How to Make a Garbage Can Compost

If you've always thought that you needed some kind of elaborate set-up to produce your own homegrown compost...think again. With a few inexpensive supplies you'll be well on your way to producing 'black gold' for all of your favorite plants.

The first and most important thing that you'll need is a container for manufacturing your compost. A sturdy Rubbermaid garbage can with a lid that fits securely is perfect for this. You can also use metal, but of course it will tend to rust over a period of time so plastic would be my first choice.

Prepare your Container

Once you've selected the container you'll use for your compost, you'll need to provide a way for the ingredients to receive aeration. Simply poke multiple holes in your garbage can at regular intervals to allow the air to freely circulate inside. (The heated tip of a screwdriver works well for this.) You'll also want to elevate the base of your container, so some scrap lumber or a small pallot should create a nice base for your compost bin.

Ingredients for Composting

The perfect mix for compost is 50 percent plant material and 50 percent dry material. Simply collect all of your kitchen scraps in a convenient place (an old plastic coffee can with a lid by the sink works well). Just keep adding to your container of choice as they accumulate. Egg shells, coffee grounds, tea bags, onion skins, fruit rinds (sliced into smallish pieces to decompose quicker) all work well. And yes, even those overripe fruits and veggies that you hate to waste now serve a valuable purpose. Garden clippings, grass and shredded newspapers are perfect for adding too, but stay away from bones and meat products. Those are best tossed in the regular trash.

Ready, Set, Layer!

Now you create layers within your composting container. I like to begin with a bottom layer of topsoil or peatmoss. Add some kitchen scraps, some plant materials, some newspapers etc., alternating wet and dry. Your compost container also needs a certain degree of moisture to decompose properly, so check it frequently and add a little water when necessary.

Turning

Your compost needs to be turned occasionally to speed up the decomposition process. This is where the plastic can with the lid comes in handy. Make sure your lid is secure and turn your can over on it's side. Rock it back and forth a few times to give all the contents a good mixing.

The Finished Product

Compost has been called "black gold" for your plants for very good reason. It's so rich in nutrients that it can easily take the place of a fertilizer. In as little as a couple of weeks in most cases, what you should be left with when you open your composter is a rich, dark, crumbly material with a sweet, earthy smell. Your plants will thrive with a generous top dressing or side dressing of compost and you can take added delight in the fact that you produced it yourself.

Happy Composting!