brightfernliving

Home composting

Kitchen scraps in. Rich soil out.

Plain-English guides to composting at home: choosing a method that fits your space, balancing greens and browns, keeping a pile healthy, fixing smells and pests, and using what you make.

Greens and browns What can I compost?

Inside a healthy pileDamp as a sponge

  1. BrownsDry leaves, shredded cardboard
  2. GreensFruit and veg scraps, coffee grounds
  3. BrownsStraw, paper, wood chips
  4. GreensGrass clippings, garden trimmings
  5. FinishedDark, crumbly, smells like soil

Roughly by volume2 to 3 browns : 1 green

A simple guide. Every pile is a little different.

Start with one of these

CalculatorGreens and brownsThe right balance. GuideWhat to compostYes, careful or no. ChecklistHome CompostingSixteen easy steps.

15 composting guides

Getting started

Making compost

Troubleshooting

Small spaces and using it

Free download, no email needed

The Home Composting Workbook

Choose a method that fits your space, track greens and browns, log your pile's progress, fix common problems and stick a what-to-compost sign in the kitchen.

Get the free PDFSee the Home Composting checklist

Coming soon

A healthy pile, all year

Bright Fern Compost Log: a printable compost log, greens and browns tracker, troubleshooting cards, a kitchen scrap sign and a seasonal planner.

$6 once. Yours to keep. 30-day refund.

See what's in the log