Composting is a great way to get free fertilizer for your garden. If you’re brand new to composting, the idea is simple: You use clippings, leaves, and food scraps that you would ordinarily throw away and allow them to naturally decompose to make a rich soil enhancer. For gardeners with efficiency and exacting timelines in mind, lazy composting probably isn’t for you...but if you’re short on time and still want to reap the benefits of what farmers call “brown gold,” you can compost without all the hassle.
Throw organic matter on the ground
The simplest way to compost is to just throw your plant matter on the ground. So long as the material doesn’t have viable seeds that can sprout more weeds to deal with, the plant matter will eventually decompose and add nutrients to the soil right where it lays. Of course, this method won’t work for larger-scale composting—a pile would eventually need to be turned to allow for airflow—but it’s great for small prunings, grass clippings, or any small cutting you might have. The best part is that it’s even less effort than throwing your plant matter away.
Put organic matter in a container and just leave it
The next best thing to throwing your compost materials on the ground is to just put it in a bin or a bag and leave it for a while. I’ve practiced this method myself accidentally a few times when the municipal composting pickup arrived some time after I’ve done some pruning. The material will eventually break down in a container, even without regular airflow, but it will take longer than an aerated system. The advantage of this method is that there’s no turning, drilling, or digging required...the compost can heat up and decompose on its own without any intervention. It’s the “set it and forget it” way to go. It’ll smell really bad though, so don’t put it under an open window.
Make a lazy compost pile
You can choose to build a compost pile, which just means taking all your compost material to the same place. Tossing your yard waste and kitchen scraps into a big pile will eventually yield some usable compost, but there are drawbacks, of course. The first big one is the smell, which you won’t be able to cover since it’s just a pile on the ground. Another consideration is that open compost can attract wildlife, and because it doesn’t heat up as much as contained compost does, the process of decomposition will take longer. Raccoons, rodents, and other scavengers will be attracted to your compost, especially if it has kitchen waste, so be aware before building your pile.
Sheet mulch your organic material
Sheet mulching, also known as lasagna gardening, is a way to compost without using a container or doing any digging...but there’s a little work involved, so it’s not for everyone. This compost method involves using cardboard as a base: You spread a sheet of cardboard over an area and then add composting material on top. The cardboard will eventually decompose, but before it falls apart, it’ll kill the plants beneath by starving them of light. That dead plant material, plus the decomposing material you’ve added to the top, will make excellent fertilizer for a garden without any digging, raking, or bagging.
Buy a tumbler
For those who would like to have a proper compost bin, you can buy one and have it delivered. Once the bin is set up, there’s very little maintenance besides turning it every once in a while. This is a great “set it a forget it” method if you don’t want to wait any extra time, and you can usually find a great compost tumbler for around a hundred dollars or so. The advantage of the tumbler is that it’s already aerated and comes with a stand, so there’s no digging involved and it’s harder for wildlife to get into it.
