Do you do poo?

By mudlark • July 7th, 2008

Well, natural fertilizer doesn’t have to be the butt of potty jokes. You can actually use kitchen waste to make your own fertilizer for your yard and garden. Why? You’ll save money and send less to the landfill, reduce your climate footprint, and you’ll be creating your very own concoction – and who doesn’t like to create something new?

It’s easy and more unobtrusive than you probably thought. Sure, you can go out and get yourself a tumbling barrel or some such contraption, but if you’re just starting, a pretty countertop canister will get you started. You’ll want to use a 50/50 mixture of ‘brown’ and ‘green’ organic waste, so here’s what to start with:

Brown Waste: (dry)

cardboard or unbleached paper (shredded)
leaves
woodchips
grass clippings
twigs
unbleached coffee filters

Green Waste: (moist)

coffee grounds
egg shells (broken into small pieces)
fruit and vegetable peels and scraps

Things to avoid:

Pet waste – could introduce harmful bacteria into your garden
Animal byproducts (grease, chicken bones or fat, sour milk, etc.) – could attract pests and unwanted visitors

You’ll need to turn it (flip it upside down and then back again) every 3 days, and it’ll decompose faster if you leave it in a warm place. When it’s fully ‘cooked’ or ready to go, it’ll be about half the amount of what you added and it’ll look like good soil. You won’t be able to see the various things you put into it.