#compostingbasics

Complete Guide to Different Types of Composting (2025)

Every time I dig into a finished compost pile—dark, crumbly, smelling like a forest floor after rain—I still get a little thrill. That pile started as banana peels, coffee grounds, and fallen leaves. Now it’s the stuff that makes plants explode with growth. But here’s what most people don’t…

You don’t need a yard to turn your food scraps into rich, usable soil. In fact, the average apartment generates over 200 pounds of organic waste each year, and most of it ends up in landfills where it produces methane—a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. An apartment compost…

10 Essential Compost Tools for 2025 (Ultimate Guide)

I’ve tested over 30 composting systems in the last decade, and here’s the truth most guides skip: you don’t need a shed full of gear to make great compost. The right **compost tools**, however, will save you months of waiting and keep your pile from turning into a stinking, slimy mess. In my…

Every year, millions of tons of organic waste end up in landfills, where it produces methane—a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide. The solution? Build a wood compost bin in your own backyard. I’ve been composting for over 12 years, and in my work as a soil scientist, I’ve…

Forget everything you think you know about worm bins—the smell, the fruit flies, the messy chore of harvesting castings. What if I told you there’s a way to feed your garden directly, without ever touching worm poop? That’s the promise of a **DIY in-ground worm composter**, and in my 12 years as a…

Every year, the average American household sends about 300 pounds of kitchen scraps to the landfill. That’s not just wasted food—it’s wasted potential for the richest soil amendment you’ll never have to buy. After a decade of building these systems and testing what actually breaks down fast, I can…

You’re dumping kitchen scraps into an open pile, crossing your fingers the raccoons don’t stage a midnight buffet, and waiting six months for compost that might still be half-rotted. There’s a better way. Closed bin composting transforms your fruit peels and garden clippings into rich, dark humus…

Last spring, I stood in my backyard staring at a growing pile of kitchen scraps and garden waste, feeling completely overwhelmed. My above-ground compost bin had become a beacon for raccoons, and the smell was starting to annoy my neighbors. I needed a better solution—something discreet…