If you want to start composting but don’t know where to begin, this guide is for you. Composting is a great way to reduce household waste and provide nutrient-rich soil for your plants. Read on to learn how to make your own compost at home.
What is Compost?
Compost is an organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment. Compost is rich in nutrients that help plants grow. It can also improve the structure of the soil, making it more aerated and better able to hold water.
How to make your Compost at Home?
Making your own compost at home is easy and rewarding. Also, it’s a great way to reduce waste and save money. Here’s how to get started:
- Choose a bin or container. You can purchase a commercial compost bin, build your own, or simply use an old trash can with holes drilled in the bottom for drainage.
- Add organic material to your bin. This includes things like kitchen scraps (vegetable peels, coffee grounds, eggshells), yard waste (grass clippings, leaves), and manure (from worms or other animals).
- Aerate your compost pile regularly. This helps oxygen reach the microorganisms breaking down the organic matter, which speeds up the composting process. Turn the pile with a shovel or pitchfork every few days to aerate.
- Keep the compost moist but not wet. Add water if the pile seems dry, or let it drain if it becomes too soggy. The perfect moisture level will allow you to squeeze out a handful of compost and have just a few drops of water come out with it.
What can you Compost?
You can compost a wide variety of materials, including:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Coffee grounds and filters
- Eggshells
- Shredded newspaper
- Yard waste, such as leaves and grass clippings
- Wood chips and sawdust
How to Make your Own Compost Bin
If you’re looking to start composting at home, one of the easiest ways to get started is by making your own compost bin. You can do this by repurposing an old garbage can, plastic storage bin, or even a hole in the ground.
To make your own compost bin, start by drilling holes in the bottom of your chosen container for drainage. Then, fill the container with alternating layers of brown and green materials. Brown materials include dead leaves, twigs, and shredded paper, while green materials include fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, and grass clippings.
As you add layers to your compost bin, mix them so that they decompose evenly. Once your bin is full, cover it with a lid or tarp to keep out moisture and pests.
Composting is a great way to reduce waste and create nutrient-rich soil for your garden. Following these simple steps, you can easily make your own compost bin and start composting at home!
The Methods of Making Compost at Home
There are four steps following which you can produce compost at home. Let’s explore how it can be done.
Step 1: Add green material
The first step to making compost is to use green materials high in nitrogen. You can use home materials, such as kitchen fruit cores, peelings, vegetable waste, uneaten leftovers, etc. Kitchen waste that is not meat or greasy can be composted, such as eggshells.
Step 2: Include brown material
Now, as the second step, you are supposed to add brown materials high in carbon. Materials like twigs, small branches, sawdust, cornstalks, and sawdust come under this category. You should include these brown materials so that the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio would be 50/50. So for every bit of green material, there has to be a brown material to maintain the balance.
Step 3: Add water
In this step, adding water as the final ingredient in the said composite pile is essential. But the amount of water is very significant and essential in this regard. If the pile is too wet, it will become slimy as it will have harmful bacteria. On the other hand, if the pile is too dry, it will not break down.
So you are supposed to add water in such an amount that the pile will be damp but not dripping wet. It is ideal for adding a bucket of water once a week to make the composting process faster during a dry season. In addition to this, you also need to be careful to maintain proper heat. The heat sterilizes the pile and destroys harmful weed seeds or bacteria.
Step 4: Turn the pile routinely
As the 4th step, you must turn the pile routinely with a pitchfork or shovel. It is necessary to keep shuffling the materials until decomposing materials within the pile are exposed. You should turn it in every 2-4 weeks for the best results.
You should keep doing it for 1-2 months, and your compost will be ready for use. Now you can use it as fertilizer, mulch, or potting soil, whichever you prefer.
The Benefits of Composting
There are many benefits to composting, including the following:
- Reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills – According to the EPA, nearly 30% of the waste sent to landfills is composed of yard trimmings and food scraps. By composting these materials, we can reduce the amount of waste in landfills.
- Creating a nutrient-rich soil amendment – Compost is an excellent way to add nutrients and improve the quality of your garden soil. Compost contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and other essential nutrients that help plants grow healthy and strong.
- Improving water retention in soils – Compost helps improve the water-holding capacity of soils, which is especially beneficial in sandy or clay soils. This improved water retention can help reduce watering needs and decrease runoff during heavy rains.
- Suppressing plant diseases – The beneficial microbes found in compost can help suppress plant diseases by competing with disease-causing microbes for space and resources.
Conclusion
Making your own compost at home is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and save money on landfill disposal fees. It’s also really easy to do, and you can use kitchen scraps and other organic matter that would otherwise go to waste. With just a few simple supplies and patience, you can have your compost pile up and running in no time.
