Composting is probably one of my favorite aspects of tiny home living. I’m not sure if it’s because I don’t have to deal with unclogging toilets, or even that I don’t have to use a scrub brush to do the actual cleaning part. Maybe it’s because I’m not adding perfectly compostable material to a landfill and instead using it to benefit my garden at home. 

We’ve been composting for three months and this is what I’ve learned.

1. Urine is an important part to the humanure cycle. Moisture is key!

2. If it looks bad or smells bad, cover it until it doesn’t anymore.

3. Seeing peat moss on your toilet seat is normal. 

4. Use a bucket that you’re okay carrying. There’s no way I can carry a 5 gallon bucket full of poo across the yard to the compost pile. We opted for a 3 gallon and it works perfectly. 

Peat moss is our cover material of choice. It absorbs moisture beautifully and is easily attainable at any garden supply store. 

It also composts great! 

Our compost bin is made up of 4 pallets with chicken wire wrapped around outside. 

We have 3 dogs on the property. I don’t know about you, but that’s not something I want to deal with! 

Every 3-4 days, either Justin or I take the full bucket out to the compost pile, rake aside the straw in the middle, pour the contents in said middle and rake the straw back over. 

Remember….if it smells or looks bad, cover it up until it doesn’t! 

Speaking of the rake. Once it’s committed to the compost pile, it CAN’T leave. You don’t want to spread anything that hasn’t been full composted.

Now for the cover material for the compost pile. We are using straw, easily found at any feed store. 

Our 2 ducks are the first recipients of the straw. Once the straw starts getting mushy and wet and no longer does anything useful for Willa and Rue, it’s ready for the compost pile. 

Now after we’ve dumped the bucket, it’s thoroughly rinsed out, with that rinse water being dumped back into the pile and then a 1-2 inch layer of peat moss is  applied to the bottom of the bucket, as well as a dusting around the inside.

Then as Wren would say, 

“Alllll done!”