Composting has been a familiar pastime for years, especially after the onset of the twentieth century and the improved cultivation methods that came about with it. Historically, there’s mention of compost, or compost-like compounds being used as far back as the Roman era, and the use of compost is also suggested in parts of the Old Testament. Compost has various benefits, and is typically used as a natural fertilizer. What’s more, the process of composting is eco-friendly, as it’s effectively a form of recycling. Many things can be recycled into compost, and these include eggshells, paper, cardboard, unused fruits and vegetables and manure. In order to get the best results from you compost, I’ve put together a few pointers that should encourage good results.

Firstly, use grass and plant cuttings to add to your compost. These biodegrade nicely, though they need to be mixed in with earthier materials that add carbon. Grass alone will give you very poor results, and this will be made glaringly obvious by the fairly pungent smell that grass produces when left to decompose alone. Secondly, ensure that none of the plants that you add to your compost have been treated with pesticides or herbicides. This will damage the quality of your compost.

In order to speed up the process of composting, try to place your composter beneath direct sunlight in order to raise the temperature of the compost. Most composters are coloured black in order to maximise the effect of this, and gather as much heat as possible. The optimum heat for compost can be found somewhere between one hundred and twenty, to one hundred and sixty degrees Fahrenheit, so don’t just try to increase the heat of your composter at all times. Excessive heat will slow down the whole process.

Also, be aware of the scientific side of composting. High quality compost will contain a decent balance between nitrogen and carbon emitting forms of waste. The nitrogen content will typically be provided by the inclusion of food waste, manure or grass cuttings, whereas carbon content can come from paper, rotting leaves and wood shavings. When making a compost mix or pile, aim for a fifty-fifty split between these two different types of material.

On a different note, it’s quite normal for compost to be fairly moist, and when adding new layers to your compost, try to ensure that they aren’t dry. On the other hand, make sure that your compost isn’t too wet, as wet compost will rarely produce a top quality finished product.
I’m also going to talk about the usage of compost tumblers here, in particular the use of back porch compost tumblers. For those of you with large gardens, you may wish to opt for a more heavy-duty tumbler or compost receptacle, due to the likelihood that you’ll have more garden waste. However, anyone living in an urbanised area, or with a small garden may benefit form the aforementioned back porch compost tumbler.

Many people simply don’t accumulate a particularly large amount of waste, so need something a bit smaller. Indoor composters are easy to get hold of, and are great if you’re primarily recycling kitchen waste. These also allow people that don’t possess a garden or allotment to get in on the act. These can be used in conjunction with larger composters if you wish, and may provide you with an occasional layer of compost to add to a larger pile or mix.

However, to revert back to a focal point, back porch compost tumblers are possibly the best way in which people can get into composting. They require little maintenance and many claim to be able to produce compost for you within two months, which is very quick in comparison to conventional composters. Back porch compost tumblers aren’t particularly large, so can be placed within even a very small garden without being imposing or looking out of place.

To conclude, if you want to begin composting, a compact back porch compost tumbler could be an effective purchase, and you can use it to refine your compost mixes before moving on to a larger scale composting scheme. For those of you that don’t need to get rid of a lot of waste, these tumblers could instead be useful as a primary composter. With the advice given here, and the purchase of an appropriate compost tumbler, you could be well on your way to an improved garden, and you’ll be recycling as well. It’s no surprise that composting is popular, given that it turns waste into something useful. You may wish to start composting now yourself, or at least aim to use these tips in order to make better compost.