I've been reading up and reviewing the different methods (i'm not
crazy about vermiculture--just not THAT much of a gardener yet)

Is there some reason why composting can't be done on smaller scales?
Most of the solutions are in large barrels or fenced in squares. I
can't do piles...no lawn and the small area I have is surrounded by
neighbor's with kids playing in yard. I wouldn't want a rotting pile
there. And I really can't use that much. With about 24 sq ft of garden
space...using 2 inches I would need 4 cu ft per year at most! At Home
Depot that would cost me about $14-$15. SOme compact solutions cost
$100-150. It would take me 6-8 years just to break even. But even the
smallest is big for me. I also live alone and I'm not sure how much
variety I can introduce into the pile without begging friends to save
stinky bags of rotting things I don't eat (like bananas).

Is home-made compost going to be significantly better than composted
manure and humus I purchase at Home Depot. I know organic shops sell
more expensive nutrient rich mixes. However if I've got to buy blood
meal and other stuff to add to compost then the expense grows and the
value becomes questionable for all but larger applications.

Assuming it is still worthwhile...

I was thinking using a 15-20 gallon container with a tray below for
catching compost tea. I'm thinking something tupperware-ish with a
nice tight seal and locks on top. I wanted to improve aeration since
my reading says that lack of oxygen is what causes odors and slows
composting. Turning/mixing only replenishes the oxygen for less than a
half hour in an active compost. I was thinking of perforating the
lowest portion or bottom of the container and fixing a fan (small PC
cooling fan) to the top to draw air out. Theoretically, it would suck
air in through the bottom holes creating air flow up through the
compost. If the aeration works the offensive odors should be
reduced/eliminated and it should be no problem keeping it on the
landing near the back door.

I figure if the pile halves in volume during compost the 16 gallon
container will produce a cubic foot. Using compost accelerators it
should produce in 3-8 weeks, depending.

Or I should just go to home depot...
Any suggestions?
DiGiTAL_ViNYL (no email)

For the small quantity and the trouble that it seems that it would be for
you do it...I'd head to HD. You can get large bag of peat and other
ingredients to incorporate for a nominal cost and a lot less effort.

Good luck,

s


"DigitalVinyl" wrote in message
...
I've been reading up and reviewing the different methods (i'm not
crazy about vermiculture--just not THAT much of a gardener yet)

Is there some reason why composting can't be done on smaller scales?
Most of the solutions are in large barrels or fenced in squares. I
can't do piles...no lawn and the small area I have is surrounded by
neighbor's with kids playing in yard. I wouldn't want a rotting pile
there. And I really can't use that much. With about 24 sq ft of garden
space...using 2 inches I would need 4 cu ft per year at most! At Home
Depot that would cost me about $14-$15. SOme compact solutions cost
$100-150. It would take me 6-8 years just to break even. But even the
smallest is big for me. I also live alone and I'm not sure how much
variety I can introduce into the pile without begging friends to save
stinky bags of rotting things I don't eat (like bananas).

Is home-made compost going to be significantly better than composted
manure and humus I purchase at Home Depot. I know organic shops sell
more expensive nutrient rich mixes. However if I've got to buy blood
meal and other stuff to add to compost then the expense grows and the
value becomes questionable for all but larger applications.

Assuming it is still worthwhile...

I was thinking using a 15-20 gallon container with a tray below for
catching compost tea. I'm thinking something tupperware-ish with a
nice tight seal and locks on top. I wanted to improve aeration since
my reading says that lack of oxygen is what causes odors and slows
composting. Turning/mixing only replenishes the oxygen for less than a
half hour in an active compost. I was thinking of perforating the
lowest portion or bottom of the container and fixing a fan (small PC
cooling fan) to the top to draw air out. Theoretically, it would suck
air in through the bottom holes creating air flow up through the
compost. If the aeration works the offensive odors should be
reduced/eliminated and it should be no problem keeping it on the
landing near the back door.

I figure if the pile halves in volume during compost the 16 gallon
container will produce a cubic foot. Using compost accelerators it
should produce in 3-8 weeks, depending.

Or I should just go to home depot...
Any suggestions?
DiGiTAL_ViNYL (no email)

I didn't read your entire post, but will tell you with certainty that Home
Depot does not sell a quality product of compost unless your particular Home
Depot sells Ladybug Brand. If it does sell that, it's the most state of the art
compost, made under the conditions with which Dr. Laura Ingram has enlisted.
The idea is for the compost to be fully alive.

http://www.soilfoodweb.com/phpweb/topicindex.php?tid=20

Since there is absolutely no regulation for what is packaged as compost, you are
probably not buying compost which has humates in it. Humates are the finished
product of the decomposition process.

