Garden & Sustainability Guide

6 Easy Steps To Composting

A practical, step-by-step guide to turning kitchen scraps and yard waste into nutrient-rich soil amendment — right in your own backyard.

Composting is the natural process of recycling organic matter — such as vegetable scraps, fruit peels, leaves, and grass clippings — into a rich, dark soil amendment that gardeners have long nicknamed “Black Gold.” At its core, compost is decomposed organic material: once-living plant and animal matter that has been broken down by microorganisms into simpler, nutrient-dense compounds. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, composting speeds up what nature does on its own by providing an ideal environment for bacteria, fungi, and other decomposing organisms to do their work. The result is a product that improves soil structure, supports plant growth, and diverts organic waste from landfills — all from materials that most households discard every day. For anyone curious about where to begin, the following six steps offer a straightforward, practical path to starting and maintaining a backyard compost system.

Step 1

Choose Your Backyard Compost Bin Type

The first decision in any composting journey is choosing between an open pile or an enclosed compost bin. Open piles are the most common approach and work reasonably well if you have adequate space and distance from neighboring properties, though they tend to be managed less closely and can attract pests. Enclosed bins offer the advantages of a neater appearance, better heat retention, and improved protection against animals. According to the Rodale Institute, you can build your own bin from materials such as welded wire, wood pallets, chicken wire, cinder blocks, or repurposed trash cans — with welded wire bins noted as among the most cost-effective options. Pre-made bins are also widely available at garden centers and home improvement stores. Whatever type you choose, size matters: the Rodale Institute recommends a bin at least three feet by three feet by three feet to minimize the surface-to-volume ratio and support adequate heat generation during decomposition.

Contextual Breakdown — Editorial Categorization

Open piles suit those with more space and fewer neighbors. Enclosed bins suit smaller yards, urban settings, or households wanting to limit pest activity. Both can produce quality finished compost when properly maintained.

Step 2

Select the Right Composter Location for Drainage and Access

Where you place your compost bin matters nearly as much as how you fill it. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency advises choosing a space in your yard that is easily accessible year-round and has good drainage. The Denver Botanic Gardens recommends a site that receives at least three to four hours of full sun each day, and notes that the bin should have unrestricted airflow on at least two sides. If placing the bin near a fence or in a corner, keeping it at least two feet away from those surfaces helps air circulate properly. Beyond sun and drainage, convenience is a practical consideration that is often underestimated: a bin that requires a long trip across the yard in cold or wet weather is less likely to be maintained consistently throughout the year. A location that is reasonably close to your kitchen door and garden beds encourages regular use.

Step 3

Alternate Layers of Greens and Browns for Balanced Decomposition

Successful composting depends on maintaining a balance between two categories of organic material: nitrogen-rich “greens” and carbon-rich “browns.” The Rodale Institute describes how a complex community of microorganisms feeds on these inputs, breaking them down and releasing valuable plant nutrients. To begin building a pile, start with a base layer of coarse material — such as twigs or stalky plant stems — to encourage drainage and airflow at the bottom. Then alternate layers of greens and browns as you add material. The Denver Botanic Gardens recommends a general ratio of two parts brown carbon-rich material to one part green nitrogen-rich material by volume as a practical starting point, particularly when material is chopped or shredded finely to encourage faster breakdown.

Greens — Nitrogen-Rich

Vegetable and fruit scraps, fresh grass clippings, coffee grounds, plant trimmings, and fresh leaves. These materials are typically moist and break down relatively quickly.

Browns — Carbon-Rich

Dry leaves, cardboard, straw, shredded newspaper, wood chips, and dry plant stalks. Browns add structure to the pile and prevent it from becoming too wet or compacted.

Step 4

Add Kitchen and Yard Waste as Organic Scraps Accumulate

Rather than making a single large deposit and walking away, composting works best as an ongoing practice of adding materials steadily as they accumulate. A practical approach is to keep a small container in the kitchen — on the counter, under the sink, or even in the freezer to reduce odors — and empty it into the bin whenever it fills. Every time food scraps or fresh yard waste go into the bin, they should be topped with a layer of brown material. The Eartheasy composting guide notes that autumn leaves are a particularly useful resource: raking them up and storing bags of dry leaves near the bin means you have browns available to add throughout the year, which helps maintain the carbon-to-nitrogen balance during seasons when green material is plentiful. As material in the bin decomposes, the overall volume of the pile will gradually shrink — a visible sign that the process is working.

Contextual Note

Certain materials should be kept out of backyard compost bins. Meat, fish, dairy products, and oily foods can attract pests and create odors. Diseased plants, chemically treated wood, and pet waste are also generally advised against in home composting settings, as most backyard piles do not reach the temperatures needed to neutralize pathogens or contaminants reliably.

Step 5

Pages: 1 2