Compost is used in gardening to mix with the soil and provide nutrients, allowing for a more beautiful garden and healthier plants and vegetables. It utilizes organic materials that have decomposed to mix with the soil used in planting the garden. Compost is available at most gardening centers and home improvement stores, but it is also possible to make it at home. Utilizing ingredients readily found in the home, this is a cost effective way to make the compost while recycling already used items.

Use of a compost bin is advisable to keep your yard looking neat. These items are inexpensive and readily available or can be built. They do not need to be large but should be able to contain compost items easily. All compost will eventually decompose. How much time and energy you want to commit to will determine how quickly you will have useable compost. Controlling the temperature and regularly aerating the pile by turning or mixing will help speed the process. However if you leave it alone you will still get the desired results, just in a longer time frame.

There are a variety of items that can be used in compost. All are readily available and also provide valuable disposal solutions. Grass clippings and dried leaves are popular ingredients to compost. They have high nitrogen and carbon contents which will help decompose the pile. A good rule of thumb is to combine brown items with green items. Brown items are rich in carbon while green items are rich in nitrogen.

Brown items include things such as manure. However, stay away from cat, dog and bird droppings. Instead use horse, sheep and chicken manure. Coffee grounds are very popular. These are usually found in most kitchens, but some coffee shops will also set out their used grounds for use at no charge. Leaves raked in the yard are readily available. Wood ashes and sawdust can often be found in the home at various times. Cardboard is also a readily available source.

Green items can include grass clippings or pine needles. Kitchen waste is a great source of nitrogen. Food items such as vegetables, seaweed and fruit are perfect for the compost heap. Stay away from meat, dairy products and foods high in fat. They can be useful in a compost heap but also have a higher tendency to emit a foul odor and attract pests. Broken egg shells are a good addition but make sure to break them up and do not use the whole egg.

Compost is cheap. Using items readily available at home, there is no need to purchase anything additional. It is also easy to make, needing minimal effort. Compost can improve the soil in your garden, making it healthier and stronger. Finally, everyone has waste. Contributing to the recycling efforts by using waste in compost will help the environment and lessen the need for landfill space.