Needing help! 1st time composting

[zanabid]

Hello Garden Forums, thanks for the add.

In the past 2 months, I have decided to cut my work schedule down and start having a little more time to myself. With this free time I have been a little bored I can't lie but I have also decided to start my own little organic vegetable patch in my back garden and how better to start than your own compost heap? apart from I have no idea what I'm doing.

So, what should I use to create this compost heap? I know that dead leaves and vegetable waste is fine but how much do you use? What else can you use? I have a plot of and 1m by 1m square to heap the compost, in the area I said above roughly how long will it take to get actual compost? and then pretty much anything else you guys can share with me.

Thanks

 

[Steve@CelticFarm]

Hello Garden Forums, thanks for the add.

In the past 2 months, I have decided to cut my work schedule down and start having a little more time to myself. With this free time I have been a little bored I can't lie but I have also decided to start my own little organic vegetable patch in my back garden and how better to start than your own compost heap? apart from I have no idea what I'm doing.

So, what should I use to create this compost heap? I know that dead leaves and vegetable waste is fine but how much do you use? What else can you use? I have a plot of and 1m by 1m square to heap the compost, in the area I said above roughly how long will it take to get actual compost? and then pretty much anything else you guys can share with me.

Thanks

Hello, and congrats on starting your organic vegetable patch and compost heap! Here's a quick guide.

1. What to Use Along with dead leaves and vegetable waste, add fruit scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, and grass clippings. Avoid meat, dairy, and oily foods.
2. Balance Aim for a balance between 'greens' (nitrogen-rich materials like vegetable scraps) and 'browns' (carbon-rich materials like dead leaves). A 50/50 mix is a good starting point.
3. Size and Time With a 1m x 1m heap, it can take anywhere from 3-6 months to get usable compost, depending on factors like material balance and weather.
4. Tips Turn your compost regularly to aerate it. Keep it moist but not too wet. Chopping up larger pieces will speed up the process.

Enjoy your gardening journey!