Home Composting - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

The idea of home composting all began because of the kitchen waste that was going to trash. My husband eats only fruits for his morning breakfast and the peels have a new home now along with my veggie scraps!! Occasionally egg shells also are the residents in my compost bin. I wasn't sure of the success rate so started really low key. Got a simple trash bin from Lowe's(Blue Hawk 32-Gallon Blue Outdoor Garbage Can) for around $13 and drilled holes using my wood burning pen. I drilled many holes about 3 inches apart all along the length and width of the bin. Also few more holes on the lid and bottom of the bin for the water to drain. I mounted it on a concrete blocks in one corner of my yard.

Blue Bin Compost

I started setting up in late September last year. I filled it up with some of my 'fall' leaves to start with and ensured that I need to keep the green(kitchen scraps) vs brown(raked leaves, newspaper clippings, cardboard clippings) ratio as 1:3. Every-time I loaded the bin with greens, I would pick leaves and dump them inside. I started noticing small larvae and was not sure what was happening. We also made a leaf compost pile as my Blue bin would not fit all the raked up leaves during fall. Got some chicken wire and made a rectangle of 6 *4 ft and placed a huge cardboard as base. This is supposed to keep the leaves off the ground in winter. In no time this started to fill up. 

Leaf compost set-up

This is how it looks now.....

Leaf compost

Although I must say that I haven't seen any progress so far in this pile yet. Hopefully it will spring up to action in the 'Spring'!! My Blue bin was filling up and I had to do something about this as I have still couple of months to go before spring arrives. I have a raised bed in my yard and thought of trench composting and moved my semi-finished compost into the bed. 

Raised Bed 

Trench dug up

Trench filled up with compost

Semi-finished compost

 I found something in this semi-finished compost that I rejoiced!! Many larvae of Black Soldier fly!!! This will enhance the composting process for sure.

Black Soldier Fly larva

Come spring the soil in the raised bed will be rich in nutrients. Meat products, Dairy products, cooked or left overs don't get into compost bin.