How to Bucket Compost

Overview

Composting turns organic waste into a dark and crumbly soil amendment that garden plants love. An outdoor compost heap can take over an entire corner of a backyard, but composting doesn't need to be so expansive. As demonstrated by the celebrity chefs on the Food Network, composting can be carried out in your own home using a countertop or discrete bucket to save your cooking scraps. Not only does bucket composting reduce your green waste, but it also helps feed your plants--all from the comfort of your kitchen.

Step 1

Place the plastic bucket under your kitchen counter or near your kitchen's food preparation areas. Keep the bucket in a convenient area to make food scrap disposal easier.

Step 2

Add a layer of dry material, such as shredded newspaper or cardboard.

Step 3

Throw in moist kitchen scraps, such as vegetables, flower cuttings, bread, eggshells and fruit. Alternate adding in even amounts of wet and dry ingredients.

Step 4

Toss in organic waste as you use it in your kitchen instead of throwing it in your regular wastebasket. Stir the mixture with a hand-held garden spade, garden fork or kitchen trowel every time you add waste.

Step 5

Cover the bucket when it is half full. Set the bucket aside in a closet or garage for three months. Stir the mixture once a week during this time. The waste you've added will decompose and turn into compost.