You can easily make your own, but you say it's not cost effective or possible
with the children around. Where do you live? Maybe someone can direct you to a
soil yard which sells quality compost.

The compost I buy is state of the art as described above on the URL, and it is
fungal and bacterial based along with micro organisms and cost about 36 dollars
a cubic yard. It's WELL worth it and I buy about 3 yards a year after I
initially had 12 yards delivered before I started my garden. Now I lay it on
top, tear at the soil with a fork, and apply the compost by throwing it with my
gloved hand.

Victoria

On Mon, 16 Jun 2003 19:45:16 -0400, DigitalVinyl wrote:

I've been reading up and reviewing the different methods (i'm not
crazy about vermiculture--just not THAT much of a gardener yet)

Is there some reason why composting can't be done on smaller scales?
Most of the solutions are in large barrels or fenced in squares. I
can't do piles...no lawn and the small area I have is surrounded by
neighbor's with kids playing in yard. I wouldn't want a rotting pile
there. And I really can't use that much. With about 24 sq ft of garden
space...using 2 inches I would need 4 cu ft per year at most! At Home
Depot that would cost me about $14-$15. SOme compact solutions cost
$100-150. It would take me 6-8 years just to break even. But even the
smallest is big for me. I also live alone and I'm not sure how much
variety I can introduce into the pile without begging friends to save
stinky bags of rotting things I don't eat (like bananas).

Is home-made compost going to be significantly better than composted
manure and humus I purchase at Home Depot. I know organic shops sell
more expensive nutrient rich mixes. However if I've got to buy blood
meal and other stuff to add to compost then the expense grows and the
value becomes questionable for all but larger applications.

Assuming it is still worthwhile...

I was thinking using a 15-20 gallon container with a tray below for
catching compost tea. I'm thinking something tupperware-ish with a
nice tight seal and locks on top. I wanted to improve aeration since
my reading says that lack of oxygen is what causes odors and slows
composting. Turning/mixing only replenishes the oxygen for less than a
half hour in an active compost. I was thinking of perforating the
lowest portion or bottom of the container and fixing a fan (small PC
cooling fan) to the top to draw air out. Theoretically, it would suck
air in through the bottom holes creating air flow up through the
compost. If the aeration works the offensive odors should be
reduced/eliminated and it should be no problem keeping it on the
landing near the back door.

I figure if the pile halves in volume during compost the 16 gallon
container will produce a cubic foot. Using compost accelerators it
should produce in 3-8 weeks, depending.

Or I should just go to home depot...
Any suggestions?
DiGiTAL_ViNYL (no email)

Peat serves no other purpose other than to add dead material to soil. It has
absolutely no life of any kind. The reason compost works so well is due, in
completion to it's large community of aerobic organisms. Peat moss works for
containers when mixed with other ingredients, but to add structure to soil it is
most useless and much more expensive in the long run.

On Mon, 16 Jun 2003 21:37:47 -0400, "Nonya" wrote:

For the small quantity and the trouble that it seems that it would be for
you do it...I'd head to HD. You can get large bag of peat and other
ingredients to incorporate for a nominal cost and a lot less effort.

Good luck,

s


"DigitalVinyl" wrote in message
.. .
I've been reading up and reviewing the different methods (i'm not
crazy about vermiculture--just not THAT much of a gardener yet)

Is there some reason why composting can't be done on smaller scales?
Most of the solutions are in large barrels or fenced in squares. I
can't do piles...no lawn and the small area I have is surrounded by
neighbor's with kids playing in yard. I wouldn't want a rotting pile
there. And I really can't use that much. With about 24 sq ft of garden
space...using 2 inches I would need 4 cu ft per year at most! At Home
Depot that would cost me about $14-$15. SOme compact solutions cost
$100-150. It would take me 6-8 years just to break even. But even the
smallest is big for me. I also live alone and I'm not sure how much
variety I can introduce into the pile without begging friends to save
stinky bags of rotting things I don't eat (like bananas).

Is home-made compost going to be significantly better than composted
manure and humus I purchase at Home Depot. I know organic shops sell
more expensive nutrient rich mixes. However if I've got to buy blood
meal and other stuff to add to compost then the expense grows and the
value becomes questionable for all but larger applications.

