How to Make Compost at Home: A Simple DIY Guide for Free Soil

If you want to grow good plants, you need good soil. And the best part? You can make your own high-quality compost for free using items you already have around the house.

This simple composting method has allowed us to grow amazing produce and beneficial plants like okra, tomatoes, cucumbers, sugar cane, lots of fruit trees, leaf of life, comfrey plants, and more. If you want to get started growing food or plants at home, this is one of the best places to begin.

Keep reading to find out exactly how to make free compost that will transform your garden. Learning how to make compost at home is easier than you think, and it’s one of the best investments you’ll make in your garden.

Why Make Your Own Compost at Home?

Good soil is the foundation of any successful garden. When you make your own compost, you're creating nutrient-rich soil that feeds your plants naturally without any chemicals or synthetic fertilizers.

Plus, composting helps you:

• Reduce waste by using kitchen scraps and yard trimmings
  
• Save money on expensive bags of soil
  
• Grow healthier, more productive plants
  
• Work with what the Creator already provided instead of relying on store-bought products!
  

The 3 Main Ingredients You Need for Compost

Making compost is simpler than most people think. You just need three basic ingredients in equal parts:

1. Carbon (1/3 of your compost)
Carbon comes from dried, brown, dead materials like:

• Dead leaves
  
• Dried branches or twigs
  
• Plant trimmings that have been left to dry out

Break these down into small chunks before adding them to your compost bin. The smaller the pieces, the faster they'll break down into soil.

2. Nitrogen (1/3 of your compost)
Nitrogen comes from colorful, fresh materials like:

• Fruit scraps
  
• Vegetable scraps
  
• Food waste that went bad before you got around to eating it

Pro tip: If you're not ready to make compost right away, put your kitchen scraps in ziplock bags and stick them in the freezer until you have enough to fill a bin.

3. Soil (1/3 of your compost)
You can dig up soil from the ground, or if you already have a bin of finished compost, you can use that and stretch it into multiple new bins.

How to Make Compost at Home: Step-by-Step Instructions

Here's exactly how to set up your compost bin:

What you'll need:

• A large garbage can (we use standard black ones with a lid)
  
• A drill
  
• Your carbon materials (dried leaves, branches)
  
• Your nitrogen materials (fruit and veggie scraps)
  
• Soil

Steps:

1. Prepare your bin: Drill holes in the bottom and throughout the sides of your garbage can. Good soil needs oxygen to break down properly, so those holes are important.
   
2. Layer your materials: Start with a layer of carbon (leaves and branches) at the bottom of the can.
   
3. Add nitrogen: Drop in a layer of your fruit and veggie scraps.
   
4. Add soil: Add a layer of soil on top.
   
5. Repeat: Keep layering carbon, nitrogen, and soil until you reach the top of the can.
   
6. Let it break down: Over time, especially when it rains, everything in your compost bin will break down into rich, usable soil. Rain helps speed up the process, so if it's dry in your area, you can water your compost bin to help things along. It usually takes about a month for compost to turn into soil that's ready to use.

Pro tip: If you're worried about critters getting into your compost, get a trash can with a secure lid that clamps down. This will keep animals away while still allowing your compost to breathe through the holes you drilled.

What If You Can't Compost Right Now?

Not everyone has space or time to compost, and that's okay. If you're looking for good soil to buy, we've been using the Black Kow brand because it's all natural with no chemicals.

But if you can make your own compost, even on a small scale, it's worth trying. You'll be amazed at how much better your plants grow when they're fed with homemade compost.

Start Growing Your Own Food at Home

Making free compost is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to growing thriving plants and produce at home. If you want to learn more, I explain everything you need to know to get started in my book, The More We Grow, The More We See Everything We Need Is Free.

The Creator of all things already gave us everything we need. We just need to know how to work with the elements that we've been given. Anyone can do it. You don't need to have a green thumb. And once you get outside and start learning, it'll change your life!

Get a copy today to start your home gardening journey.

Want to see the composting process in action? Check out the videos below!