The Easiest Way To Compost If You're Short On Time Or Space

Compost costs almost nothing to make and can benefit your garden in numerous ways, from supplying plants with nutrients to enhancing soil structure. One barrier that keeps people from trying it is space. If you have a tiny yard, dedicating several square feet to a compost bin might not be feasible. Bin-based composting may also be a mismatch if you can't turn a big pile of organic waste on a regular basis. Unless you have a rotating compost bin, this task involves mixing the pile with a shovel or pitchfork. Trench composting, or trenching, solves both of these problems by moving the decomposition process underground.

Most above-ground composting methods require you to aerate the pile. That's what turning it does. Airflow helps oxygen-loving microbes break down the pile's contents and prevents foul smells from developing. Underground composting harnesses the power of earthworms and microbes that don't need oxygen. The basic setup involves digging a hole that's at least a foot deep, inserting up to 6 inches of veggie scraps and other compostable items, and then burying these items with soil.

There are a few things you should never compost, including disease-ridden plants and glossy magazine pages. Also avoid meat and dairy products, which tend to attract animals. Making a deeper trench – 1 ½ to 2 feet — prevents critters from smelling its contents or digging them up. Covering the hole right after filling it can discourage them from visiting it, too. Want an extra pest deterrent? Sprinkle cinnamon nearby to keep rats away. As an added bonus, cinnamon repels squirrels and a variety of insects.

You can use strategically placed holes or a long ditch beside a row of plants for making compost. Most of the time, you'll want to place holes where you plan to install plants in the future. In general, the holes will be ready to host plants in a year, though squash, tomatoes, and some other plants will grow atop biodegrading materials. Since the composting process kills pathogens that shouldn't touch your food, make sure it's complete before growing subterranean crops such as potatoes and carrots in your trenches.

Though it's fine to pepper a garden with composting holes you dig as needed, a more structured approach can be beneficial. Many gardeners use a three-row method. The first row is the composting trench, the second row is for growing plants, and the third row is a path. The following year, the trench becomes a nutrient-packed growing area, the planting row becomes a path, and the path becomes a new trench.

Want to feed a tree with underground compost? Put composting holes just beyond its dripline, which is the furthest spot that water droplets from its canopy hit the ground. As the materials in the hole break down, the tree's roots will use the resulting nutrients. You can fill these holes with banana peels and other compostables for your garden throughout the year. Dig holes before the ground freezes if you live in a cold area. No matter which trenching approach you use, cut kitchen scraps into small pieces so they'll break down faster, water the trench regularly, and label your holes and trenches so you don't disrupt the decomposition process.