Make Your Own Compost

Did you know that you can make your own compost in your backyard? All it takes is a compost bin or trash can, some loose dirt, and kitchen scraps along with yard clippings.

Make Your Own Compost - 12/1-12/7/2025

These are the compost bins we used in our yard in San Antonio. They turn easily. They are shown at the back of the farm. Now we just have a huge compost pile

Hey there, gardener friend! Ready to turn everyday stuff into plant power? Let’s talk about how you can make your own compost right in your backyard, easy and low-cost.

Compost is the simplest way to add nutrients to your soil and grow stronger, happier plants. When you make your own compost, you cut waste, save money, and boost your garden at the same time.

When I was a child, my father did a small amount of gardening organically. He taught me how to make compost. In fact, taking kitchen scraps outside to the compost bin and adding in a small amount of dirt each time was one of my chores. He had a large metal barrel painted sky blue out in the yard next to the long driveway, in a row of evergreen trees.

Each evening, I had to take all of the scraps out, dump them in the barrel, shovel it around in there to stir it all and add a bit of dirt. He would add this to our garden whenever it broke down. He grew tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers way up on the top hill of our property.

Compost is just broken-down plant materials. Think leaves, grass, veggie peels, coffee grounds with the filter, and paper. Microbes and worms do the work. You give them air, water, and a mix of materials. They turn trash into black gold.

This is the compost bin on our farm near the chicken coop. It has never been easier to make your own compost.

Here’s the mindset: don’t throw away your kitchen scraps. Use everyday waste items like vegetable peels, eggshells, used coffee grinds, paper, and yard clippings to add richness to your garden. Make your plants happy.

In this article, you’ll learn every backyard method to make your own compost—from a simple pile to hot composting, trench composting, and worm bins. You’ll be set for any space or season.

Worried about smell or pests? Don’t be. With a few smart steps—balance, cover, and air—your pile stays neat and garden-friendly.

Quick safety note: skip meat, dairy, oily foods, and pet waste. These can cause odors and invite critters. Stick with plant-based scraps and clean paper or cardboard.

Choose your spot and setup. First, pick a place you’ll actually use. Easy access means you’ll keep at it.

Choose a spot with good drainage and some airflow. Sun speeds things up, shade slows it down, but both work fine.

You have choices: open pile, bin, tumbler, or a simple wire cage. All can make great compost if you feed and tend them.

Aim for size: about 3 feet wide by 3 feet deep by 3 feet tall. That size heats well but is still easy to turn.

Tumblers are tidy and fast to turn. Downsides: smaller volume and they can dry out. Keep an eye on moisture.

If critters are a worry, use a lidded bin and line the bottom with hardware cloth. Also, always cover fresh scraps with browns.

Simple tools help: a garden fork, a hose, a bucket for kitchen scraps, and a tarp or lid to keep rain out when needed.

Make Your Own Compost - What Should You Compost?

When you make your own compost, do not put a bin in the middle of the kitchen floor unless you plant on tripping...Countertop containers or a bowl will do.

So what to compost? Think two types of materials—“greens” for nitrogen and “browns” for carbon.

Greens (wet, soft, quick to rot) should include fruit and veggie scraps, fresh grass, coffee grounds, tea leaves, green plant trimmings.

Browns (dry, fibrous, slower to rot) should include dry leaves, straw, shredded cardboard, paper, small sticks, sawdust from untreated wood.

Yes, kitchen scraps make compost. Save peels, cores, coffee grounds, tea bags, and crushed eggshells. Use everyday waste items like vegetable peels, eggshells, used coffee grinds including the paper filter, and paper to feed your pile.

Avoid: meat, fish, bones, dairy, greasy foods, glossy or heavy-ink paper, diseased plants, and pet waste. These cause odor or health issues.

Smaller pieces rot faster. Chop or tear big items. Break down boxes. Snip long stems. It’s like pre-chewing for your microbes.

Keep the mix simple: about 2 parts browns to 1 part greens by volume. If it smells or looks slimy, add browns. If it’s not breaking down, add greens.

Set up a small scrap system: a countertop pail with a lid and a bigger outdoor bucket. Remember, don’t throw away your kitchen scraps—turn them into garden goodness.

Make Your Own Compost - Your First Outdoor Compost Pile

When you make your own compost, you should use a bigger container than what this woman is using.

Build your first pile. When you make your own compost, start with a brown base to let air flow—sticks, corn stalks, or straw.

Then layer like a lasagna: browns, greens, browns. Keep layers a few inches thick. Finish each feeding with a brown “blanket.”

Water as you build. Aim for “wrung-out sponge” moisture—damp, not dripping. If you squeeze a handful and get a drop or two, you’re close.

