Composting Myths

Myth #1: Composting requires elaborate, expensive structures.

"A compost pile can be literally just that--a pile somewhere in the yard," says James. Certainly a number of composting containers are on the market--from aesthetically pleasing structures for under $100 to large automated tumblers that cost a few hundred bucks--but they aren't necessary to make compost. You can frame in an area next to an existing fence using cinder blocks, snow fencing or shipping palettes. "It doesn't matter what's on the outside," says James. "What's on the inside is what really counts."

Myth #2: Compost piles smell.

When properly maintained, compost piles don't smell at all. If they do have an odor, it's probably because the pile is not getting enough oxygen.

One problem may be that the pile is too wet. Compost piles should remain moist at all times, but never soggy. Explains James, "If it's too dry, the pile won't heat up properly. But if it's too wet it will stink to high heaven." To fix smelly compost, place a tarp over your pile to reduce the amount of rainwater coming in.

Keep the pile loose and oxygenated by turning the contents occasionally too. Or try this: stick a piece of perforated PVC pipe through the middle of the pile to increase air flow through it.

Myth #3: Raw materials must be added in exact proportions.

"This isn't rocket science," assures James. It helps to have a mix of materials that contain carbon (brown stuff like dead leaves and twigs) and nitrogen (green stuff like food scraps and grass clippings). But unless you're in a hurry to make a batch of compost, don't worry too much about proportions. In time, compost will simply happen, says James, no matter what you add to your pile.

Myth #4: Composting is hard work.

You can make composting as labor-intensive as you want to. While some people choose to turn their compost frequently to accelerate the "cooking" process, others (like James) prefer to just make a pile and let it sit for several months or even a year. Either method will work. It just depends on how quickly you want the stuff finished.

It's true; they sometimes do. James admits to seeing the occasional rat, mouse or raccoon near his compost piles. The best way to deter these critters, he says, is to avoid adding meat, fat, bones and dog and cat manures to your pile.

Myth #6: Compost piles require special chemical starters or activators.

To give your pile a jolt, you can always use ordinary finished compost. "A bucketful of this stuff tossed on to a newly prepared pile will inoculate it with all kinds of beneficial soil fungi and bacteria, as well as miscellaneous soil-dwelling critters that help keep the pile cooking," says James.

His favorite compost activator of all? Beer. Pour a bottle or can over your compost every month or so to keep the process moving along without much effort on your part. Why does beer work? The yeast in the beer feeds the beneficial bacteria and fungi in the pile.