Noob question, but what’s the point of alternating between layers of greens and browns if you’re supposed to mix it all afterwards?
If you read my top-level comment, you’ll see I’m not a big fan of this infographic. It makes composting out to be way more complicated than it actually is, and implies that composting is like a cooking recipe: leave out one ingredient or add something at the wrong time and the whole thing turns out wrong. For instance, I’ve never added grass clippings (no lawn), shredded paper/cardboard* (don’t trust it to be chemical-free), or soil (except soil stuck to dead plant roots; I’ve read it slows down the composting process) to my compost bin.
At my house, stuff goes in the compost bin as it’s available: kitchen scraps as they’re produced, garden waste as the seasons change and I swap out plants for the next round of crops, etc. I do maintain a box of brown matter so I can sprinkle some in from time to time to keep the bin from getting too smelly. I definitely don’t add the “correct” ratio of green:brown matter as I produce way more of the former than the latter, and I’m not about to go out and obtain more materials just for the sake of keeping my compost balance perfect. Someday when I’m not renting and have more space than my current postage stamp yard and more control over my yard, I want to produce better compost with more balanced ingredients, better temperature regulation, and more regular turning so I can create a more self-sufficient garden that doesn’t require buying dozens of bags of compost every year. However even working within my current constrained situation I’ve managed to keep a massive amount of organic matter out of the trash bin, and even produce some enrichment I can add to my less fussy plants’ soil.
tl;dr: the layers are not actually important in practice, but they make for a nice, clean infographic. If you’re new to composting, the most important thing is to just focus on what is/is not compostable.
I’m worried that this will scare off potential new composters, as it includes a lot of complicated rules and a decent amount of labor. Composting is definitely a case of “don’t let perfect be the enemy of good”!
If your main goal is to cut down on food scraps and other plant matter in the garbage bin, you really do not need to follow this many rules and procedures. You can definitely toss all plant matter and eggshells in a container or pile, throw in any brown paper that comes your way (it’s often used in lieu of Styrofoam in online orders nowadays, but there’s also cardboard egg cartons, brown paper bags, etc, and don’t forget fallen leaves in autumn!), occasionally stir it up (or not), and come out the other end with something that might not be ideal compost, but you’ll have at least dramatically reduced the amount of food waste that ended up in your trash can.
I avoided composting for years because I didn’t think I had the right materials, space, mix of ingredients, etc etc. I only got into it because my jump-into-projects-headfirst spouse one day built a compost bin. Composting is also best learned while doing, and trying to get it all right from day one is a recipe for failure!
Isn’t most paper laser printed these days (e.g. plastic based toner)? I don’t think I’d put that in my compost. It’s also easily recycled, so why compost it? Same with cardboard. This infographic seems very flawed.
Step 10- pee on it
Like, actually?
Yes, urine contains a lot of nitrogen and phosphorus and is an excellent fertilizer.
Tried this and somehow at some point it turned into a worm city and now I having trouble keeping up with the demand of food for the critters.
The scraps from a soup and vegetables dish day are gone over the course of one night.
And paper and cardboard can go into the pile?
If you are talking about earthworm then this is excellent news for you, worms are usually s very good indicator of soil fertility.
Yes. My composter is full of red groundworms. Good to know.
