Composting Guide

Compost is the single best thing you can add to poor or sandy soil, and warm climates make it happen fast.

Compost turns kitchen and yard waste into the rich organic matter that sandy and depleted soils desperately need. In warm climates it breaks down quickly, so even a casual pile pays off within a season.

Hot composting (fast)

Mix about half nitrogen-rich "greens" (kitchen scraps, fresh grass, manure) with half carbon-rich "browns" (dry leaves, cardboard, straw). Keep it as damp as a wrung-out sponge and turn it weekly; in warm weather it can finish in 6-10 weeks.

Cold composting (easy)

Just pile it and wait. No turning, slower, but it works fine, especially in a hot climate where everything decomposes quickly.

Worms & tumblers

A worm bin in the shade makes rich castings and handles kitchen scraps neatly. Tumblers keep things tidy and speed up turning in small yards.

What to add and avoid

Add: vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, dry leaves, grass, shredded cardboard, plant trimmings. Avoid: meat, dairy and oily food, diseased plants, weeds gone to seed, and pet waste.

Source: UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions, Composting.