Help your compost break down faster with one of these 5 free DIY compost activators – and you’ll have black gold in no time!
Image Source Anton Karlovic from focus on
Compost Activator: Get Better Compost in Less Time
Have you ever noticed that some things are beautiful to compost while others are bogging down your litter box? I try to keep an eye out for really good compost activators that I come across. These are very handy if you keep a large compost pile because they help your compost heat up and finish faster.
You can also enjoy:
“Nature is an extreme composter – so can you!”
Honestly, some of the best stuff I’ve found isn’t actually free.I have a bag Cottonseed meal fertilizer On hand so I can start a pile of compost slowly or finish a pile quickly for an upcoming planting.
But if you don’t want to spend money, you don’t have to spend it at all. Here are 5 compost activators that you can ask for free (if you ask the right person).
5 Free DIY Compost Activators
A brief warning: if you are using compost cup And mostly put in fresh kitchen waste, these nitrogen boosters might not be a good idea for your glass. High-quality carbon sources like dried leaves or shredded paper are more likely to speed up composting.
The following 5 compost boosters are nitrogen sources for those who compost large piles, dead leaves in the yard, dry grass, etc.
Compost Activator #1 – Yard Waste
Yard waste can be an excellent compost activator for nitrogen-rich piles.Image Source FotoXCapture from focus on
Just a few weeks ago, I scored a perfect 4 paper yard garbage bagJust ask the neighbors on the street a simple question: “Hey, are you going to get rid of those?” He froze for a second and stood there with his arms around a full bag, presumably thinking, “This is What can I do with the big bag of garbage?”
But he knew I was a plant nerd and an avid gardener, so he figured it out quickly. He helped me carry the bags to the compost pile in my backyard instead of carrying them to the curb in front of his house. In the end, he seemed happy that the trash in his yard wasn’t going to waste.
You can also enjoy:
“5 Things You Shouldn’t Feed Worms”
I’ll admit I’m a little picky about stacks. I like thin, papery things like tall grass clippings, annual weeds, etc. I try to avoid thick and heavy waxy leaves like holly and privet. Once I got two big bags of live oak leaves and the suckers were hanging forever in my compost pile – even after I used the lawnmower to break them up into smaller pieces.
This time, I found gold – 4 large bags full of clover, cleaver, grass clippings and dried elm leaves.
Compost Booster #2 – Supermarket Trash
Add products from past dates to your compost pile as an accelerator to speed up the process.Image Source Alexei Gromov from focus on
Some grocery stores will offer you products from their past dates if you ask, but not all stores do. I’ve heard that some big chains have policies that their employees can’t give away old products, probably because of the legal liability that someone could get sick from eating it. So you’ll likely have the most success in independent local markets and small regional chains.
You can also enjoy:
“One Thing You Need to Know About Composting”
“5 Inexpensive, Simple Solutions for Composting in Small Spaces”
A word to the wise: For this approach, try to form a casual friendship with employees in the produce department. If you can, chat with them and get to know them a little bit. If you casually mention that you do a lot of compost and you’re dying to put that wilted old lettuce in, you’ll have a better chance of asking the desk manager.
They may have a set day and time to throw away old products to make room for new ones. So, play your charms a little and see what day it is.
Compost Booster #3 – Coffee Grounds
Image Source Elias Sharif Farah Maldini from focus on
Just walk into any coffee shop and ask. I’ve been able to get used coffee grounds from large national chains and local stores – in cities and suburbs. Some people might get mad at me for mentioning this because they think I’m telling everyone their secret stash. But in most places, there are enough venues to walk around.
You can also enjoy:
“19 Uses for Used Coffee Grounds in the Home and Garden”
I personally have never been told “no, you don’t have any reason”. I walked into a Starbucks once and someone was walking out the front door with two buckets full of water on the ground. When I asked if there was any other reason, the barista told me to come back in a few hours – no big deal.
Get better soil (and a bigger, more nutritious harvest) with the information in our Compost and Soil Fertility Toolkit! Click here to name your own price!
must bring bucket This trip, since the cafe might give you a reason to have a big trash bag, they’re sure to be sloppy. We had a great deal with a nearby coffee shop where we dropped off a clean empty 5 gallon bucket in the morning and picked it up later the same day.
Compost Booster #4 – Hair
Image Source kaleidoscope-dp from focus on
Some people may cringe at the idea of composting strangers’ hair for their vegetable garden, but dodgy composters can find some big payloads at a nearby hair salon or barber shop. Look at the floor next time you go in – it’s covered in hair and they have to keep sweeping.
You can also enjoy:
“Homemade Liquid Fertilizer: An Easy Way to Feed a Large Garden”
“How to Improve Your Bad Soil”
“Table Mulch: Builds Soil, Stops Weeds, and Makes Your Garden Fertile”
You may encounter some different rules and regulations depending on where you live and who you are asking about. A few years ago, I heard about a hairdresser in another country facing legal action for composting hair — which is classified as commercial waste and needs to be disposed of in government-approved containers.
But I know that some local shops will reserve hair for you if you ask. If there’s a pet grooming service near you, it’s also worth checking out.
Compost Booster #5 – Urine
Image Source kaleidoscope-dp from focus on
It’s a little easier for the lads – but with a jar or bottle, anyone can contribute their “spare nitrogen” to the compost pile. If you’re hosting a barbecue or informal gathering, put a small sign in the bathroom and ask if they don’t mind peeing on the compost pile. They can contribute if they want to.
You can also enjoy:
“Make peace with your poo (and then compost it!)”
Of course, most people pee more (and are more likely to pee on the compost pile for you) after a drink or two!
You can even set up a small screen in front of a bunch of people so anyone with “stage fright” doesn’t have to worry too much about peeing in front of a crowd. . . .
keep clean
All of these free composting ingredients have potential problems — and that’s where you need to use better judgment. I’ll give you a few examples to illustrate what I’m talking about:
If my neighbor had the most lush, pristine yard in the neighborhood, I might suspect that he used a lot of synthetic chemicals, and I might pass his grass clippings.
Again, I prefer to buy expired products from the organic aisles at the local market rather than the traditional aisles of the big chains.
I’d rather get my hair cut from a humble barbershop than a fancy salon.
If I knew a friend of mine was taking 15 prescription drugs, I would never let him pee on my compost.
You can also enjoy:
“Turn your weeds into fertilizer!”
“Over 35 Powerful, Inexpensive Organic Fertilizers You Can Make Yourself”
Trust your gut and don’t compost what you think is too toxic to use in your vegetable garden compost. But also trust the composting process to break down some nasty items and return them to nature safely. With an entire microscopic food chain in your compost pile, many things are completely broken down and returned to the garden as healthy nutrients for plants.
When I’m in doubt, I toss the unwanted compost from the vegetable garden into a separate pile that’s only used for ornamental plants around the landscape.
What do you think?
What do you use to start your compost? Let us know in the comments below!
_________________
This is an updated version of an article originally published on May 3, 2016. Authors may not be able to respond to comments at this time, but we encourage our community members to join, share their experiences and answer questions!
Grow Network is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, which is designed to give our team a way to earn money for recommending our favorite products! If you purchase an item after clicking one of our links, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support of TGN!
(17,153 visits, 1 visit today)
The Grow Network is a global network of people who produce their own food and medicines. We are the coolest bunch of backyard researchers on the planet! We are constantly sharing, discovering and collaborating to test new ways of living sustainably – while reconnecting with the “old ways” that are disappearing in the modern world. We value soil, water, sunlight, simplicity, sustainability, practicality and freedom. We work hard to produce, prepare and preserve our own food and medicines, and we want you to do the same!
