Melissa K. Norris

Simple Modern Homesteading for a Healthy & Self-Sufficient Life

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Wooden two-sided compost bin.

How to Compost at Home (7 Easy DIY Ways)

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Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I will earn a commission at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase. Regardless, I only link to products we use on our homestead or believe in.

Composting is the breaking down of natural materials to prepare a rich soil to feed your fruit and vegetable plants. 

Finished compost in a wooden bin with a blue pitchfork.

When you can turn your yard waste and food scraps into organic materials to add to your garden, it’s a win for you AND your plants. If you have ever heard the term “black gold,” it was probably referring to a gardener and his compost material.

Whether you make it in your kitchen, a bin, or a pile outside, learn how to compost at home turning organic waste into material to aid fertilizer in creating a healthy and abundant garden. 

A woman's hands scooping up finished compost.

What Makes Great Compost?

Compost is when organic waste such as wood, leaves, plants, and vegetables are broken down and integrated into a rich soil additive. Depending on your conditions and material, the time frame to achieve a great compost is anywhere from 2 months to 2 years.

There are some basic rules to follow to get the materials to break down properly. You know your compost is ready for your garden when it is black and crumbly. It shouldn’t be wet and smelling like decay, but an earthy dirt-like substance that will feed the soil.

These posts on building strong soil and sheet mulching are a wonderful aid in getting your garden soil to its best possible quality.

A woman kneeling by a barren blueberry bush with fresh mulch at the base.

Is Compost a Fertilizer?

As with most gardening topics, everyone seems to have their own understanding and opinions on what makes a good compost pile and the best way to use it.

I don’t view compost as fertilizer, although many people use the term interchangeably. 

Fertilizer is used for specific nutrient deficiencies in the soil, whereas compost helps feed the soil and acts as a holding sponge for the fertilizer.

It is best to test your soil to know what fertilizer you need, if any. This soil meter kit is an easy way to test the pH level of your soil.

For more information on natural fertilizers, read about these six natural fertilizers to gain an understanding of what you can use to amend your soil naturally after you have it tested.

Wooden two-sided compost bin.

Ways to Compost at Home – Tools and Methods

Vermicomposting

Vermicomposting is using worms to make compost. Worms are kind of gross, I know, but they can work wonders in your compost pile.

This is a great tutorial on how to make a worm bin, or you can purchase this worm tray composter to get you started.

Compost Tumbler

This is the fastest way to get compost for your garden. A compost tumbler heats up the quickest and is easiest for you to turn on a regular basis.

Kitchen Counter Composting

A countertop compost pail keeps the kitchen scraps contained and cuts down on trips to the compost area while you work towards a no-waste kitchen. This stainless steel compost pail includes a charcoal filter to eliminate odor.

Backyard Composting Pile

Choose a dry, shady outdoor space with a nearby water source. There are ways to build a structure to contain the compost, but you can start your pile directly on the ground. Start with brown and green materials and moisten and turn regularly. 

Pro-tip: Cover the top of the compost pile with a tarp to keep it moist.

Image of a compost pile with a thermometer in it.

The Science of Compost

Don’t let the terms “science and compost” scare you! It’s actually much easier than it sounds. The hardest part is convincing yourself to start. It’s a very forgiving process, and only requires four ingredients which are carbon, nitrogen, water, and air. 

The terms green and brown are thrown around whenever you hear talk of composting, but what does it mean?

Brown equals carbon material and green equals nitrogen material. In order to create finished compost, you will need the right balance of brown to green, or carbon to nitrogen items.

Image of a garden that has dried leaves layered on top of the soil for sheet composting.

Carbon

Otherwise known as “brown materials”. Examples of carbon materials are as follows:

  • Wood Chips
  • Sawdust
  • Dead Leaves
  • Garden Waste
  • Paper
  • Cardboard
  • Hair
  • Dryer Lint
  • Ashes from a Wood Fireplace
Coffee grounds in a woman's hands by the garden.

Nitrogen

Otherwise known as “green materials”. An easy way to remember is that greens are typically moist and colorful. Examples of nitrogen materials are as follows:

  • Fresh Grass Clippings
  • Kitchen Scraps
  • Livestock Manure & Used Animal Bedding
  • Algae
  • Coffee Grounds & Tea Bags
  • Egg Shells

This post has some great information on the carbon ratio to begin your compost pile and how to progress with the ratio as your pile ages.

A woman in the garden with a frown pointing to her potatoes affected by early blight.

Items You Should NOT Compost

Pro-Tip: Some items are not recommended for composting. Here are a few to stay away from:

  • Colored Paper 
  • Charcoal Ash 
  • Pet Feces
  • Human Waste 
  • Personal Products  
  • Dairy Products 
  • Meat and Fish 
  • Bones 
  • Fats and Grease 
  • Flour Products 
  • Pesticide Contaminated Materials 
  • Diseased Insect-ridden Plants 
A woman spraying a hose with a nozzle attachment.

