How To Make Organic Compost At Home? (Ultimate Beginner’s Guide 2020)
Are you looking for an easy way to make organic compost at home or in your balcony? If yes then you would thank me later for this article.
Do you know what really happens when things rot?
Are you afraid that compost making is a nasty, unpleasant, or difficult process?
People always purchase costly fertilizers for their home garden that aren’t good for your health. If you are going to use fertilizers for your home grown plants, then it would be much better to buy vegetables and fruits from the store.
Fertilizers contains a lot of chemicals and not organic.
How to make organic compost at home is the complete beginner’s guide for you if you want to learn more about compost making.
Image by Manfred Antranias Zimmer from Pixabay
What Is Compost?
Before we proceed lets understand what is compost?
Do you know that the waste materials inside your dustbin are a great source of essential nutrients, minerals for your home garden in the form of compost?
Composting is the decomposition, in a natural way, of organic material such as plant and food waste.
Compost is an organic substance that is added to the soil which functions more than just being a fertilizer.
It’s a mulch, a soil conditioner and something that helps the soil to provide you with the best nutrients and minerals you need. The soil will also retain more water with compost, which is also good for your plants.
Compost production is a simple process. When properly done, it is a natural part of your gardening. Making compost does not have to take any more effort than bagging up yard waste.
Different types of Composting System
There are many kinds of composting techniques that are being used widely by many farmers and home gardeners nowadays.
1. Hot Compost System
Hot composting is the quickest and simplest way for home gardeners who don’t have enough time. In hot compost, you have to gather all the necessary equipment and ingredients at the beginning and start the process at once. Hot compost produces a heat of about 55-65 ° C that is sufficient to kill all the harmful bacteria, weeds and germs from the compost.
2. Cold Compost System
So if you have a small garden then cold compost system should be the best choice for you. You need to have a compost bin. You can use all your kitchen wastages, weeds.
Cold compost system warms up a little bit but it never gets hot. Hence called Cold compost system.
3. Single-bin Outdoor System
It’s the most widely used compost system. All you need is a single wire mesh that you can use for making an enclosed round space. Place the waste materials in the form of different layers inside the round mesh one by one.
4. Multi-bin Outdoor System
Generally Multi-bin Outdoor System gets used if you have large garden. It allows you to stockpile large amounts of material and create batch piles, so that you can get the compost pile in less amount of time.
5. Indoor Vermicomposting System or Worm Composting
In indoor vermicomposting system pile is managed for conditions that are favorable to worms. These systems are 3, 4, or 5 interlocking trays in depth and allow the worms to remain undisturbed while you harvest the vermicompost.
What to compost and what not to?
It is important to classify the “compostable” products. There are waste products that are not compostable regardless of how degradable they are.
What To Include
- Vegetables
- Old condiments or spices
- Leftovers at the dining table
- Dry Leaves
- Herbs
- Grass and plant clippings
- Wood chips
- All sorts of paper materials
- Paper napkins
- Lot of straw
- Piles of leaves
- Eggshells
- Grass
- Coffee grounds
- Wood ash
- Tea leaves
- Cardboard
- Shredded paper
- Corn stalks
- Wood chips
- Sawdust
What Not To include
- Chemically-treated wood products
- Meat
- Bones
- Avoids grasses that can grow in your compost pile
- Never include diseased plants
- Never include dead animals,
- Feces of your pets
- Bread
- Dairy products
- Grease
- Grains,
- Cooking oil or any derivative of it
Ingredients You Will Need
The equipment you use in your composting will help make or break your pursuits of building your compost.
1. A Good Composting Site
The best location for your compost pile is outside in the direct sunlight. The sunlight drains out our compost pile and leaves the pile dry. The pile would cool and dry direct exposure to high winds.
You also need to be able to access the site frequently as composting requires a lot of monitoring on a frequent basis.
2. Compost Bin
A compost bin is a container into which organic waste is deposited over time to become compost. This compost bin needs to be cleaned every once in a while. It must be of the right size depending on the amount of materials you are to put.
It is often recommended to start small and then branch out once you get the hang of it.
3. Thermometer
Composting requires you to maintain a specific temperature. So a thermometer may come in handy for you as you do your daily rounds of inspection on your compost pit.
4. Garden Fork
The garden fork has a great variety of uses. It will really help you mix your materials especially if you are dealing with a large composting pit or bin.
The garden fork will help you rake in the materials, mix them and test the texture and softness of your compost mix.
5. Room for Growth
Your area must be spacious enough to accommodate your present composting needs, but at the same time, it must be able to hold in expansions, if you decide to increase the capacity of your compost pit.
Materials You Will Need
1. Compost Bin Or Pile
2. Brown Material
You would require brown materials which will help to produce carbon. Here is a list of materials that you can include
- Dead leaves
- Branches and twigs
- Sawdust or wood chips
- Coffee filters
- Cotton and wool rags
- Shredded pieces of
- Paper
- Cardboard or newspaper
- Shredded nut shells
3. Green Material
You would require green materials which will help to produce nitrogen. Here is a list of materials that you can include.
- Grass clippings and leaves
- Fruit and vegetable scraps
- Hair
- Lint
- Tea and coffee grounds
4. Water
Step by Step Guide : How to Make Organic Compost
#1. Choose a Location
Choose a site for your compost pit or pile. The spot should have access to water, a good airflow, and partial shade during the summer, and full sun during the winter.
Ideal size for your compost area should be 3 feet wide by 3 feet deep by 3 feet tall. You can buy a bin, use chicken wire, or just isolate an area of ground for your compost heap.
The best would be to buy a compost bin. It’s easily available online.
#2. Lay brown and green material in alternate layers
After settling for a site, make sure you lay some twigs or straw on your pile or bin. Placed a few inches deep, this will allow the pile to have drainage and airflow.
Try to keep the ratio roughly 3 parts browns to 1 part greens
#3. Add Compost Ingredients
Add in your compost ingredients in layers. Alternate between your moist and dry components. Things such as tea bags, food waste, and plant waste are considered to be moist. Meanwhile, ashes, sawdust, and straw are considered to be dry.
#4. Add Manure
Incorporate manure as a source of nitrogen so your compost pit could be activated, and the composting process could be sped up.
#5. Keep Moist
Make sure to keep the compost pile moist. Moisture helps with the breakdown of organic matter.
#6. Cover
Cover your compost pile. Doing so retains moisture and heat, which are essential in making your compost. Covering your pile also prevents it from being overly soaked by rainwater.
#7. Occasionally turn your compost mixture
Turn your compost pile. Give your compost pile a turn every few weeks using a pitchfork. Doing so creates oxygen in your compost pile, which will help to aerate your compost and improve the composting method.
#8.All done!
If the material is dark with no food or waste leftovers, your compost is ready.
Final Thought
Composting is not rocket science once you learn the rudiments. Always consider choosing the method that will work best for your time, energy, and space.
In order to cut down the cost of expensive fertilizers and have an organic chemical free garden, then you need to go for making your own organic compost.
By making your own compost, you are not only making your garden chemical free but also contributing towards a greener and cleaner environment.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rebuy
