True Organic Vegetable Gardening Starts With Composting: Free, Quality, Easy - Build A Compost Bin!

Timestamps. Start a compost bin before you build your garden. It is the heart and truth to organic gardening. Grass and lawn clippings are a wonderful resource to jumpstart and speed up the composting process. You can make better compost than you can buy.

0:00 Start Composting First
0:25 Grass/Lawn Clippings Makes Free Compost
0:50 Grass Can Jumpstart/Speed-Up Old Compost - Nitrogen
1:18 Why Start Composting Today? Saves Money!
1:48 Bagged Composts are Unregulated & POOR Quality
2:22 What Compost Should Look Like When Done
2:40 Basic Compost Bin Build - Examples
3:19 Using Grass Clipping to Break-Up Bulky Refuse
3:57 Never Use Treated Lawns - Wait 6-8 Weeks
4:46 Why Build a Compost Bin Before Your Garden
5:06 Create a 4ft x 4ft Space - That is It!
5:48 Use Grass Clippings to Break Down Debris - Step by Step
6:20 Nitrogen Loving Microbes Generate 'High Heat'
8:04 What's Growing in My Original Compost Bin?
10:35 What 'Fluffing' a Compost Pile Does
12:00 3 Days Later... a 120 Degree Heat Pile Example
14:00 Incomplete Compost Makes Great Garden Bed Mulch
14:35 Where to Get Clippings When You Don't Have A Lawn
15:35 Composting Without Any Built Structure

Thanks so much for your support! Cheers & Thanks, Gary!

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[THERUSTEDGARDEN]

Thanks so much for your support! Cheers & Thanks, Gary!
Visit My Seed and Garden Shop

Earn 15% and become a TRG Affiliate for our seed & garden shop

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My Amazon Garden Store Front
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I put the products I use and discuss, in videos, there and have gardening products set up by categories. Such as Grow Lights, Fertilizers, Pest Control, and More.


My 2nd YouTube Channel Geared Towards Brand New Gardeners

My Podcasts

My Blogs

Join this channel to get access to Perk Memberships which focus on providing small live garden mentoring Q & A sessions, classes, and member influenced videos:


My Books:
The Modern Homestead Garden: Growing Self-Sufficiency in Any Size Backyard

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Products I Use and Recommend and I have an affiliation with them:

GreenStalk Vertical Gardening Towers

AgroThrive Organic Bio-Fertilizers

Vegega Metal Raised Beds
There is often free shipping and my code does NOT stack when current sales are active and equal to or above 10% off.



#gardening
#gardeningtips
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@THERUSTEDGARDEN

[KylieQueen]

Great advice, Gary. After 5 years gardening, I finally started composting this season. I felt intimidated by it for so long, but told myself to just get started this year even if I got it “wrong” and I’m glad I did.

[tinkeringinthailand]

Even though I am a seasoned composter/gardener, this is a little gem for me Gary, as it reminds me how nature doesn't rush and really knows what it's doing. Loved it 🙏

[charlottecmgh]

Great info as always. Compost is the gardener's gold

[gardentours]

I started the compost bin directly when I got the garden and I enjoy 'growing soil'.

[soozieevans]

Got my bins of leaves shredded, there was a lot of nice stuff under them, all mixed and ready for next year. Now one big pile ready to shred and use as mulch, a lot of goodness under that big pile!

[roserizzo]

I use storage totes for compost. Very easy and convenient!

[evelynrogers]

True, I should have started one long time ago

[tommysuswick]

What I've found is: store a bunch of chopped of leaves in a circle like you show in fall. Then in mid spring(may) when we have to mow our grass every 5 days, take those lawn clippings and mix with the fall leaves. I use a pitchfork and remove most of the leaves from the circle and then add layers of leaves and grass. Can use that mix as a top compost in August/September before the next cycle of leaves and grass.

[keyphabenyisrael]

*SIGH* I am so lame when it comes to getting a compost pile going! I have at least 4 years worth of good organic fertilizer & soil amendments that I got deeply discounted on clearance over the past few years, but I want to have a compost pile ready to go by the time my stockpile starts to run out & I can no longer find good deals. At least I've had some success at composting in place in the meantime, but I really hope to start a compost pile this fall if I can muster up the determination LOL

[brad]

So I just scored Fish Emulsion for $11.00 @ Wallmart!

[luitgi]

Thanks for the information Gary...I have learnt a lot from you

This compost stuff is "intimidating" and confusing at the same time, In addition, depending of who you talk to or watch on YouTube, they have a method or opinion they put forth as the "true" way to do things, which make gardening more confusing for all of us, novices.

[gardentours]

When you buy compost there's often plastic in there. When you do it yourself you know what's in there.

[Pinegap]

Just found your channel and already subscribed, thank you. Do you still use your peroxide methods on your tomatoes and cucumbers?

[SoulsJourney]

Do you use kitchen scraps in your compost?

[JanineSobala]

I do have a compost pile but I don’t have leaves here. We live in the Sierras in Ca. Lots of pine needles but those don’t break down even in a year. No one really has lawns here because we have droughts often. And it’s hot. So without leaves or grass, it’s hard to keep the browns and greens even- I do use shredded paper and my kitchen scraps and garden scraps. My neighbor gives me her bunny’s bedding/poop once a week so that gets thrown in. I would love more compost to use in my garden! Any suggestions?

[shirleyemerson]

That is just grass and leaves and some cardboard? Do you just lay it on the ground or dig a hole first?

[joycebovee]

I for some reason cannot turn my Tumblr. I’ve been collecting since early 2023 and was able to tumble it in the beginning, but I guess as I added more and more scraps and other things I cannot. Do you have a suggestion?

[michelleking]

I have just discovered I have Asian jumping worms. Can I still cold compost with leaves, I’ve read they spread easily. But, apparently not much you can do about them…. So what do I do…😢

[La_La_La]

I am still working/trying to figure things out on my compost. I don't have enough brown materials because I don't have trees etc.