Composting Kitchen Scraps

Kitchen scraps can skip the trash and become food for your soil. A simple home setup turns peels and coffee grounds into dark, crumbly compost that helps every bed and pot in the yard. You don’t need special tools or a big yard. By the end, you’ll know what to add, how to keep it tidy, and how to tell when it’s ready.

Is This Project for Me?

If you want less trash and better soil with almost no fuss, yes. This is for renters with a small patio. This is for busy families who only have a few minutes a week. If you can collect scraps in a counter bin and remember to cover them with something dry like leaves or shredded paper, you can compost. It is forgiving. It is quick to learn. And it feels good to turn waste into something useful. Check out our free printable Gardening Quick Guide below.

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Compost basics at a glance

Save fruit and veggie scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags without staples, and crushed eggshells. Skip meat, dairy, oils, glossy paper, and anything greasy. Aim for a simple mix. About 1 part kitchen “greens” to 2 parts dry “browns” like dry leaves, shredded cardboard, or paper. Each time you add scraps, cover them with a handful of browns. Keep the pile as moist as a wrung out sponge. Turn it when you remember. Weekly is nice. Monthly still works. Tumbler, lidded bin, or a neat corner pile all do the job.

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Troubleshooting and safety notes

If it smells, it is too wet or too many greens. Add dry browns, fluff it a bit, and cover new scraps every time. If you see fruit flies, bury scraps deeper and keep a tight fitting lid on your kitchen caddy. If the pile looks dry and slow, sprinkle a little water while you mix. Keep meat, dairy, and oils out. When in doubt, leave it out. Wash hands after handling the pile and keep pets out of it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does compost take

With regular turning and the right moisture, you may see finished compost in 6 to 12 weeks. If you forget to turn it, it still works. It just takes longer.

Can I compost citrus, onions, or coffee grounds

Yes in small amounts. Mix them with plenty of dry browns. Coffee grounds are “greens” even though they look brown, so balance them with paper or leaves.

What if I don’t have a yard

Use a sealed tumbler on a balcony or a compact bin. You can also try a community compost drop off. Keep a small caddy on the counter and empty it a few times a week.

How do I know it’s ready

It looks dark and crumbly. It smells earthy. You no longer recognize what you put in. Let it sit a week to “cure,” then use it.

How do I use finished compost

Mix into potting soil, top dress beds, or tuck a thin layer around plants and water it in. Avoid piling it against stems.

What about pests

Cover new scraps with browns and keep lids snug. Avoid meat and dairy. If critters are persistent, switch to a sealed tumbler.

Print

Gardening Quick Guide

One page for spacing, timing, water, feeding, pests, and harvest cues. Adjust to your climate zone and frost dates.

Quick picks
Sun: 6–8 hr+ for fruiting crops (tomatoes, peppers, squash). Leafy greens do fine with 4–6 hr.
Soil: rich, well-drained; most veggies prefer pH 6.0–7.0 (blueberries 4.5–5.5; potatoes 5.0–6.0).
Water: aim ~1″/week total. Water deep & infrequent. Mulch 2–3″ to hold moisture.
Feeding: side-dress heavy feeders at flowering; don’t overdo nitrogen on tomatoes/peppers.

Spacing & depth (common crops)

Crop	Spacing (in-row × between rows)	Seed depth	Notes
Tomato (transplant)	24–36″ × 36–48″	—	Plant deep to first leaves; stake/cage/trellis.
Pepper (transplant)	18–24″ × 24–36″	—	Plant at same depth as pot; warm soil.
Cucumber	12″ trellised or 24–36″ sprawled × 36–60″	1″	Trellis for airflow & space.
Zucchini / Summer squash	36″ × 36–48″	1″	One plant per “hill.”
Winter squash / Pumpkin	48–60″ × 60–72″	1″	Big vines; give room.
Bush beans	4–6″ × 18–24″	1″	Succession every 2–3 weeks.
Pole beans	6–8″ × 30–36″	1″	Provide trellis.
Peas	2″ × 18–24″	1″	Cool soil; trellis helps.
Carrots	2″ × 12–18″	¼″	Keep surface moist; thin seedlings.
Radish	2″ × 12″	½″	Fast—succession every 1–2 weeks.
Beets	3–4″ × 12–18″	½″	Thin clusters to 1–2 plants.
Lettuce (leaf)	8–10″ × 12–18″	¼″	Partial shade in heat.
Kale	12–18″ × 18–24″	½″	Harvest outer leaves.
Onions (sets)	4–6″ × 12″	1″	Bulbing types need long day length.
Garlic (cloves)	6″ × 12″	2″	Plant in fall; mulch well.
Potatoes	12″ × 30–36″	4″	Hill as plants grow.
Basil	12″ × 18″	¼″	Pinch tops to bush out.

Rule of thumb: seed depth ≈ 2–3× the seed’s diameter; keep tiny seeds shallow and consistently moist.

Seed starting & transplant timing

• Tomatoes: start indoors 6–8 wks before last frost; transplant after nights >50°F.
• Peppers: 8–10 wks before last frost; warm soil 65–70°F.
• Brassicas (kale, cabbage): start 4–6 wks before last frost; also great for fall.
• Cucumbers/Squash/Beans: direct-sow after last frost; soil ≥60°F.

• Peas: direct-sow 4–6 wks before last frost; soil ≥40°F.
• Carrots/Beets/Radish: direct-sow 2–4 wks before last frost.
• Lettuce: sow early spring & fall; bolt-prone in heat—provide shade.
• Fall crops: count back from first frost; choose faster-maturing varieties.

Water & feeding basics

Water
~1″/week total (rain + irrigation). Morning is best. Deep soak the root zone 1–2×/week rather than frequent sprinkles.
1″ water ≈ 0.62 gal per sq ft.

Feeding
Heavy feeders (tomatoes, peppers, squash, corn): compost at planting + side-dress at flowering/fruit set.
Light feeders (beans, peas): minimal N—too much = lots of leaves, few pods.

Companion & rotation

• Good pairs: tomato + basil; carrots + onions; cucumber + dill; lettuce under taller crops.
• Flowers for pollinators: calendula, marigold, alyssum, nasturtium.

• Avoid: beans/peas with onions/garlic (can stunt). Separate potatoes from tomatoes (shared diseases).
• Rotate: don’t plant the same family in the same spot two years in a row (nightshades, brassicas, alliums, cucurbits, legumes).

Pest & problem solver (IPM)

1. Identify first (look under leaves). Remove by hand where possible.
2. Use barriers: row cover for brassicas; collars for cutworms; netting for birds.
3. Encourage allies: lady beetles, lacewings, birds. Avoid broad-spectrum sprays.
4. Last resort: targeted products (e.g., insecticidal soap for aphids; Bt for caterpillars), following labels exactly.

• Aphids: blast with water, prune, encourage lady beetles.
• Powdery mildew: improve airflow, water mornings, remove worst leaves.

• Cabbage worms: row cover early; Bt if needed.
• Blossom-end rot (tomato): uneven watering; keep moisture steady.

Harvest cues

• Tomatoes: full color & slight give; vine-ripened flavor peaks.
• Cucumbers: glossy, firm; pick before seeds harden.
• Summer squash: 6–8″ long, tender skin.
• Beans: pods filled but not bulging.
• Garlic: 30–50% of leaves browned; cure in shade.
• Onions: tops fall over & necks soften; cure before storing.
• Potatoes: harvest “new” after flowering; storage when vines die back.

Frost & season extension

Know your local last spring and first fall frost dates. Row cover can add ~2–6°F protection. Cold frames & low tunnels extend seasons for greens and roots.

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