Water

Once you have the proper ratio of carbon and nitrogen (browns and greens), you will need to keep it moist. Spraying it down with water every time you add material is a good way to keep the moisture content right. 

A great way to test the moisture content is to take a handful of compost, and squeeze it in your fist. 

  • If the compost will not hold together, it’s too dry (add water). 
  • If it holds together, but runs water out through your fingers, it’s too wet (add more carbon materials). 
  • If the compost holds together and one to two drops of water is squeezed out, it’s just right.

Air

Turning it frequently is important as well. This keeps the heat up inside the pile which aids in the breakdown of the materials. 

Depending on the size of your pile, manually turning compost can be a great workout on the homestead. 

If you find yourself with physical or time limitations, this compost tumbler is an excellent tool to own.

A woman standing in front of a large vegetable garden.
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About Melissa Norris

Melissa K. Norris inspires people’s faith and pioneer roots with her books, podcast, and blog. Melissa lives with her husband and two children in their own little house in the big woods in the foothills of the North Cascade Mountains. When she’s not wrangling chickens and cattle, you can find her stuffing Mason jars with homegrown food and playing with flour and sugar in the kitchen.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  5. mandy

    Just a note for new. COmposters….I live in pboenix where it is hot & DRY all year…i had a tumbler & could not make a batch in it…it required soooo much attention & hosing to keep it moist…..now i put all my veggoe scraps tbru a juicef at night…..juice & fiber both go in to an aluminum can with holes drilled in the bottom…it is awesome…worms get up in there & it stays nice and moist….my point is dont get discouraged, the internet is amazing & there is ALWAYS a way!

    Thanks for a great blog!

    Reply

  6. Wendy

    Thank you Melissa for the giveaway! My gardens have failed since we moved 2 years ago. The soil here is all sand :(. We put black dirt in the garden but things don’t want to grow. We are going to try adding compost this year. This tumbler would definitely help us out. Blessings to you and your family.

    Reply

  9. Lisa Crist

    Thank you for your generosity in the giveaway. With not being a 20 something any longer, the less wear and tear on my back would be a blessing. Thanks for your tips in your articles. It’s always nice to learn more ways of doing something.

    Reply

  10. Krysta

    After 2 years of living in a small trailer with my Mom, 2 dogs and 2 cats we’ve downsized to only the “over-the-road” essentials. We’re finally at a place where we can settle in for a while. I’ve purchased heirloom seeds for planting my first garden in 3 years and have a small bucket I use for current compost. I think every garden should have a composter to help achieve the zero waste ideals. Thank you for having a wonderful giveaway again… and for all your tips on the homesteading life.

    Reply

  11. someonelikeyou

    So excited to find you and your site. Congratulations to whomever gets the composter. It looks like a beauty!!!!!!!

    Reply

  14. Shaye Strouse

    Thank you for the chance to win this! We are just getting started in “homesteading” projects and are appreciating your articles!

    Reply

  16. Julia Riley

    I’m getting past the age of being able to pitchfork my compost pile over but I still want to have a gorgeous veggie garden. This would be super useful!!!

    Reply

  21. Bobbi

    That composter is awesome!

    I’m graduating from a Master Gardener course tonight. Being a rookie gardner and wanting to help sustain my families food consumption – but having no experience with composting – the composter is just what I need.

    Thank you!

    Bobbi

    Reply

  22. Robert

    Melissa, tried to follow PintSizeFarm on pinterest but it would not let me. Thank you for all you do for us out here and thanks for the giveaway. I could really use this composter.

    Reply

  23. Cynthia H

    Thank you for helping run the composter giveaway! I’ve wanted a tumbler composter for ages. Here’s hoping!

    Reply

  24. Joy M

    Thank you for participating in this gave away. I’ve wanted a compost tumbler for years but that’s just not a high priority in our budget. I do, at least, dig a hole down into the subsoil of my garden to add our compostable house scraps during the warmer months. After over a decade I was amazed to notice the difference in the depth of good topsoil on the side of the garden I do this as opposed to the far side that doesn’t get such attention. It would be great to have good compost to treat specific plants.

    Reply

  25. Sequoi Werner

    Thank you so much for the this give away :)! Love your blog so excited to try the tar heel seeds this year!!! Coy

    Reply

  26. Ruth L.

    Thank you so very much for offering this amazing product in your Giveaway!
    I’m trying to get my neighbors interested in starting a community garden on a piece of land in our subdivision deemed a “Green Space” that residents are have encourage to come together and enjoy. Unfortunately, with only one lonely bench the only person who spends time there gets paid to cut the grass. The soil would need to be amended and since our HOA Covenants will not permit open compost bins within the subdivision the Jora JK125 Composter by Eartheasy would be a fantastic way to get my neighbors excited about gardening and coming together as a community.
    I am sincerely thankful for this opportunity.

