Composting is one of the most impactful habits a gardener can develop. By transforming kitchen scraps and yard waste into rich, crumbly organic matter, you create a free soil amendment that boosts plant health and reduces household waste.
What Can You Compost?
A healthy compost pile needs a balance of greens (nitrogen-rich) and browns (carbon-rich materials). Greens include fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, and fresh grass clippings. Browns include dried leaves, cardboard, and wood chips. Aim for roughly a 3:1 ratio of browns to greens.
What to Never Compost
- Meat, fish, or bones — they attract pests
- Dairy products or oily foods
- Pet waste — can contain harmful pathogens
- Diseased plant material or anything treated with pesticides
Hot vs. Cold Composting
Hot composting with regular turning can produce finished compost in 4 to 8 weeks. Cold composting requires no management but takes 6 to 12 months. Finished compost is dark, crumbly, and earthy-smelling.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
If your pile smells bad, add more browns and turn it to introduce oxygen. If it's not decomposing, add more greens and check moisture — the pile should feel like a wrung-out sponge. In Texas summers, piles can dry out quickly, so check moisture weekly.
How to Use Finished Compost
Work finished compost into garden beds before planting, use it as a top dressing around established plants, add it to potting mixes, or brew it into compost tea for a liquid fertilizer. There is no such thing as too much compost in a Texas garden.