---
title: 'Beginner''s Guide to Composting'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=egyNJ7xPyoQ'
video_id: 'egyNJ7xPyoQ'
date: 2026-08-18
duration_sec: 191
channel: 'Nelson City Council'
---

# Beginner's Guide to Composting

> Source: [Beginner's Guide to Composting](https://youtube.com/watch?v=egyNJ7xPyoQ)

## Summary

This video is a beginner's guide to composting, explaining how to turn kitchen and garden waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer. It covers the essential ingredients (browns and greens), the steps to build and maintain a compost pile, and the timeline for finished compost.

### Key Points

- **What is Compost** [00:05] — Compost is decomposed food and plant waste, used as a fertilizer and soil improver for gardens.
- **The Two Key Ingredients** [00:34] — Compost requires equal amounts of 'browns' (carbon-rich: leaves, paper, cardboard, straw, twigs) and 'greens' (nitrogen-rich: kitchen scraps, lawn clippings, green garden waste), plus air and water.
- **What NOT to Compost** [00:50] — Avoid composting meat, dairy, bread, chemicals, or plants treated with pesticides, as these can attract pests or contaminate the compost.
- **Size Matters** [01:05] — The smaller the material is cut or shredded, the faster it will break down.
- **Building the Pile** [01:18] — Choose a shady, accessible spot with ground contact. Start with a layer of the biggest browns (twigs, hedge trimmings) for airflow, then layer greens and browns equally, keeping materials damp but not soaked.
- **Maintenance** [02:02] — Turn the compost every 1-2 weeks to aerate it, and check moisture—it should be as damp as a wrung-out sponge. Add new kitchen scraps at the center during turning, balancing with browns.
- **Timeline** [02:48] — Compost takes 8-12 weeks to develop from the last time material is added, resulting in beautiful fertilizer for the garden.

### Conclusion

Composting is a simple process of balancing browns and greens, maintaining moisture and aeration, and waiting 8-12 weeks for finished compost. It's an easy way to fertilize your garden sustainably.

## Transcript

hi I'm kelcie and today I'm going to show you how to turn your kitchen and garden waste into compost today I'm going to show you how to build a simple outdoor compost system so what is compost compost is simply food and plant
compost compost is simply food and plant waste that is decomposed it is also a fantastic fertilizer in soil and prefer for your garden all you need to make compost is an equal amount of browns and greens as well as plenty of air and
water Browns are carbon rich materials such as fallen leaves paper and cardboard straw sawdust in even twigs and dried prunings greens are nitrogen rich which organic matter such as kitchen scraps lawn clippings and green
kitchen scraps lawn clippings and green garden waste do not compost meat dairy garden waste do not compost meat dairy or breed as these can attract pests also do not add chemicals or plants treated with pesticides to your compost remember
that the smaller your material is cut or shredded to begin with the faster it shredded to begin with the faster it will break down there are many sizes and styles of compost bins available to buy from your local garden center or you can
always make your own choose a shady and accessible place in your garden for your compost bin that has contact to the ground first start with a layer of your biggest brown materials such as twigs and hedge trimmings as this will allow
air into the bottom layer then add your materials and layers making sure you have an equal amount of greens and browns shrewd and cut up your waste as small as you have time for the smaller the pieces of material the faster the
compost will decompose after you have layered all of your materials with the heat down to ensure that all of the materials are damp but not soaked cover your heat with either your container lid a tarp or here some
your container lid a tarp or here some sack turn your compost every one to two sack turn your compost every one to two weeks to get air into the heap at the same time check that the pile is moist all the way through and add water if
needed it should be as damp as a wrung out sponge if you want to add more kitchen scraps add at the time that you turn the compost and add to the center to maintain the ratio of browns and greens it helps to keep a pile of brown
waste next to your compost to add an equal amounts to your scraps it is important to remember that your compost will take 8 to 12 weeks to develop from will take 8 to 12 weeks to develop from the last time you add scraps or material
percent brown and 50 percent green materials wet and cover turn every one to two weeks and in 8 to 12 weeks you will have beautiful compost to fertilize your garden with it's easy as that happy composting
happy composting [Music]