Monterey County residents can put yard trimmings and food scraps in their curbside green cart for community composting—or better yet, try composting at home!

Over time, organic materials like fruit and vegetable scraps, leaves, grass clippings, and twigs break down into a dark, crumbly soil conditioner called compost. This compost is rich in nutrients and can be used in gardens, flower beds, and houseplants.

Want to speed up the process? Try vermicomposting, where earthworms break down food scraps into an even richer product known as vermicompost—a favorite among gardeners.

Let’s get started! Choose your method. Compost piles are great if you have outdoor space. If not, a bin or worm composting system can work well in small spaces or even indoors.

Know what goes in. Compost fruit and veggie scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, grass clippings, and dry leaves. Avoid meat, dairy, oily foods, pet waste, and anything labeled “compostable” that looks like plastic.

Balance your browns and greens. Mix wetter, nitrogen-rich “greens” (like food scraps and grass) with drier, carbon-rich “browns” (like dry leaves, shredded paper, and twigs). A good rule of thumb is two parts browns to one part greens.

Keep it slightly damp. Your compost should feel like a wrung-out sponge. Add water if it’s too dry, or more dry material if it’s too wet.

Stir it up. Every week or two, give your compost a mix to keep it aerated and speed up decomposition.

Before you know it, you’ll have a pile of nutrient-rich compost to feed your plants—and you’ll be helping our community meet its climate and sustainability goals.