Starting Your Own Compost

Composting is both an easy way to reduce the amount of waste you send to the landfill and a cheap way to get organic matter for your garden. You can construct a bin or buy a pre-made bin from a hardware store.

Locate your compost near a water source so you can easily keep it moist. Your site should be partly sunny, with good drainage. The pile should be built in layers, each three to four inches deep. First lay down a "green" layer. This can contain grass clippings or vegetable and fruit scraps. Next, add a layer of "brown" materials, such as leaves, twigs, or sawdust. Then add another green layer. Sprinkle soil between all layers.

Keep moist and stir regularly. With little effort you can use the compost you produce to create a prosperous garden.

UF/IFAS Sites

• Living Green: Composting

UF/IFAS Publications

• Compost Tips for the Home Gardener
• Construction of Home Compost Units
• Converting Yard Wastes into Landscape Assets
• Topics: Composting

Also on Gardening in a Minute

• Compost Bins
• Compost Maintenance
• Composting Tips
• Organic Gardens
• Siting Compost
• Vermicomposting

Other Sites

• Backyard Composting--Maryland Cooperative Extension (PDF)
• Compost for Home Gardens--North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service
• Composting Methods--University of Illinois Extension
• Garden Compost--University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension
• Making and Using Compost--University of Missouri Extension