You throw scraps away and feel bad about it
And want to do something better with them.
Courses
Start with three things you can do today
How to start composting at home
Set up a compost pile or bin that breaks down without smells or pests.
Start with what composting needs, carbon-rich browns, nitrogen-rich greens, air and water, then choose a method that fits your space, from a garden pile to a worm bin or a local collection scheme. Each step comes with a check for when something goes wrong.
Type this when Cadence asks what you want to learn
I want to start composting my food scraps and garden waste at home. I have a small garden and I am worried about smells, rats and getting it wrong, so I would like to understand how composting works before I buy a bin.
Change any word so it fits your situation. The course is built from what you type and a few setup questions.
Start today
Four things you can do before the course exists.
Useful on their own. The course is for when you want the whole skill, not just the first move.
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Get the mix right
By volume, add two to three times as much brown material, such as dry leaves or shredded plain cardboard, as green material, such as fruit and vegetable scraps. Bury each batch of scraps under about 10 to 20 centimetres of browns to deter pests.
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Do the sponge test
Squeeze a handful from the middle of the pile. It should feel like a wrung-out sponge. If it is dry, activity slows: add water and turn it. If it is soggy and smells, add more browns and turn it to let air in.
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Keep these out of a home pile
Leave out meat, fish, bones, dairy, fats and oils, pet waste, diseased plants and weeds with seeds. If you have no garden, check whether your council or city collects food waste or runs a drop-off point.
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Know when it is ready
Finished compost is dark, crumbly and smells like soil, with no recognisable food scraps. A well maintained pile takes roughly three to five months; a neglected one can take a year. Let it cure for at least four weeks before using it.
Sources: US EPA: composting at home, ingredients, ratios and troubleshooting. Practical examples are starting points, not promised results.
- Best for
- Environment & climate
- Prerequisites
- None. Bring the situation you have.
- Course length
- 7 to 30 lessons, sized to your goal
- Lesson pace
- About 10 minutes a day
- Format
- Read it, or play the audio
- Access
- Available on the App Store, with early features and Android testing access
Before the course is built
Setup asks about your situation first.
Lesson 1 opens on the moment you describe, and the examples use your role. For this request, expect questions like these.
- How much outdoor space do you have: a garden, a balcony, or none?
- What would you compost most: kitchen scraps, garden waste, or both?
- What worries you most about starting: smells, pests, effort, or space?
Right for now
If any of this sounds familiar, start here.
You garden
And want to make your own soil improver.
You tried once and it went slimy
Or smelly, and you gave up.
Course arc
Where the course goes, in order.
Cadence writes the lessons for you, so the exact path follows your answers. This is the ground a course built from this sentence covers.
01 / 06How composting works
Microorganisms, carbon, nitrogen, water and air.
Browns and greens
What to add, what to leave out and why.
Choosing a method
Open piles, enclosed bins, tumblers, worm bins and collection schemes.
Building and maintaining
Layering, moisture, turning and covering scraps.
Troubleshooting
Smells, a cold pile, flies and rodents.
Using finished compost
How to tell it is ready and where it helps in the garden.
What changes
What you will be able to do, and what you will stop believing.
You will be able to
Understand the process
Explain what microorganisms need to turn scraps into compost.
Choose a method
Pick a pile, bin, tumbler, worm bin or collection scheme that suits your space.
Fix common problems
Diagnose a pile that smells, stays cold or attracts pests.
Ideas this course corrects
Composting always smells
A balanced pile should smell earthy. A bad smell usually means it is too wet or short of air, which more browns and turning can fix.
Everything organic can go in a home pile
Meat, fish, dairy and greasy food can attract animals, and home piles often do not get hot enough to break them down fully.
Course questions
What to know before you start.
How to start composting at home: what can I do today?
Get the mix right. By volume, add two to three times as much brown material, such as dry leaves or shredded plain cardboard, as green material, such as fruit and vegetable scraps. Bury each batch of scraps under about 10 to 20 centimetres of browns to deter pests. Do the sponge test. Squeeze a handful from the middle of the pile. It should feel like a wrung-out sponge. If it is dry, activity slows: add water and turn it. If it is soggy and smells, add more browns and turn it to let air in. Keep these out of a home pile. Leave out meat, fish, bones, dairy, fats and oils, pet waste, diseased plants and weeds with seeds. If you have no garden, check whether your council or city collects food waste or runs a drop-off point. Know when it is ready. Finished compost is dark, crumbly and smells like soil, with no recognisable food scraps. A well maintained pile takes roughly three to five months; a neglected one can take a year. Let it cure for at least four weeks before using it.
Is this a fixed course?
No. Cadence builds the course when you type the sentence and answer a few setup questions, so the lessons follow your situation. This page describes what a course built from this request covers. You see the whole path before Lesson 1.
Who is this course for?
Start with what composting needs, carbon-rich browns, nitrogen-rich greens, air and water, then choose a method that fits your space, from a garden pile to a worm bin or a local collection scheme. Each step comes with a check for when something goes wrong. It sits under Environment & climate in the Ideas & discovery part of the library.
Do I need any prior experience?
No. Setup asks what you already know and where you want to use it, and the course starts from there. Bring a real situation if you have one; the examples are built around it.
How long does it take?
Courses run 7 to 30 lessons of about 10 minutes, sized to what you asked for. One lesson a day is the intended pace, and you can go faster. Lessons can be read or played as audio.
Does this course award a certificate or degree?
No. Cadence is for practical self-learning and does not award accredited degrees or professional certification.
Start today
Type it, answer a few questions, open Lesson 1.
The sentence to type
I want to start composting my food scraps and garden waste at home. I have a small garden and I am worried about smells, rats and getting it wrong, so I would like to understand how composting works before I buy a bin.