Our Spring Eco-Tip: Start Composting!
Shop manager Hannah here, I LOVE composting and as planting season comes around there is no better time to give it a try!
Composting is a super easy way to reduce waste while creating nutrient-rich soil for your garden (for free)!
My tips for starting out:
1. Find the outdoor space to compost - I was lucky enough to move into a home that had a large outdoor compost bin ready to go. I have had excellent luck with these but you can make your own out of a plastic storage bin, wooden pallets, or even simply using chicken wire to block off a designated area of your yard.
Layer this with things you would typically put in your yard waste bin: sticks, old potting soil, leaves, twigs, hay...
2. Add a compost bin indoors to collect daily waste - A quick google search will quickly find you many small bins you can purchase for this, but really anything will do. Any small trash can that you have around the house works perfectly (although you may want something with a lid). I keep mine in the kitchen where I can easily dump food scraps but place yours wherever you find most convenient.
3. Start collecting compostable scraps - When I started collecting items for my compost my weekly trash out-put was reduced by half! There are SO MANY things you can compost!
This list is not extensive but will give you an idea of how many things can be saved from the landfill.
From the kitchen: eggshells, paper grocery bags, moldy bread, coffee grounds, wine corks, tea bags, toothpicks, fruit and vegetable scraps
From the bathroom: toilet paper tubes, old washcloths, hair from your hairbrush, cotton Q-tips, nail clippings, natural loofas
Around the house: broken down cardboard boxes, pet fur, newspaper, natural fiber ropes/strings, matches, dryer lint
4. Mix your indoor scraps with your outdoor compost - Mix your compost together and let the magic begin! While "they" say some items can take up to two years to fully compost, I usually start seeing usable dirt in just a few weeks! Of course, some things do break down faster than others, but pull out the ready dirt and let the rest continue to break down.
Some tips to help everything break down faster:
-try to create a balance of 'green (fresh leaves, fruit scraps, tea bags...)' and 'brown (sticks, dried leaves, cardboard...)' items. The best breakdown occurs with about 3 parts 'brown' to every 1 part 'green'.
-use a shovel to mix around the ingredients regularly
-add water when you notice your mix is drying out
5. Plant all-the-things in your fabulous new soil!
