How to Pick and Set Up a Compost System for Any Space
Backyard Farming: Composting by Kim Pezza
Author: Kim Pezza | ISBN: 978-1-57826-587-9
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Chapter 3 is the longest so far and the most hands-on. Pezza’s message: 30 acres or a studio apartment, you can compost. Space just limits your options.
Trench composting (soil incorporation)
Dig a trench 12 to 15 inches deep. Chop scraps, mix with a little removed soil, lay in the bottom, cover with at least 8 inches of soil on top. That depth keeps animals out and smells down.
Good for grains, fruits, veggies, tea bags, coffee grounds. Skip dairy, grease, meat, and bone.
Breakdown takes one month to a year depending on soil life and weather. Dig trenches where you’ll plant later so roots hit the good stuff.
Grasscycling
Don’t dump all your lawn clippings in the bin. A 1,000 sq ft lawn can produce 200+ pounds of clippings yearly. That overwhelms a small pile.
Leave clippings on the lawn instead. Grass is ~80% water and high in nitrogen. It breaks down in one to two weeks and can cover up to half the lawn’s fertilizer needs, including a chunk of yearly nitrogen.
Mow when grass is 3 to 4 inches tall. Cut no more than a third. Mow dry grass with sharp blades. A mulching mower helps but isn’t required.
Covered windrows
Big heaped rows, 4+ feet high, 14 to 15 feet wide, covered with plastic or membrane. Heat and oxygen balance matters. Usually farm-scale, but rural homesteaders with acreage might miniaturize it.
Bin types
Stationary bins: largest capacity, stay put, often wood boxes. Double or triple bins let you turn compost into an empty neighbor bay. Cover against rain.
Tumblers: barrels you spin. Easier turning, less volume.
Worm composters: red wigglers do the work. Chapter 4 goes deep.
Indoor composters: buckets or small systems for apartments.
DIY notes
Bins aren’t required. A heap works. Bins keep material contained and hold heat.
Skip plywood (delaminates in moisture). Skip treated lumber (chemicals leach). Pallets, brick, wire, plastic barrels, and garbage cans all work.
For small spaces: 18-gallon+ dark plastic totes, holes every 2 inches on sides, lid, and bottom. Shake daily. Add shredded paper if wet, water if dry. Sift through an old window screen when done.
Tumblers: cut a door in a clean barrel, hinge it, drill vent holes, roll on the ground or mount on a pipe through the ends.
Commercial bins
More farm stores and garden centers stock them now. Research before buying. Check for install hassles or maintenance quirks.
Location matters
Stationary bins are painful to move once full. Place them thoughtfully the first time.
Sun speeds composting. Shade required for worm systems. Put bins close enough that you’ll actually tend them. “Out of sight, out of mind” is real. Near a water source helps.
Proper compost smells like woodlot soil, so proximity to the house is fine.
Indoor systems need leak-proof containment and a footprint that won’t trip your household.
My reaction
This chapter is a menu, not a prescription. Pezza keeps saying find what fits you. The triple-bin turning trick is the most practical tip for suburban yards.
The grasscycling section alone might save you from a soggy, grass-heavy pile that won’t heat up. I’d read this chapter twice before buying anything.
Previous: What Is Composting? | Next: Red Worms and Vermicomposting