5 things you always wanted to know about composting but were too afraid to ask.

Think you have to be a hipster, eat a ton of veggies or have a huge garden to compost?  I firmly believe that everyone can compost.  No matter what size garden, budget or know-how.  Without it being smelly, annoying or attracting unwanted guests.  The small furry kind.

Unless you grew up in a family of composters, went to horticultural college or have lots of gardener friends, how to actually do composting can be a bit mysterious.  Here are answers to the top five questions I’m asked about composting.

Won't composting make my kitchen and garden smelly?

The short answer is no, as long as you put the right things in your compost bin. The best way to avoid a smelly composter's kitchen is to collect small amounts of kitchen scraps in a little tub on top of your kitchen counter that you empty into your compost bin every few days (or every day if you are a big veggie eater or big household). That way the scraps are never sitting in your kitchen long enough to get smelly. There are some cute looking scrap collecting bins, with charcoal in the lids to reduce smells. Or an old ice cream tub can be recycled to work just as well.

People are often worried about the compost bin itself getting stinky or attracting things like rats. For your regular compost bin, as long as you avoid putting things like meat and bones, cooked food, dairy products, or animal droppings (although there is a special composter for that too) in there you should only attract the kinds of animals we like in our compost - worms and insects! You can put eggshells in, but if rodents are a concern, this can be avoided.  And nowadays, thanks to modern tech, you can even buy a fancy solar composter that turns pretty much anything into compost with little to no maintenance at all.

Compost bins make their own heat, through the natural decomposition process. It's ideal to keep your compost running a little warm because this means it's not going to be smelly and it makes the compost quicker. You can help this process along by lightly sprinkling water in the bin if it looks too dry, keeping some air moving in it by turning the top few layers every now and again with a garden fork (compost tumblers are good for this too) and making sure you add a few twigs, cardboard scraps and leaves to balance out the veggie waste.

Composting takes years, doesn't it?

Actually, you could have ready to use compost in as little as a few weeks. It really depends on how often you feed your pile with scraps, and whether you use the hot method above, or keep your bin colder by not adding water, or turning it as often. Cold compost bins take a little longer and you might wait up to a year for your first usable batch. That's why we like it hot, baby! 

If you’re able to spend a little more on your compost bin, you can even buy ones specially designed to maintain the right temperature for optimal decomposition with minimum fuss (see the recommendations below). But a little TLC, a sprinkling of water and keeping the right balance of veg scraps to other bits and pieces will do the job just as well.

The compost bins I've seen are expensive, how much money will I need?

You really don't need to spend a lot of money to get started composting. You don't even need a big garden - a balcony can work just as well.  Although there are lots of fancy-schmancy products on the market if you do want to splash more cash. 

To get going cheaply you can't go past the brilliantly named Dirt Vader compost bin.  Made from recycled plastic, it’s affordable and sturdy.  Although you will need garden space for it.

In a small space or with no garden at all, you could try the Bokashi system which uses microorganisms to break down waste. Or the Urban Composter system which uses a spray accelerator. Both can live in your kitchen and produce compost ‘juice’ that's easy to use.

If you have a garden, you can still produce enough compost on a budget. Many local councils have schemes that offer discounted composting equipment to residents.  Like the Compost Revolution that operates Australia wide. 

For larger spaces, or when you're ready to invest a little more in your composting operation there are some amazing innovations in the composting world that you can support. 

This good looking kitchen top scrap bin has the added bonus of being made from plant-based materials. 

You could try a compost bin that you bury into your garden, reducing smells and pests. There are even mini plant compost and propagator versions that are super fun for kids with quick and easy to see results. 

Will composting turn me into a hipster?

Maybe! I love a good pair of dungarees, an organic coffee and a lentil soup now and again, but you don't need to be a hipster, or a hippy, to get into composting. There is a worldwide trend towards home composting which is fantastic because over half of the household waste we produce is made up of food and garden waste that can be composted. 

As well as helping to reduce landfill and rubbish collections, a well-composted garden retains moisture better so we can also save water. And while lots of us love to compost because it makes the ideal addition to our veggie patches, it is equally as good for your flower beds or potted plants.  Even with very little outdoor space, you can make homemade compost to add nutrients to your houseplants, and reap the natural air purifying and calm-inducing benefits of indoor green. 

I'm not a vegetarian, don’t have a garden, and I don't like kale, is it even worth me composting?

Absolutely! New composters are often surprised that your compost will love being fed with all sorts of things that aren't veggies. Coffee grounds, tea bags, vacuum cleaner dust, flowers, prunings and grass clippings, shredding cardboard and paper, even eggshells can all be added. Of course, a regular compost bin does need to be vegetarian, so no meat scraps. And you will make better compost if you add regular veg scraps too but only as much as you normally use (be sure to avoid citrus). Plus you get the added health bonus of eating those yummy fruits and vegetables too :)

No garden or even so much as a potted plant? No problem. You can still join the movement. Become the neighbourhood compost fairy, and share your compost with your neighbour.  Or find a local scheme or city farm that takes compost donations. You may even be lucky enough to live in an area that has composting scrap collections. We can all do that little bit to reduce waste and contribute to our community too. So many warm fuzzies.

P.S. I’m not an affiliate for any of the above links, I just love the products mentioned and like to recommend them.