Composting: A Quick and Easy Idea

There are things to do in by-the-book conscientious sorts of ways (income taxes, children's medications, truffles) and there are things that are still worth doing, but, you know--not so neurotically (housework for example or your daughter's hair). For me, composting fits into this category. You see, things have been decomposing for millions of years. And I'm willing to bet that all those things did not read glossy paged books about how it ought to be done. I'm guessing they didn't much care if the piles of leaf and muck was comprised of 50% brown matter and 50% green matter and layered correctly. I'm guessing they didn't consider the process of composition ruined if their pile of matter didn't steam. I'm guessing that earthworms weren't so much more brilliant then than they are now, but then I never did meet a prehistoric invertebrate. At any rate, my compost pile goes on my "do, but don't stress about" list.

I have two large Tupperware boxes (as long as they're not a recycling number 3 or 7, they shouldn't leach stuff). I cut out a square in the bottom of each and put them on the dirt in the garden. I add a bunch of kitchen scraps, grass, leaves, etc. to one. And then I let it sit and decompose for a season while I work on filling the other one. If I have time, I use a shovel to mix them up. If not, I don't. When I'm ready to plant in the spring, I break into the decomposed box and use the compost. When I've used it, I then begin filling it with new stuff and let the other one sit.

Here's the one I'm filling.

Here's the one I'll be using in the garden.