraps to Soil: A Beginner’s Guide to Composting at Home

Compostable materials include organic substances like food scraps and yard trimmings. Photos courtesy UNH Cooperative Extension, COLSA archives

To some, it’s a pile of rotting stuff. To many gardeners, it’s future “black gold.” To bugs, it might be lunch.

While the value of a compost pile might be in the eyes of the beholder, there’s no denying the many benefits it brings. And just about anyone can make compost — even city dwellers or others who don’t have a large yard.

Compost is the result of a natural process in which microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi break down organic material, such as kitchen and yard waste, and transform it into nutrient-dense fertilizer that enriches soil, nourishes plants, and enhances soil’s ability to retain moisture.

Compost helps prevent compacted soil, so plants can stretch their legs, even as it reduces soil erosion. It’s like Linus’ blanket wrapped around Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree, only underground and better.

The benefits of composting range from waste reduction to improved water retention and enhancement of soil biodiversity.

All this, plus it’s free and eco-friendly, as it diverts waste that would otherwise end up in a landfill, where it would release methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

Many people hesitate to compost their waste, though. Some aren’t sure where to start or worry that a compost pile will attract nuisance animals. “They think it might smell or be offensive as all that organic waste breaks down,” says Steph Sosinski, home horticulture program manager for UNH Extension. People also don’t want to wait for the compost to be ready to use.

That last concern is a valid point. The composting process does take time, often about a year or more, but it is possible to speed up the process, if you don’t mind managing your compost pile more closely by turning your pile more often, for example.

Otherwise, the easiest approach is to find a place on your property where you can have a pile of compostable material, “let it sit until it’s broken down, and then you can use it. It’s as simple as that,” says Henry Homeyer, of Cornish Flat, who writes and speaks often on gardening topics.

Using a bin or other container is optional, but a nonnegotiable part of successful composting is maintaining a well-balanced mix of carbon and nitrogen in your pile. This means your pile should consist of three parts “brown” material — such as dry leaves, paper, and cardboard — to one part “green” material — such as grass clippings and food waste. Acceptable food waste includes fruit and vegetable scraps, banana peels, coffee grounds, and used tea leaves (minus synthetic teabags and staples). Eggshells are also OK, but to avoid potential problems, do not put meat, dairy, oily products, or pet waste in your compost pile, and do not put diseased or invasive plants or grass clippings treated with herbicides or pesticides in there, either.

Creating a compostable pile allows for organic materials to decompose and become compost, which can then be used to nourish plants and improve soil quality.

If you follow these basic do’s and don’ts and add water to keep your compost pile damp but not sopping wet, your pile will not smell rancid or attract pests and will eventually turn into usable compost, Sosinski and Homeyer say.

Constructing a precisely layered pile isn’t necessary, but building on a base layer of small branches or twigs can help with drainage and air circulation.

“It’s basically a self-managing process if you have the right balance of materials,” overall, Sosinski says. “It’s its own ecosystem, really.”

If you want usable compost sooner and don’t mind the hassle, turn your pile as much as every few days during the summer, but leave it be in the colder months to prevent heat loss. Create a pile that’s equivalent to at least the size of a large garbage can to “really get (it) cooking,” Homeyer says, and speed decomposition by chopping or shredding waste rather than throwing in large pieces. You can even monitor the temperature of your pile to make sure it’s toasty enough for the microbes to do their thing.

“There are people who are obsessed” with optimizing their compost piles, Homeyer says, but there’s no need to fuss. “I’m pretty lackadaisical about the way I go about it personally, and it works fine.”

If you don’t have a lot of outdoor space, you can still compost in a simple way. Take advantage of curbside collection of compostable waste or a drop-off location in your city or town, if it’s available. Other options include composting on your balcony or patio.

Remember, yard waste isn’t a necessary component of compost; just be sure to have the proper ratio of browns and greens. If you’re not overly squeamish, you can even try vermicomposting, which uses worms to help break down waste that you keep in an indoor or outdoor bin.

When compost is dark and crumbly with an earthy smell and no noticeable undigested chunks, you can at last sprinkle it in the pots of houseplants or add it to outdoor vegetable and flower beds. Most plants will benefit from compost, aside from those, such as cacti, that prefer a less rich soil. You can also offer your finished compost to a local farm or community garden, or to friends and family who have gardens or houseplants.

Those who give composting a try “quickly turn into enthusiasts,” Sosinski says. Give it a shot, and you’ll swell with Yankee pride knowing that you’ve done a good deed for the world, at zero cost. You might also never look at a banana peel the same way again.

For more information and composting tips:

NH Recycles: nhrecycles.org/resources/food-waste-composting-diversion-services

UNH Extension: extension.unh.edu/resource/composting-home-gardener-fact-sheet

NH Department of Environmental Services: des.nh.gov/news-and-media/blog/food

Composting on the summit

If you want to try composting but think it will be too much of a hassle, perhaps you’ll take inspiration from the folks at the Mount Washington Observatory. Workers and volunteers at the 90-year-old research institution have been composting in some fashion for years but have occasionally run into headwinds due to the practical issues that come with composting at 6,288 feet.

“It’s not like we can just throw stuff in the backyard,” half-jokes Wendy Almeida, the observatory’s development officer.

Recently, though, the observatory teamed up with Highwater Farm, a small family farm in nearby Bartlett. Each week, an observatory staff member ferries the compostable waste produced by employees, volunteers, and visitors down the mountain and drops it off at the farm, where the composting process is completed and the transformed waste is used as fertilizer for the farm’s vegetables and berries. Meanwhile, another bucket remains up on the summit, ready to be filled during the coming week.

Photo courtesy Mount Washington Observatory

Despite the challenges that come with composting atop the highest peak in the northeastern United States, Almeida says observatory staff and volunteers have never wavered in their determination to do it.

“We knew we had to figure out a way to make this work,” Almeida says.

Given the observatory’s mission to advance the understanding of atmospheric science, it’s only natural, she says, that “we want to minimize our impact on where we work … despite the logistical challenges of it.”