Uncle Matt’s Green Tip: The Power of Compost
Orange and banana peels? Apple cores? Potato skins? A bag of spinach you didn’t finish, yet again? Don’t toss them all in the trash! We’ve found a new home for your fruit and veggie scraps in your own backyard. This Earth Month, do your part to cut back on food waste and nourish your home garden organically with your very own compost pile.
Composting is a simple and fun way to get your family involved in growing a nutrient-dense garden. Our head of Research and Development, Ben McLean III, says that by composting, you’re taking a positive approach to soil health by stimulating the microbial community in the pile. This results in more fertile, nutritious soil that is rich in essential nutrients like calcium.
At Uncle Matt’s, we believe in the power of compost so much that we use it in our organic groves to promote healthy citrus trees. It all comes back to calcium being an essential nutrient for supporting healthy trees. According to Ben, the ideal ratio for calcium in compost is 40-50 pounds of calcium per ton. By applying two to three tons of compost per acre each year, our crops receive anywhere from 100-150 pounds of calcium. Talk about some well-nourished citrus trees! 
Now we know you’re not going to be making that much compost at home in your small backyard garden, but you can still ensure your pile is calcium rich. Once you have a dedicated place to build your compost, you’ll be on your way to feeling good about recycling any produce that you’re not planning to eat (or has expired), as well as not filling trash bags full of grass clippings and raked leaves.
Get started with these tips:
- Pick a designated area to compost. This can be a hole in the ground or composting bin. Hunker shares a great guide for building your own compost bin, or you can purchase a BPA-free above ground bin from Amazon.
- Start with a base layer of brush such as old leaves and small twigs. You can even add shredded newspapers or grass clippings.
- Next, begin collecting food scraps! Fruit and veggie peels, lettuce leaves, apple cores, eggshells and coffee grounds are great options for the compost pile rather than the trash bin. Skip over any meat or dairy.
- Lightly water your pile. The goal here is to allow for fermentation with proper aeration.
- Keep adding alternating layers of brush and scraps, keeping your pile loosely packed and well aerated. You’re looking for an internal temp of 160 degrees F within a couple of days.
- After three weeks, use a spading fork to dig into the pile and mix up the contents. Turn it again after five more weeks.
Now your compost is ready! Apply it to your garden at a rate of one pound for every 4 sq. ft. That’d be 50 lbs. of compost for a 200 sq. ft. garden (on the high side). 
Looking for even more information on what’s compostable and how to make sure you’re building your pile properly? The EPA is a great source for growing and maintaining your new sustainable approach to your yard and garden.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in June 2011 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy and comprehensiveness.
