Tell me how you compost

[Anonymous]

We are a family of five (3 kids under 10) and I’d like to start composting our food waste. Tell me your tips and tricks! Would also love recommendations for compost collection companies, countertop compost bins, compostable bags, etc. We live in NW DC.

[Anonymous]

I cold compost in my backyard. I built a simple three section open system with some old wood pallets and strong nails. I use the Grove brand compost bags and the OXO lidded bin to store waste, then take it out every 2-3 days to the pile. I turn the pile when I add new material, and add more browns (shredded paper or dry leaves) if it seems too wet. I never have a problem with dryness in this climate. I take all my leaves to a huge pile and pull from that throughout the year.

We generally compost year round except the deep freeze months and compost egg cartons, coffee filters, egg shells, and all fruit/vegetable waste except onions and citrus.

It’s really a lot easier than I anticipated. And so satisfying! All I had to buy was nails, the bin, bags, and a pitchfork. The pallets were free from the hardware store.

Many of my neighbors use compost crew or compost cab, but complain about the cost and the unreliability.

I wish our trash companies would get their acts together and make composting part of regular waste collection!

[Anonymous]

We have metal bin with a filter in the lid on the counter next to sink.
DH build a two sided bin in backyard. He tell us which side is active (being added to) and which side is just sitting, rotting every couple of months.

[Anonymous]

I have a small can I keep under the sink where I collect stuff for a day or two (coffee grinds, eggshells, fruit and veg leftovers) and then in the backyard I have one of those plastic open topped compost containers like the geobins sold on amazon. I add leaves in the falls and stir it up a little when I add stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I cold compost in my backyard. I built a simple three section open system with some old wood pallets and strong nails. I use the Grove brand compost bags and the OXO lidded bin to store waste, then take it out every 2-3 days to the pile. I turn the pile when I add new material, and add more browns (shredded paper or dry leaves) if it seems too wet. I never have a problem with dryness in this climate. I take all my leaves to a huge pile and pull from that throughout the year.

We generally compost year round except the deep freeze months and compost egg cartons, coffee filters, egg shells, and all fruit/vegetable waste except onions and citrus.

It’s really a lot easier than I anticipated. And so satisfying! All I had to buy was nails, the bin, bags, and a pitchfork. The pallets were free from the hardware store.

Many of my neighbors use compost crew or compost cab, but complain about the cost and the unreliability.

I wish our trash companies would get their acts together and make composting part of regular waste collection!

why no onions or citrus?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are a family of five (3 kids under 10) and I’d like to start composting our food waste. Tell me your tips and tricks! Would also love recommendations for compost collection companies, countertop compost bins, compostable bags, etc. We live in NW DC.

Veteran's compost service. Anything that goes on your plate can go in the bin. We usually have a container on the counter and empty it into the bin out front each night. Easy peasy.

[Anonymous]

We live in San Francisco and the city composts. We put our composting out with our trash and recycling. The city provides a big composting bin same way they provide the trash and recycling bins. We have a smaller bin in our kitchen and toss stuff into there. There are compostable bags that line it. After dinner we toss that bag in the bin outside.

Our friends here who have chickens toss a lot of food out for them chickens. Probably only specific foods, but I don't know.

[Anonymous]

We have a metal bin that we keep in the fridge to reduce ants and odors, and we bring it weekly to the community garden or farmers market,.both of which accept drop-offs. It's not too hard. If we have extra, we save oatmeal canisters since they are cardboard and can be composted too. Or I put it in a bag or Tupperware in the fridge or freezer and just dump it out with the rest of the compost. Lining any container with a sheet or two of newspaper keeps the container from getting less gross.

