How About Some Compost?

At The Garden, redesigning the compost system is creeping to the top of the to-do list. In order to be prepared for when it is time to tackle that project I searched some other blogs for advice and ideas to re-vamp how we are composting, and here are the top picks of what I found.

3 Composting Techniques Everyone Should Know, is a valuable resource for an introduction to different composting styles. For The Garden the three bin style will most definitely be needed do to the bulk of our compost. The three bin style also has the benefit of faster decomposition, making more compost overall. For a backyard, the homemade garbage can tumblers work really well. I made one for my parents' house and they use it regularly. The biggest benefit comes from its portability, and that it is easy to control your proportions of brown to green.

Weird things you Did not Know you could Compost, is good to get you thinking about not so obvious household waste you could be putting in your compost. By using some of their advice you could even save on the cost of trash pickup and waste form going to the land fill!

6 Main Reasons Compost Piles Fail, and What to do, is a blunt but accurate post about problems you may have in your compost pile and some ways to diagnose those problems. In my past composting experience I have run into problems getting the right green to brown balance. Typically I have only all greens or all browns to add at a time. I am looking for ways to solve this supply problem, so if you have any suggestions could you add them in the comments below?

Tips for Winter Composting, here you will find good food for thought while building and designing your bins. I often forget about what might happen to certain aspects of the garden during the winter, especially here in central IL. I might consider blocking the air flow to my compost to keep it above freezing. Do you guys have any suggestions for keeping your compost warm during Midwest winters?