Assuming it is still worthwhile...

I was thinking using a 15-20 gallon container with a tray below for
catching compost tea. I'm thinking something tupperware-ish with a
nice tight seal and locks on top. I wanted to improve aeration since
my reading says that lack of oxygen is what causes odors and slows
composting. Turning/mixing only replenishes the oxygen for less than a
half hour in an active compost. I was thinking of perforating the
lowest portion or bottom of the container and fixing a fan (small PC
cooling fan) to the top to draw air out. Theoretically, it would suck
air in through the bottom holes creating air flow up through the
compost. If the aeration works the offensive odors should be
reduced/eliminated and it should be no problem keeping it on the
landing near the back door.

I figure if the pile halves in volume during compost the 16 gallon
container will produce a cubic foot. Using compost accelerators it
should produce in 3-8 weeks, depending.

Or I should just go to home depot...
Any suggestions?
DiGiTAL_ViNYL (no email)

"animaux" wrote in message
...

The compost I buy is state of the art as described above on the URL, and
it is
fungal and bacterial based along with micro organisms and cost about 36
dollars
a cubic yard. It's WELL worth it and I buy about 3 yards a year after I
initially had 12 yards delivered before I started my garden. Now I lay it
on
top, tear at the soil with a fork, and apply the compost by throwing it
with my
gloved hand.

I think you're being taken for a ride...

state of the art? It's bloody dirt!

I'm proud of the fact that I only use compost for containers and starting
seeds, and even then it's only the cheap stuff (the REALLY cheap stuff). I
get the most wonderful produce from my veg garden that beats anything in the
supermarket with absolute minimal mantinance in my garden. We don't spread
fancy top soil, or mushroom compost or even manure! We use a little miracle
grow every few weeks and STILL get more than our neighbours who have more
plants and must spend hundreds of pounds a year on fancy dirt and watering
systems.

Just my humble opinion!

Charlie.

We use 7? gal, blk pots, free from landscapers, plywood lid, they have drain
holes,,
the 2 of us fill 3 a year,, hope this helps,,,
also I agree w person using MiracleGro ! ! great stuff!
ed,,, sitting in Sac CA, zone 8- 9,,,,,

"DigitalVinyl" wrote in message
...
I've been reading up and reviewing the different methods (i'm not
crazy about vermiculture--just not THAT much of a gardener yet)

Is there some reason why composting can't be done on smaller scales?
Most of the solutions are in large barrels or fenced in squares. I
can't do piles...no lawn and the small area I have is surrounded by
neighbor's with kids playing in yard. I wouldn't want a rotting pile
there. And I really can't use that much. With about 24 sq ft of garden
space...using 2 inches I would need 4 cu ft per year at most! At Home
Depot that would cost me about $14-$15. SOme compact solutions cost
$100-150. It would take me 6-8 years just to break even. But even the
smallest is big for me. I also live alone and I'm not sure how much
variety I can introduce into the pile without begging friends to save
stinky bags of rotting things I don't eat (like bananas).

Is home-made compost going to be significantly better than composted
manure and humus I purchase at Home Depot. I know organic shops sell
more expensive nutrient rich mixes. However if I've got to buy blood
meal and other stuff to add to compost then the expense grows and the
value becomes questionable for all but larger applications.

Assuming it is still worthwhile...

I was thinking using a 15-20 gallon container with a tray below for
catching compost tea. I'm thinking something tupperware-ish with a
nice tight seal and locks on top. I wanted to improve aeration since
my reading says that lack of oxygen is what causes odors and slows
composting. Turning/mixing only replenishes the oxygen for less than a
half hour in an active compost. I was thinking of perforating the
lowest portion or bottom of the container and fixing a fan (small PC
cooling fan) to the top to draw air out. Theoretically, it would suck
air in through the bottom holes creating air flow up through the
compost. If the aeration works the offensive odors should be
reduced/eliminated and it should be no problem keeping it on the
landing near the back door.

I figure if the pile halves in volume during compost the 16 gallon
container will produce a cubic foot. Using compost accelerators it
should produce in 3-8 weeks, depending.

