The Renter’s Guide to Composting: How and Why to Do It

Composting is one of the best things to reduce waste and make your own organic fertilizer. In addition, it’s simple and worry-free to do with a small number of basic tools. You can still compost your food waste, even if you’re renting a Lehi apartment or home. At the same time, though, there are just a few things you’ll necessitate to know to begin to do it. This straightforward guide will extend an overview of the practice of composting and the steps you can take to get cracking at composting your food scraps.

What is composting?

Composting is the manner of breaking down organic matter, such as food scraps and yard waste, into a nutrient-rich soil amendment. The finished product, classified as compost, can be used to increase the quality of your garden soil. Composting is a great way to reduce waste, save money on fertilizer, and help the environment.

What can be composted?

About any organic material can be composted, despite that, some items break down more easily than others. Food scraps, particularly, fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds, and eggshells are all good candidates for composting. Yard waste, by way of example, leaves, grass clippings, and twigs can also easily be composted.

How to start composting

If you’ve decided and are keen to start with composting, here are the steps you can take:

1. Find a space for your compost bin. If you have a small balcony or patio, this can be a very fine spot for your container. Just safeguard it’s in a sunny location so the ingredients will break down well.
2. Pick out the applicable type of bin. There are many completely different compost bins available, so research to properly find the one that best suits your needs. Various containers are created for indoor use, and others are most suitable for outdoor spaces.
3. Gather your compostable materials. A great number of kitchen scraps can be composted, including fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, and eggshells. You can furthermore add yard waste, as an illustration, leaves, and grass clippings to your bin.
4. Add water to the bin as desired. The ingredients in your bin need to be moist to break down aptly, so safeguard to add water if the bin starts to look dry.
5. Turn the contents of the bin as often as needed. This will help oxygenate the materials and make haste the composting process.
6. When the compost is ready, it should be dark and crumbly. It can then be added to your garden or used as mulch around your plants.

How to use compost

Compost can be used in various forms. Here are some ideas:

• Use it as a soil amendment in a garden or planter. Compost can be mixed into the soil to increase drainage and aeration. It can therefore help retain moisture and add nutrients to the soil.
• Use it as mulch. Spread a layer of compost around your plants to help effectively control weeds and retain moisture.
• Use it as a fertilizer. Compost can be used to fertilize your plants. Just mix it into the soil around the base of the plant.
• Use it to produce a potting mix. Compost can be merged with other ingredients, namely perlite or vermiculite, to create a potting mix for your indoor plants.
• Use it to make compost tea. This liquid fertilizer can be made by steeping compost in water for several days. It can then be utilized- to fertilize your plants or to water seedlings.

Composting is a wonderful way to reduce your environmental impact and help your garden or houseplants grow and thrive. By conforming to these very easy tips, you can straight away compost at home, even if you’re renting.

 

Are you in the market for a new rental home – surely one with more outdoor space for composting and realizing your green thumb? If that’s the case, talk to one of our Lehi property managers today or view our listings online.