    Reply

  29. Beth Phelps

    I have been really getting into the idea of composting now that I have my own house, this would come in handy!

    Reply

  35. Candice

    Thank you for this giveaway, I just happened to find you and I am so excited to start using all of these amazing resources you provide.
    I’m not sure how to enter for the giveaway when I hit ENTER nothing happens I just want to make sure I don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity.
    Thank you God Bless

    Reply

  39. Rsanchi

    Thanks for sharing this giveaway! We’ve been composting forever but a tumbler would make it so much easier!

    Reply

  43. Heather Lluth

    Thanks for the giveaway! I love your blog and helpful tips. I have had my eye on one of these for so long, but not in the budget, so this would be amazing!

    Reply

  45. Carol L

    FYI: I inadvertently ‘composted’ grass clippings into the most wonderful dirt by accident. I had cows at the time, and if you mow grass, they line up at the fence to get at it. You don’t want them to bloat up from mowing nearly 5 acres of grass, and they actually get drunk** on slightly fermented grass, so I would give them two or three buckets from the mower of the fresh stuff, and bag the rest in large black leaf bags. Over the next few days, I’d give them a bag or two each day, until it got so “hot” they wouldn’t eat it.At the end of summer, I had about 20 or so of those bags left over, but by mid winter, they had all disintegrated, so when I tried to move them, they spilled out this beautiful dirt!

    **funny story about the first time I gave them lots of fermented grass! They were literally swaying around, bucking and kicking all over the pasture, ( calves do this a lot, but usually NEVER grown cows: think about it: udders and running,; not a great feeling). But there they were, running around like idiots, a bit wobbly at that. I couldn’t figure it out until I went to give them more, and they nearly ran me over trying to get at it first….and then I smelled it: a vinegary hot ferment and finally got it: they were DRUNK!

    Sorry for the tangent, but the point is that you can put grass clippings in black leaf bags and let them sit for a few months and create great dirt! ;-}

    Reply

    • Melissa Norris

      Carol,

      That’s a great story and tip. We feed our cattle some of our grass clippings, but I never thought about the fermenting! Putting the clippings in bags is a good idea for free compost.

      Reply

  46. Carol L

    Thank you for this opportunity. I had one all lined up on craigslist, but then she went and sold it out from under me to her neighbor!!!!!!! arghhhhh.

    CONFLICTING INFO?:
    What can be composted? From Eartheasy website and specifically this composter:
    Raw and cooked food scraps e.g. vegetables, fruit, eggshells, MEAT, FISH, bread
    Garden waste e.g. flower cuttings, leaves, weeds, grass clippings
    Shredded paper and cardboard e.g. egg cartons
    Light pet waste e.g. rabbit or hamster bedding

    Reply

    • Melissa Norris

      Thanks, Carol,
      For general composting you don’t want to use meat or fish, but the Eartheasy tumbler isn’t open to rats like other compost piles, so that maybe why they list those items. It’s mainly to keep rats, mice, and other scavengers out of your compost pile and yard.

      Reply

  47. Francie M

    Love your posts. Thank you for the compost giveaway. I haven’t been very successful at composting but I’m not ready to quit either. Your posts help me along the path to homesteading. Thanks again!

    Reply

  58. Angela L

    Thank you so much for participating in this giveaway and for all the great information on composting!
    I have wanted to learn more about composting for such a long time!

    Reply

  64. Kara

    Thank you for sharing words of wisdom on a weekly basis. I especially enjoyed your post about depression era recipes. Some dat I would love to try Tarheel beans. Since we raise chickens, the composter you are offering would be a wonderful addition to our backyard.
    Kara

    Reply

  65. Patty

    It would be so wonderful to win this! I have been wanting one for sooo long but my budget cannot justify the cost, so I have been composting the old fashion way and it takes sooo long! Thanks for the chance to win!

    Reply

  70. mbw

    I love the idea of composting, but it is hard in the high desert to make it work…thanks for the chance to win a tumbler!

    Reply

  76. MS Barb

    Thanks for a very nice Giveaway! I have a compost “pile” between the pine trees along the back of my property line…but this would be very, very nice!

    Reply

  77. Nancy Blinkhorn

    Thank you for this giveaway Melissa! we just decided this year we were going to start composting this would really help tremendously!

    Reply

  79. Angie Jackson

    I’ve been wanting a composter for a couple years now. It would make things a lot easier and quicker than turning our piles.

    Reply

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