You need a composting pile, if you have the space, and even if you don't. You compost by saving all your kitchen scraps and yard waste, then starting a pile of the waste somewhere in your yard. (I'll tell ya how you can compost without a yard, in a later post.)
Please read on to learn how, and why you should compost, which is the purpose of this website: to help you understand why it is one of the most important things you can do to help our planet.
If you already compost then thank you, sincerely. Maybe after you look around this site you'll find something you didn't know about composting. Maybe you can even teach us a thing or two about it.
First, the word compost is a verb. It is not a noun. And you don't make compost; you just compost. Period. You compost kitchen scraps and yard or farm waste.
Why do we compost? To get humus.
Humus is the end result of your composting activity, and your patience :). Your waste (organic material) is decaying in your compost pile, being helped by little organisms, just like in a cow's gut. Humus is the final state of this decay as the material can be broken down no further. If you've never held a handful of humus, if damp it feels spongy and contains no dirt or sand, and smells great! Scientifically, it takes years for organic material to reach the fully decomposed state where it is nothing but humus.
But you can, of course, use the humus-material in your garden as long as you can no longer see any recognizable plant tissues such as leaf skeletons or blades of grass, stems, etc., as in the accompanying image.
You can use your humus-material as mulch; there is no better, no matter what anyone tells you. You can mix your humus into your garden soil and/or flowerbeds; it helps your plants by retaining moisture for their roots, without drowning them. It improves drainage; roots don't like to sit in water. Humus also helps to aerate your soil so roots have less work to do as they reach out for the moisture in it, if you've mixed it in well
Yes, your soil will be 'new' after you mix in your humus. Your plants will think they have died and gone to heaven. Your melons will be giants. Your beans will be snappier. You cabbage will taste like cabbage. In fact, all of your veggies and flowers, and trees, will thank you, with their abundance, if you provide them with humus. I'll explain how, shortly
I'm going to tell you how to compost, even if you don't have a yard, but let's explain how we do it, for the lucky yard owners among us. You don't need more than a 5x10 ft area to store your waste. When I say waste, I mean kitchen scraps, dinner plate scrapings, food prep wastes and so on. Do not throw any food waste into your garbage can, ever again. Throw it onto your waste pile you just started, out in your yard. I'll tell you how in a minute, but you should know that over 40% of the contents of all landfills USA-wide is comprised of food waste. It is heartbreaking to know that all that waste could be working for people, if they knew how to use it. Well, that's why we're here: to tell you. And tell you how easy it is, and what benefits you get from composting your waste, so you can actually use it, instead of adding to the landfills!
Follow our composting instructions here, and you will be a better person for it. Your life will change. You will be healthier. You will become successful. You will find love and happiness.
Ok, maybe not love, but we're serious about the other stuff. You will find you have a newfound, or renewed respect for the planet. When we care about something we take care of it, and it can reward us in unforeseen ways. When we eat healthy food, for example, without all the chemicals, we live longer, healthier lives. We leave a healthy planet for our children. We become members of the Earth stewards, a special breed of people: intelligent ones. When our numbers grow we become a force for good. We lead by example. We show others how to respect and interact with the planet, the only place in the universe which sustains us, if we don't destroy it.