Name: Making Compost Fast: 50+ Items That Decompose Quickly
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Making Compost Fast: 50+ Items That Decompose Quickly

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Skip to contentThis post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure to learn about the care I take when recommending products to my readers.Many years ago, I used to toss most things in the trash, but once I started composting, I loved watching my kitchen scraps and garden waste turn into nutrient-rich compost.I wasn’t just reducing the amount of waste my family sent to the landfill. I was also replenishing my soil each year, converting garbage into “black gold” and enriching my garden.Obviously, the quicker you compost, the faster your garden benefits, so you might be wondering, “What items decompose fastest?”Kitchen scraps such as coffee grounds, fruits, and vegetables decompose quickly, as well as garden waste like chopped-up grass clippings or finely mulched leaves. However, factors such as material size, moisture levels, and air circulation will inevitably impact the decomposition process.To give you a better understanding of this topic, I’ll cover the following in this article:If you’d like to do what I suggest below, I recommend taking a look at the products below and getting your hands on them (or something like them). They’ll be a big help when it comes to making your own homemade compost!Now that we’ve covered some of those basics, let’s dive into the details and discover what materials you can expect to compost in record time!I love composting just about everything I can, but I’m especially fond of composting kitchen scraps and garden materials that I know will break down in 6 months or less.I don’t mind composting materials that take 7-12 months to fully decompose, but I realize that I’m making a longer-term commitment with those items than I am with things that break down after only a couple of months.Before I provide lists of items that generally decompose in 1-2 months, 3-5 months, 6-8 months, and 9-12 months, I want to give a quick overview of what’s happening in your compost bin so that you understand why exactly your materials are decomposing so quickly.As you can tell, there’s a lot going on in your compost pile, especially below the surface.This is why it’s so important to balance ingredients, maintain proper moisture levels, and regularly turn your compost to ensure efficient, ongoing decomposition.When it comes to decomposition, let’s now talk about those materials that’ll break down very fast.Please note that kitchen and garden scraps will always compost faster if you slice them, peel them, chop them, or dice them.(The smaller the pieces, the faster they’ll turn into beautiful compost!)If you leave materials whole, they’ll take much longer than 1-2 months to compost, but in general, the items in the list below will decompose very fast once you toss them in your compost bin and expose them to the elements as well as the worms and microbial organisms that live below the surface:If you’ve been tossing your kitchen scraps in the trash, I highly recommend purchasing a nice-looking kitchen compost container, collecting your kitchen scraps, and throwing everything in the compost bin.Just be sure to purchase a container with a tight-fitting lid. I made that mistake once, and the container let some unpleasant smells out in my kitchen. This is why I like the Joe &amp; Leah compost container. It keeps those nasty smells from getting out!(In fact, you can compost these items directly in the soil if you want to experiment with direct composting or trench composting!)If you compost the items above instead of throwing them away—and if you’re careful to maintain the right carbon-to-nitrogen ratio—you’ll have a free, nutrient-rich soil amendment in just a few months. Your garden will thank you for it!Unlike the items in the first list, the materials found below will take a bit longer to decompose and transform into useful compost.You’ll likely need to turn your compost every so often since these items need to be exposed to air and the elements to speed up the composting process as much as possible.All of these are great to compost, but you just have to be a bit more patient as you wait for them to decompose.For many of the materials listed above—like coffee filters, egg cartons, paper products, cardboard, and newspaper—the rate of decomposition will entirely depend on the size of the material when you add it to your compost bin.As an example, if you drop a folded-up newspaper into your compost bin, that’s going to take much longer than 3-5 months to decompose. But if you shred the material beforehand into tiny pieces, the paper will easily decompose in under 5 months.Simply put, if you’re willing to put in a little extra effort preparing your materials for the compost bin, you’ll find that they decompose much faster than if you just tossed them in there without much forethought.The items in the list below are perfect for composting, but you’ve got to be patient with them, and you’ll need to tend to your compost over time—keeping it moist and turning it whenever necessary—to ensure it composts in as timely a manner as possible.Here’s something to consider: Anything that contains the protein keratin (such as hair, nails, or feathers) is going to take at least 6-8 months to decompose, but these materials could take longer than that depending on their size when you add them to your compost pile.Best to cut or break such items into smaller pieces beforehand to speed up the process!When it comes to nutshells, please don’t ever put black walnuts in your compost. Black walnut trees have natural chemicals in them that you don’t want anywhere near your garden.And when it comes to wood, the decomposition process entirely depends on size. Smaller pieces take just a few months. Larger sticks take longer. Big logs and tree trunks can take years to fully break down!I generally want my compost pile to do its magic in under 8 months, but some things take up to a year to fully decompose due to their stringy or woody nature or the sheer size of the material.As I’ve noted above, the more you can cut, chop, chip, or smash, the quicker these materials will decompose in your compost bin:If you want to make the most of your compost, do whatever you can to cut these items down to size or (in the case of cotton, hair, and wood chips) make sure you don’t clump them all together when you add them to your compost pile.When you separate such materials and mix them well with other carbon and high-quality nitrogen sources, you’ll likely increase the speed of decomposition.I love composting almost everything from my garden, assuming the plant scraps aren’t diseased or infested by aphids, spider mites, whiteflies, or other pests.But please be warned that some garden materials will take much longer to compost than others if you don’t chop up those materials ahead of time.The items listed below will take quite some time to decompose (sometimes longer than a year)—and along the way, they’ll clog up your compost bin—so I recommend 1 of 2 approaches:Please note that if you plan on using a chipper to handle vines and other large materials, you’ll want to let those dry out thoroughly before putting them through your chipper. You want them to be completely dry so that they go through the chipper easily instead of gunking it up with wet plant material.Here’s the list of kitchen and garden scraps that’ll take quite some time to decompose if you don’t cut, chop, or chip them in any way:Even though these items take a rather long time to compost, they’ll eventually turn into nutrient-rich material.But if you cut them, chop them, or chip them up, you’ll see them decompose in just a few months, much like the other materials you’re adding to your compost pile.Just know that there are some plants you should never compost. If you’ve got these plants on your property, don’t add them to the compost bin. Toss them in the trash instead!If you’ve enjoyed learning more about compost and decomposition times, you might like reading further:Ever find yourself peeling carrots or chopping up vegetables and wondering, "Can I just dig a hole in my garden and toss these scraps in?" If so, you're not alone.&nbsp;Kitchen scraps and all...Continue ReadingI love making my own compost since it’s a cheap, easy way to create nutrient-rich soil amendments for my garden.When I first started gardening, though, I wasn’t sure how to add it to my...Continue ReadingHey, fellow gardeners, thanks for visiting the site! My name is John, and I've been gardening in my backyard since 2009. My goal with this site is to help you avoid common gardening mistakes, learn new gardening tips and techniques, and develop the knowledge and skills you'll need to cultivate healthy, productive plants throughout the year. Click the button below to learn more about my story...Backyardgardengeek.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. This site participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies...at no extra cost to you.

Skip to contentThis post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure to learn about the care I take when recommending products to my readers.Many years ago, I used to toss most things in the trash, but once I started composting, I loved watching my kitchen scraps and garden waste turn into nutrient-rich compost.I wasn’t just reducing the amount of waste my family sent to the landfill. I was also replenishing my soil each year, converting garbage into “black gold” and enriching my garden.Obviously, the quicker you compost, the faster your garden benefits, so you might be wondering,...

Making Compost Fast: 50+ Items That Decompose Quickly

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