Or I should just go to home depot...
Any suggestions?
DiGiTAL_ViNYL (no email)

DigitalVinyl wrote:

I've been reading up and reviewing the different methods (i'm not
crazy about vermiculture--just not THAT much of a gardener yet)

Is there some reason why composting can't be done on smaller scales?
Most of the solutions are in large barrels or fenced in squares. I
can't do piles...no lawn and the small area I have is surrounded by
neighbor's with kids playing in yard. I wouldn't want a rotting pile
there. And I really can't use that much. With about 24 sq ft of garden
space...using 2 inches I would need 4 cu ft per year at most! At Home
Depot that would cost me about $14-$15. SOme compact solutions cost
$100-150. It would take me 6-8 years just to break even. But even the
smallest is big for me. I also live alone and I'm not sure how much
variety I can introduce into the pile without begging friends to save
stinky bags of rotting things I don't eat (like bananas).

Is home-made compost going to be significantly better than composted
manure and humus I purchase at Home Depot. I know organic shops sell
more expensive nutrient rich mixes. However if I've got to buy blood
meal and other stuff to add to compost then the expense grows and the
value becomes questionable for all but larger applications.

Assuming it is still worthwhile...

I was thinking using a 15-20 gallon container with a tray below for
catching compost tea. I'm thinking something tupperware-ish with a
nice tight seal and locks on top. I wanted to improve aeration since
my reading says that lack of oxygen is what causes odors and slows
composting. Turning/mixing only replenishes the oxygen for less than a
half hour in an active compost. I was thinking of perforating the
lowest portion or bottom of the container and fixing a fan (small PC
cooling fan) to the top to draw air out. Theoretically, it would suck
air in through the bottom holes creating air flow up through the
compost. If the aeration works the offensive odors should be
reduced/eliminated and it should be no problem keeping it on the
landing near the back door.

I figure if the pile halves in volume during compost the 16 gallon
container will produce a cubic foot. Using compost accelerators it
should produce in 3-8 weeks, depending.

Or I should just go to home depot...
Any suggestions?
DiGiTAL_ViNYL (no email)

If you only have 24 sq ft of garden I think the best idea
would be to, during the non-growing season, just dig a hole
and bury your kitchen wastes in that garden area. Dig a
hole, put in your scraps, dig another hole along side of
that and use the dirt to cover the previous hole. During
the growing season just lay the scraps on top of the ground
in the garden and cover with some grass clippings, this is
known as "sheet" composting.
Bill

On Mon, 16 Jun 2003 19:45:16 -0400, DigitalVinyl
wrote:

Is there some reason why composting can't be done on smaller scales?

Of course not.

Most of the solutions are in large barrels or fenced in squares. I
can't do piles...no lawn and the small area I have is surrounded by
neighbor's with kids playing in yard. I wouldn't want a rotting pile
there.

No place at all to collect organic debris? My neighbor just bought a
plastic bin about 18" square and 2' high. If it doesn't bother you
aesthetically, you can just shlump stuff in a pile on the ground. In
spite of much advice about ideal mix of materials, rotating, fluffing,
tending, confining, etc. (which is perfectly true for perfect,
fast-cooking, hot compost), Stuff Rots on its own. A "rotting pile"
isn't a bad thing, nor is it any particular danger to children. With
strictly veg and soil debris, I've never noticed *any* odor beyond the
1 or 2 days it takes for a canteloupe rind to lost its glow. :-)

And I really can't use that much. With about 24 sq ft of garden
space...using 2 inches I would need 4 cu ft per year at most! At Home
Depot that would cost me about $14-$15. SOme compact solutions cost
$100-150. It would take me 6-8 years just to break even. But even the
smallest is big for me.

The material shrinks/breaks down considerably, of course, and unless
you're adding grass clippings from a meadow or leaves from an oak
forest, there's little possibility of producing too much to use.
Compost, of course, continues to break down and be diminished in the
garden, and is almost always a happy addition to the soil. 6-8 years
is archaeology, not compost. You'd be amazed at how fast an orange
rind disappears.

expense -- It just about kills me to see TV cooks throwing their
veg peelings and whatnot into a trash bin. We produce *free* soil
ammendments every day. I keep an open, about 2qt plastic bowl on my
kitchen counter for veg scraps, and empty it every 2-3 days onto The
Pile. Except when I make a batch of gazpacho, which pretty much fills
the bown with leftovers from tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and celery.
You don't need an expensive "system" to brew compost, either. See:

http://www.nyccompost.org/how/smallspace.html

I also live alone and I'm not sure how much
variety I can introduce into the pile without begging friends to save
stinky bags of rotting things I don't eat (like bananas).

