If you've been interested in trying to compost but feel intimidated by the idea of setting up an entire system, one gardener has good news for you.
The scoop
Home gardener Becca Lynne (@growingwithbeccalynne) posted a video explaining a foolproof, minimum-effort method of composting.
The answer? Just bury it.
"Dump, bury, and forget about it," she wrote in the caption. "Let nature do the work for you."
In the video, she tips a kitchen compost bin into a shallow hole in the corner of her garden bed, burying the food scraps with more soil. She said in the caption that she doesn't worry about ratios, turning it, moving it, or regulating its temperature.
Instead, nature gets to work — and quickly. "It's ready in weeks instead of months," she added.
With this method, the compost is ready for use at the end of those weeks, but it's also possible to keep contributing to the pile until it's needed.
In short, "You will never see a composting system in our yard again," she concluded.
How it's working
Becca pointed out several advantages to this composting approach. First, it saves space because it takes advantage of existing gardening plots, eliminating the need for a secondary composting area.
🗣️ If you compost your food scraps, what's your primary motivation?
🔘 Improving my garden's soil 🌱
🔘 Saving money on fertilizer 💰
🔘 Helping the planet 🌎
🔘 I don't compost 🚫
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Second, no worms are needed, just "all beneficial decomposing bugs directly from my soil," she said. Third, she stated that animals do not dig up the compost. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it's completely free.
The University of Nebraska and the Farmers' Almanac have additional tips on similar methods they call "pit" or "trench" composting — and there are varying opinions on whether or not to bury meat and dairy products due to the potential to attract animals. Yet these sources seem to generally support the idea that a no-cost method of burying kitchen scraps can be successful.
It could also be argued that composting actually saves money, particularly when it's used to grow food. Composting is an excellent way to cultivate a thriving garden since the decomposing food scraps enrich the soil with nutrients. And produce that's grown at home generally retains more of those nutrients, which can disappear during long transit times for industrially shipped produce.
Additionally, the simple act of gardening — whether it's food, flowers, or simply native grasses — has been shown to make people both healthier and calmer.
What people are saying
People were eager to try the foolproof method.
"Love this!" one person said.
"THANK YOU! I have been wanting to compost, but have been feeling like it's just too complicated/expensive and that there must be a better way," another shared. "I'm going to start doing this right away. Thank you so much!"
Others had already tried the method before with success. "My grandmother had a compost pit behind her garage, and this was the method we used for composting," one commented. "We dumped in scraps and turned soil over it with a shovel. Worked great!"
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