[Anonymous]

https://www.keycompost.com/residential

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0BHVLQSFG/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9kZXRhaWwp13NParams&th=1

[Anonymous]

We've been using Compost Crew for three years and have been very happy with the service. In all that time, I think they've missed our pickup maybe once.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks everyone! Will look into Veterans Compost and Compost Crew.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cold compost in my backyard. I built a simple three section open system with some old wood pallets and strong nails. I use the Grove brand compost bags and the OXO lidded bin to store waste, then take it out every 2-3 days to the pile. I turn the pile when I add new material, and add more browns (shredded paper or dry leaves) if it seems too wet. I never have a problem with dryness in this climate. I take all my leaves to a huge pile and pull from that throughout the year.

We generally compost year round except the deep freeze months and compost egg cartons, coffee filters, egg shells, and all fruit/vegetable waste except onions and citrus.

It’s really a lot easier than I anticipated. And so satisfying! All I had to buy was nails, the bin, bags, and a pitchfork. The pallets were free from the hardware store.

Many of my neighbors use compost crew or compost cab, but complain about the cost and the unreliability.

I wish our trash companies would get their acts together and make composting part of regular waste collection!

why no onions or citrus?

NP. A veteran gardener taught me long ago to avoid hot chili peppers, citrus and onions because the earthworms don’t like them.

[Anonymous]

Friend uses a compost service, and splits the cost with a neighbor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cold compost in my backyard. I built a simple three section open system with some old wood pallets and strong nails. I use the Grove brand compost bags and the OXO lidded bin to store waste, then take it out every 2-3 days to the pile. I turn the pile when I add new material, and add more browns (shredded paper or dry leaves) if it seems too wet. I never have a problem with dryness in this climate. I take all my leaves to a huge pile and pull from that throughout the year.

We generally compost year round except the deep freeze months and compost egg cartons, coffee filters, egg shells, and all fruit/vegetable waste except onions and citrus.

It’s really a lot easier than I anticipated. And so satisfying! All I had to buy was nails, the bin, bags, and a pitchfork. The pallets were free from the hardware store.

Many of my neighbors use compost crew or compost cab, but complain about the cost and the unreliability.

I wish our trash companies would get their acts together and make composting part of regular waste collection!

why no onions or citrus?

NP. A veteran gardener taught me long ago to avoid hot chili peppers, citrus and onions because the earthworms don’t like them.

I dunno -- I've tossed both citrus and onions into my compost and never had a problem. It's really simple, really. You toss in anything "plant" and it eventually breaks down enough to be mixed into your soil (only non-plant exception for me is eggshells). You can mix, use staged bins, but it really isn't necessary. Just put it in a pile and wait. You can read about optimum carbon/nitrogen mix, but at the end of the day, it isn't necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cold compost in my backyard. I built a simple three section open system with some old wood pallets and strong nails. I use the Grove brand compost bags and the OXO lidded bin to store waste, then take it out every 2-3 days to the pile. I turn the pile when I add new material, and add more browns (shredded paper or dry leaves) if it seems too wet. I never have a problem with dryness in this climate. I take all my leaves to a huge pile and pull from that throughout the year.

We generally compost year round except the deep freeze months and compost egg cartons, coffee filters, egg shells, and all fruit/vegetable waste except onions and citrus.

It’s really a lot easier than I anticipated. And so satisfying! All I had to buy was nails, the bin, bags, and a pitchfork. The pallets were free from the hardware store.

Many of my neighbors use compost crew or compost cab, but complain about the cost and the unreliability.

I wish our trash companies would get their acts together and make composting part of regular waste collection!

why no onions or citrus?

NP. A veteran gardener taught me long ago to avoid hot chili peppers, citrus and onions because the earthworms don’t like them.

I dunno -- I've tossed both citrus and onions into my compost and never had a problem. It's really simple, really. You toss in anything "plant" and it eventually breaks down enough to be mixed into your soil (only non-plant exception for me is eggshells). You can mix, use staged bins, but it really isn't necessary. Just put it in a pile and wait. You can read about optimum carbon/nitrogen mix, but at the end of the day, it isn't necessary.

I have so many earthworms in my compost and include all those things. We use a ton of onions and citrus peels. Enough worms that I've wondered if there's a market for live bait.