Composting is a simple and cost-effective way to help the environment. For many, the only stumbling block is getting started.
Fortunately, TikToker Martha (@marfskitchengarden) shared how easy starting to compost actually is. Plus, it's free.
The scoop
The short video provides useful and practical advice on how to begin composting without spending a penny.
@marfskitchengarden Making you own compost is the number one thing I tell anyone and everyone to do. Even if you only have a balcony this stuff is supercharged full of nutrients and soil life to nourish your plants and is completely free. It's also so much better in every way than putting the waste in the bin where it could end up in landfill releasing methane. Good for the planet, great for your garden and I think good for the soul making compost is for me an absolute no-brainer. My compost bin was here when I moved in but you can often pick up second hand ones very cheaply or for free, or make one out of free pallets, an old bin or even just by burying you waste in a hole in the ground. The important thing is to include plenty of brown waste - at least 50% otherwise your compost can become smelly and soggy. Check out the brilliant @compostable.kate for lots more composting tips, she has a great book 'the compost coach' full of composting wisdom. Practice makes perfect with composting and I'm so happy with the texture and quantity of mine this year, last year I got way less and it was a little sticky. The addition of the aeration tube definitely helped, it sped up the process and I made room for me to add more material. I also made more effort to add to my bin this year, buying a designated caddy bin for the kitchen and making sure to add more brown waste. My book 'Give it a Grow' includes a section on garden basics covering composting and how to make a wormery as well as well as lots of other tips to get you all set up to get the most from your garden. It's available to pre order now via the link in my bio. I've also started a Bokashi bin, an ingenious process where you add special bacteria which ferments your food waste - which can include all cooked and uncooked food not just veg scraps meaning you can turn even more waste in to food for your garden. Looking forward to sharing more on that with you all soon. So don't delay, start composting today! #compost #recycle #nutrients #soil #gardeningforbeginners ♬ original sound - Martha
Martha said that all you need are things you'd typically throw out, explaining that the ideal composting ratio is half green and half brown waste.
"Green waste is high nitrogen," the TikToker said. This includes kitchen scraps, compostable tea bags, and green garden waste.
"Brown waste is high in carbon," Martha continued, providing examples such as twigs, paper, cardboard, egg boxes, dry leaves, and straw.
Another important consideration is air. The creator simply punched holes in a tube and affixed it to some bamboo sticks. The aeration tube increased compost fourfold in one year.
"Making your own compost is the number one thing I tell anyone and everyone to do," Martha wrote in the video's caption. "Even if you only have a balcony this stuff is supercharged full of nutrients and soil life to nourish your plants and is completely free."
How it's helping
Composting has many benefits for gardens and the environment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there's a 78% reduction in planet-warming gas emissions if food waste is composted and land applied instead of landfilled.
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If you compost your food scraps, what's your primary motivation? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Improving my garden's soil 🌱 Landfills have an outsize negative impact on the environment, from the release of methane — a gas that is far more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of warming potential — to the loss of natural habitats.
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Composting leads to healthier soil, which in turn produces more nutritious and better-tasting vegetables. Growing your own food is a great way to reduce waste and your pollution footprint.
What everyone's saying
The comments were appreciative, and some viewers offered tips of their own.
"Hair from your brush & dog brush too! I learned about that from a garden club," said one commenter.
"Your compost looks amazing!" was a short and typical reaction from the comments section.
Another commenter really got into the spirit of composting, saying: "I planted spuds last year. Rows with compost and the other with 5-5-7 chemical fertiliser. Homemade compost plants were greener, bigger, and better crop. I've gone mad on homemade compost."
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