One of the greatest obstacles that people need to overcome to achieve successful composting is attitude. Many people think that composting is somehow inherently messy, smelly or in some other way objectionable. Sure, composting can create some pretty foul odours, but only if you’re not looking after it or doing it right. By following these tips you can compost successfully without problems — and it will only take a few minutes of your time each week.

In The Home...

• Find a small pail with a tight-fitting lid (a plastic ice cream bucket works well). Rather than putting kitchen scraps in the garbage, just put them in your compost bucket. Quinte Waste Solutions sells attractive kitchen pails for a reasonable price.
• Cut larger pieces of food scraps into smaller chunks. This will really speed up the composting process once the food scraps get in your backyard composter.
• Once full, empty the pail into your composter.

In The Yard...

• Take your kitchen compost pail out to your composter, remove the lid and empty the contents into the composter.
• Use a pitch fork (or even a hoe or broken broom handle) to mix the food scraps into the top 12 -18" of material. This adds air and helps cover the fresh food waste.
• Sprinkle dry leaves or other yard waste over top. This provides an important source of carbon and will help minimize fruit flies and odours. You will find it useful to keep a few bags of leaves from fall collection handy, to add to your composter throughout the year.

...What could be simpler?

Composting is a natural process whereby living organisms (fungii, bacteria, worms and a host of bugs) feed on leaves, food waste etc. In order to compost successfully we need to make sure this process is working well. The needs of the many life forms in your composter are much the same as those of higher life forms (that’s us!). Keep them happy and you’ll be composting successfully! They like:

Air - Composting organisms need oxygen. If there’s no oxygen — they die (and stink!). Mix the active layer of your composter (top 12 to 18 “) regularly. A pitch fork works great.

Food - Well, who doesn’t need something to eat to survive? Compost organisms like variety. Mix leaves or other yard waste with the food scraps that you put into your composter.

Water - Compost organisms (like people) like things moist — not too wet (they drown) and not too dry. If it’s too dry — add water and mix. If it’s too wet, add peat moss, sawdust or dry leaves and stir.