Tip of the week: How to keep a compost pile

Containers. Purchase or build a large, bottomless container and place it in a shady area outside. Use a lidded container in the kitchen to collect food scraps as you cook.

Ingredients. Food waste and fresh grass clippings should compose about a quarter of the compost pile, and the rest should be dry materials like leaves, twigs, and paper. Don’t compost meats, cheeses, or oils, but do throw in coffee grounds, eggshells, and fruit and vegetable scraps.

Maintenance. The pile should be “like a wrung-out sponge”—damp but not soaking. Spritz it with a hose if the top’s too dry. To control the odor, maintain “a thick layer of dry stuff, like dead leaves” on top. At about six months, the compost will turn to soil. When it does, spread the soil where it’s needed or move the container and start again.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Source: Real Simple