Easy Ways to Start Composting Here in Lubbock

If you've ever considered starting your own compost pile for your Lubbock home or yard, then let me tell you that it's way easier than you'd think. It truly is as simple as "throw all your food scraps in and call it a day."

However, there are some rules when it comes to composting, like what shouldn't be thrown into the mix that'll do nothing but either attract animals, spread diseases, or take years to break down.

How to Compost in Lubbock

According to the City of Lubbock website, they recommend composting as a great choice when it comes to household trash alternatives. Instead of filling your kitchen garbage can with smelly leftovers and food scraps, why not use those scraps as fertilizer for your lawn or garden?

In fact, Lubbock praises the folks over at Take Care of Texas for their expert insight and easy guide on composting 101.

Different Ways to Compost: Pick Your Poison

Your four options for starting your own compost project are bins, piles, tumblers, and—my favorite—vermicomposting.

Bins and piles are your easiest options, as they generally consist of tossing your food scraps into a container or pile in your yard before leaving it alone to do its thing.

Tumblers allow you to spin and aerate the compost, boosting its ability to break down into delicious nutrients for growing plants.

The last option, vermicomposting, is by far the most fun. This is where you elevate a bin of some kind off the ground, create holes for ventilation, add soil and shredded cardboard, then place a bunch of worms inside to eat up all of your food scraps.

This process then uses the worms' feces (awesome) as fertilizer for your garden or your yard's soil.

What Items Shouldn't be Composted?

There are essentially three main components to a good compost pile or bin: water, oxygen, and waste that can break down into helpful nutrients.

When it comes to what can and should be composted, this includes your fruits and vegetables, eggshells, coffee grounds, nuts, and even those pesky grass clippings after you mow.

Listen carefully, because the list of things NOT to compost often catches people off guard:

• Meat, oil, and dairy products
• Bones, pet feces, and cat litter
• Weeds
• Metals, plastics, and glass

Meats, dairy products, and cooked foods, although able to be broken down into nutrients, will produce a nasty odor when left alone and can attract loads of unwanted pests.

Pet feces and weeds can spread harmful bacteria or diseases that do nothing but hurt plant life, and bones, metal, and plastic take years and years to break down.

It's just that easy! Think of it like a science project where you turn your nasty leftovers into delicious food for dirt.

Okay, it sounds less pleasing when you say it out loud...