First too much, and then not enough. :-) If you eat out most of the
time, and never have potato peelings, tomato skins & seeds, cabbage
leaves, melon rinds, onion skins and tops, coffee grounds, used tea
bags or leaves, egg shells, or any leaves or grass clippings or bush
prunings, by all means stop at K-Mart for a bag of compost and dig it
in.

However, even a single person who eats *any* fresh veg & fruit
generates a fair amount of trimmings. "Rotting veg" in the bottom of
your 'fridge's crisper is indeed icky, but once it's outside
(preferably *before* it slimes your kitchen), it's the basis for black
gold for your garden. With plenty of air circulation and tiny critter
tidying, it's a wholesome, relatively odor-free process that keeps a
lot of stuff out of the landfill, and soon ready to benefit your
garden in a happy, productive, low-waste, no-cost cycle.


Compost, for the most part, provides little nutrients to plants, but
it vastly improves almost any soil, evening out wet/dry conditions and
making the dirt easier for plant roots to wander around in. Composted
(animal) manure has more nutrients, and is also a good soil
ammendment. Lacking a cow or friends with farms, I have to buy mine.
Doesn't keep me from composting those tired lettuce leaves, 'though.

Xref: kermit rec.gardens:233856

I hear you Charlie...

one poster replyed to my post about adding peat to the soil (*along with
other amendments) stating that it was bascally worthless! I think that these
extreamists would have you using only manure from a bull that was fed Kosher
grain and drank Perier mineral water! For Christs sake...IT'S ONLY DIRT!
Following basic tenets would easily produce cheap, safe, viable soil. We're
gardeners....not chemists!

I'm sick and tired of the pretensious replys to useful information that I've
given...So **** off to those of you who think you're some kind of gardening
God! If you have to go to such extreams to get bacteria to live your soil,
then you shouldn't be gardening to begin with.

S

"Charlie" wrote in message
...

"animaux" wrote in message
...

The compost I buy is state of the art as described above on the URL, and
it is
fungal and bacterial based along with micro organisms and cost about 36
dollars
a cubic yard. It's WELL worth it and I buy about 3 yards a year after I
initially had 12 yards delivered before I started my garden. Now I lay
it
on
top, tear at the soil with a fork, and apply the compost by throwing it
with my
gloved hand.

I think you're being taken for a ride...

state of the art? It's bloody dirt!

I'm proud of the fact that I only use compost for containers and starting
seeds, and even then it's only the cheap stuff (the REALLY cheap stuff).
I
get the most wonderful produce from my veg garden that beats anything in
the
supermarket with absolute minimal mantinance in my garden. We don't
spread
fancy top soil, or mushroom compost or even manure! We use a little
miracle
grow every few weeks and STILL get more than our neighbours who have more
plants and must spend hundreds of pounds a year on fancy dirt and watering
systems.

Just my humble opinion!

Charlie.

Frogleg wrote:

On Mon, 16 Jun 2003 19:45:16 -0400, DigitalVinyl
wrote:

expense -- It just about kills me to see TV cooks throwing their
veg peelings and whatnot into a trash bin. We produce *free* soil
ammendments every day. I keep an open, about 2qt plastic bowl on my
kitchen counter for veg scraps, and empty it every 2-3 days onto The
Pile. Except when I make a batch of gazpacho, which pretty much fills
the bown with leftovers from tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and celery.
You don't need an expensive "system" to brew compost, either. See:

http://www.nyccompost.org/how/smallspace.html

Nice link, some very good info & links there. Thanks.
I also live alone and I'm not sure how much
variety I can introduce into the pile without begging friends to save
stinky bags of rotting things I don't eat (like bananas).

First too much, and then not enough. :-) If you eat out most of the
time, and never have potato peelings, tomato skins & seeds, cabbage
leaves, melon rinds, onion skins and tops, coffee grounds, used tea
bags or leaves, egg shells, or any leaves or grass clippings or bush
prunings, by all means stop at K-Mart for a bag of compost and dig it
in.
I NEVER peel potatoes I love eating the skin! Potato salads, fried,
mashed, baked...I just clean the skins. Lettuces, tomatoes, onion,
peppers, garlic peels, carrot tops, celery, egg shells, apple cores,
leftover grapes are the most common stuff. I don't drink coffee or tea
at home--haven't made one of either in the last 3 years here. I admit
to being a big meat eater, but I like lots of vegetables mixed in.
I've seen some grains are bad other say add bread. I don't often have
bread go bad on me. I guess my assuption is without variety the copost
wont have any many nutrients and be less "helpful".