Optional but helpful: sprinkle a shovel of finished compost or garden soil between layers. It adds helpful microbes to jump-start the process.

Quick starter recipe: 2 buckets browns + 1 bucket greens + a splash of water + a handful of soil. Repeat until your bin is full.

Always cap fresh food scraps with dry leaves or shredded paper. This controls smells and keeps flies away.

Label your pile with a start date. Warm weather and good mix: done in 6–12 weeks. Cooler weather or low greens: a few months.

The first time my pile heated up, I saw steam on a cool morning. I grinned like a kid. That’s your tiny garden engine running.

Make Your Own Compost - Maintenance

This person is emptying kitchen scraps into a large compost bin outdoors. Make your own compost because it is not hard to do.

Keep it cooking. Turn the pile every 1–2 weeks for quicker results. Use a fork to mix outer parts into the center.

Check moisture weekly. Too dry? Add water or more greens. Too wet? Add dry browns and turn to bring in air.

Heat check: warm is good, hot is fast. If it cools early, add a layer of greens, some browns, water, and turn well.

Smell test: ammonia or rotten smells mean too many greens or too much water. Fix it with extra browns and more air.

Keep pests away: bury kitchen scraps under 4–6 inches of browns, use a lid, and line the base with wire if needed.

Seasonal tips: in summer, shade the bin and keep it moist; in winter, stockpile leaves, insulate with straw, and keep feeding small amounts.

Quick fixes: slow pile—add more greens; slimy—mix in browns; dry and dusty—add water; lots of fruit flies—cover with browns.

Be patient. Even a “lazy” pile turns into compost given time. Nature is on your side, and steady beats perfect.

As you chop food, add the scraps to a bin and before you know it, you will make your own compost!

Speed methods. Hot composting is for fast results. Build a big batch, mix well, keep it moist, and turn every 2–3 days. Done in weeks.

Trench composting is super simple. Dig a trench 8–12 inches deep, add kitchen scraps, cover with soil, and plant nearby later. No pile to manage.

Leaf mold is slow but gold. Pile leaves, keep them damp, and let them sit 6–12 months. The result is a fluffy, water-holding mulch.
Grass clippings break down fast. Mix thin layers with dry leaves or paper.

Tip: never add thick mats of wet grass or they’ll get smelly.
Small-space hack: a lidded tote with holes can be a mini bin. Keep it on a balcony or patio. Turn by shaking or stirring.

Worm composting (vermicomposting) is great indoors. Give worms a bin with bedding (shredded paper), feed small amounts, and harvest rich castings.

Coffee and eggshell tips: use coffee grounds in moderation for greens; rinse, dry, and crush eggshells for calcium. Sprinkle both into the pile.

Need more browns? Ask neighbors for bagged leaves, save cardboard, and stash dry twigs. A “brown bank” keeps your pile balanced year-round.

Know when it’s ready. Finished compost is dark, crumbly, and smells like clean earth. You shouldn’t recognize the original scraps.

Use it three ways: mix into beds before planting, top-dress around plants, or blend into potting mixes (start with 1 part compost to 3 parts soil).

Every use will add nutrients to your soil, improve structure, and help hold water. Your plants will thank you with strong roots and steady growth.

For mulch, spread 1–2 inches around plants, but keep it an inch away from stems. This feeds slowly and helps keep weeds down.

Want a simple compost water extract? Soak a small bag of finished compost in a bucket of water for a day, then water soil at the base of plants. This is called compost tea. Avoid spraying edible leaves.

Store extra compost in a covered bin to keep it moist but not soggy. Sift some through a screen for seed starting and houseplants.

Big picture: when you make your own compost, you cut trash, build healthy soil, and grow better food and flowers. It’s the best garden habit I know.

Kitchen scraps make compost, so keep a pail on the counter and feed your pile a little at a time. I empty mine outside every day. If you don't, those little gnats will appear in your kitchen. Start to make your own compost today, and watch your plants get happy and thrive.

Monday, December 1, 2025

It is December already! I woke up an hour ago and it was 43°. It is now 46° and I am having my mushroom coffee. It is so cold in this house but the heater is on. I have a ton of orders to fill from the Black Friday sale which, by the way, is still going on until midnight tonight CST. Take advantage now and save 25% on all regularly priced and regularly sized seed packs.

Around 10:30am, three workers showed up and started doing things to the buildings. Then at 11:10am, a large truck and a small machine showed up but it is not the people who originally installed these buildings like we were told. I am surprised that anyone showed up. The truck is parked in the entryway so no customers will be coming in, that's for sure.

It still has not rained.

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Thursday, December 4, 2025

Friday, December 5, 2025

Saturday, December 6, 2025

Sunday, December 7, 2025

Return from Make Your Own Compost to Year 7 Of Farm Life

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