For all its environmental virtues, composting remains a household practice many people love to hate—or at least love to avoid.

“It smells! Too hard to manage; don’t have the room; an invitation for pesky critters to my yard.”

I get it; for all the good it does, composting has a bit of an image problem. We’re told it’s a beautiful, earthy process that will generate healthy soil for your potted plants and gardens, but for many of us, it sounds less like a worthy act of recycling and more like a messy science experiment. For many, the convenience of tossing everything in the trash outweighs the environmental benefits of composting. It can be perceived as a demanding chore in an already busy life.

In fact, my own son, Ted, won’t compost because of the potential odors and the “yuck factor.”  My goal is to convince him and all the other skeptics out there that composting is worth the effort; 

It yields… ‘Black Gold‘.

Why bother? Composting helps build your soil structure, holding water and nutrients and transforming dense clay (looking at you, Carver County!) into a beneficial soil that supports the growth of beneficial microbes in your garden at virtually no cost. Think of it as a meticulously balanced diet for your dirt.

How to  Compost? Composting is a process that allows naturally occurring microbes to convert organic “green” and “brown” waste materials into a useful organic soil amendment. Green materials (nitrogen-rich) include food scraps, grass clippings, and leftover plant material from your garden. Brown materials (carbon-rich) add structure and include coffee grounds, leaves, twigs, shredded cardboard, egg cartons, and brown paper. A 1:3 ratio of green to brown matter helps break down the compost quickly while preventing the kind of smell that attracts all the neighborhood critters to your backyard compost. However, avoid adding diseased or insect-infested plants and weeds. Although bones, meat, dairy products, pet or human waste, or diseased plant material are compostable, typical home composting does not reach a high enough temperature (between 130°F and 160°F) to break down these materials effectively. So, I suggest starting your composting experience by adding just the green and brown matter.

Ted, if you’re still with me on the idea of composting, the next step is to decide on the type of compost bin configuration that best suits your budget, available space, and the aesthetic of your yard. The Carver County Environmental Center (CCEC) offers black, molded, barrel-type containers that are neat and inconspicuous at a reasonable cost ($56). These containers are designed to absorb heat, accelerate decomposition, and are sized appropriately for average home gardens. The DYIer can build a simple structure of wood pallets configured into a bottomless box, a cylinder made of chicken wire, or hardware cloth, or simply pile them up with no structure to contain the compost – all simple options.

Then, collect your green and brown matter and store them in a smaller indoor kitchen compost pail until ready to add them to your larger outdoor compost bin. The pail can be lined with a paper bag or BPI-certified compostable bag to help keep it odorless and clean. Both the indoor kitchen organics pail ($5, while supplies last) and compostable liner bags ($3.50 for 15 bags) can be purchased from CCEC (see the website, Items for Sale).  

Once the mix is in the outdoor composter, add some soil to introduce those microbes that live in the soil. During the warmer months, use a garden hoe or fork to occasionally turn the pile, introducing air that aids in decomposition and helps distribute moisture and materials. While not strictly required, turning a compost pile significantly speeds up the composting process. Personally, I have been composting for about 20 years and have rarely turned it. Still, I get great compost each spring. When mixed with garden soil and peat moss, I have enough for my pots, window boxes, and several small flower gardens.  

However, if I haven’t convinced you to home compost, just know that Carver County offers an organic recycling program where you can drop off all your home organic waste (including meat, bones, dairy products, etc.) at numerous sites throughout the county. See the CCEC Yard Waste website for more information. For detailed information on home composting, refer to the Composting and Mulching Guide and a short composting video from the University of Minnesota Extension Service. 

Now’s the perfect time to embrace this activity. While you can technically start a compost pile any day of the year, late spring and early summer are an excellent time to begin, especially in Minnesota. The combination of rising temperatures and readily available materials makes it an ideal season to kickstart the decomposition process. If you’re keeping a garden journal, be sure to include your composting journey in it. 

So, instead of putting these materials in your garbage to be dumped in a landfill, put them into your compost bin or pile to create rich compost for your garden. 

Come on, Ted, go for the Gold…that is, Black Gold!