Compost, for the most part, provides little nutrients to plants, but
That's what I've really been wondering about...I do need to keep
amending this soil--its not the best condition.
it vastly improves almost any soil, evening out wet/dry conditions and
making the dirt easier for plant roots to wander around in. Composted
(animal) manure has more nutrients, and is also a good soil
ammendment. Lacking a cow or friends with farms, I have to buy mine.
Doesn't keep me from composting those tired lettuce leaves, 'though.

DiGiTAL_ViNYL (no email)

The message
from "Charlie" contains these words:

I
get the most wonderful produce from my veg garden that beats anything in the
supermarket with absolute minimal mantinance in my garden. We don't spread
fancy top soil, or mushroom compost or even manure! We use a little miracle
grow every few weeks and STILL get more than our neighbours who have more
plants and must spend hundreds of pounds a year on fancy dirt and watering
systems.

ISTR you said elsewhere that you're only 18?

It's possible to get good results from minimal soil maintenance in the
short term...until crops have used up all the available humus. Unless
the humus is replaced with manure or composted plant material, the
soil's population of beneficial living organisms will decline. Gardeners
who don't nurture their soil eventually find their plants are more
susceptible to disease and pests, and they need to buy and apply more
and more chemicals.

For the OP.. I do make large slow compost heaps but also wanted to
find a labour saving way of making fast compost right where I need to
use it. So I'm experimenting with compost pies, like childrens' sand
pies. I use a 45 gallon plastic barrel with the top and bottom cut off
leaving a tube about 3 ft high. Dig a hole the same diameter,18 " deep,
and drop the tube in; the dug out earth goes round the outside to
insulate, conceal, and make sure it doesn't blow over. Then I fill the
barrel very firmly to the top with well-mixed fresh material I can get
free and close at hand....YMMV. Here, it's grass cuttings, sheep manure
and seaweed. Water it (I use urine) and put the lid on. The stuff inside
heats up very fast and in just a couple of weeks sinks almost to ground
level. Then slide off the barrel upwards like a sandpie mould, and start
again elsewhere.

Kick the soil from round the barrel sides back over the top of the
compost pie and it's done; no more digging or barrowing. I've just
planted courgette seeds on the first one.

Janet.

We've been growing the same veg in ths same piece of land for 17 years now!
We've never done anything to it except give it a dig when we can and take
most of the weeds out!

Ah well, beginners luck I guess, after all, if I'm 18 I can't possibly have
been gardening very long.

Charlie.

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
ISTR you said elsewhere that you're only 18?

It's possible to get good results from minimal soil maintenance in the
short term...until crops have used up all the available humus. Unless
the humus is replaced with manure or composted plant material, the
soil's population of beneficial living organisms will decline. Gardeners
who don't nurture their soil eventually find their plants are more
susceptible to disease and pests, and they need to buy and apply more
and more chemicals.

On Tue, 17 Jun 2003 11:57:27 -0400, DigitalVinyl
wrote:

I NEVER peel potatoes I love eating the skin! Potato salads, fried,
mashed, baked...I just clean the skins. Lettuces, tomatoes, onion,
peppers, garlic peels, carrot tops, celery, egg shells, apple cores,
leftover grapes are the most common stuff. I don't drink coffee or tea
at home--haven't made one of either in the last 3 years here. I admit
to being a big meat eater, but I like lots of vegetables mixed in.
I've seen some grains are bad other say add bread. I don't often have
bread go bad on me. I guess my assuption is without variety the copost
wont have any many nutrients and be less "helpful".

It's not rocket science. You can review many discussions here with
Google groups, and there are acres of references on the web. Like
chile (chili, chilli), everyone has their favorite recipe/method. I
choose to compost just un-meddled-with veg (and fruit) kitchen scraps,
rinsed and squashed eggshells, coffee grounds, leftover dirt from pot
plants that haven't died from some disease, grass clippings, and
leaves. Roughly. Leftover bread is for the birds. Leftover moldy bread
is for the garbage bin. I never add any meat or dairy items, nor, say,
leftover salad with dressing or cooked veg with butter or sauce.
That's *my* recipe. As I said, the main function is to add fluff, not
nutrition, to the soil.