What is Compost?
Compost is a mixture of organic matter, usually composed of dried leaves, weeds and manure. Composting is a natural way of making fertilizer, which can be very helpful for plant growth. A compost pile that is purely made from organic materials such as leaves and manure is often regarded as organic compost.
Where to Compost?
Making compost at home is easy as long as you have a small, unused space in your yard and the heart to do it. If you do not have the yard, but still want to do lessen your waste materials, you can make compost in a compost bin that takes very little outdoor space. You can also opt for indoor compost bins if you live in condominiums or apartments where you do not have any outdoor space.
Composting Materials
You first need to identify the materials that you will use in your compost. The EPA suggests three primary ingredients in compost. These are the browns, the greens, and the water. The browns include material that’s brown in color such as twigs, dried leaves and branches. The greens include fruit waste, vegetable waste and grass clippings. The last one, being water, can be derived from any source. Once you have identified where to get these materials in your area, you can begin home composting.
The Steps to Composting
Depending on the type of composting you’ll be doing will determine what steps you should take. The simplest is aerobic composting. Mix yard greens only with you browns, but eliminate the water. Turn the mixture every day to incorporate more air into it. In two weeks your compost will be ready to use.
For anaerobic composting, you may use all types of greens, but limit the wood products in your browns. Since oxygen slows down the process, you don’t need to turn it and want to minimize opening the bin. It should be watered once a month to keep it moist. The greater the surface area, the faster the compost will decompose and be ready for use.
For vermicomposting, you will need to add green food waste and earthworms on a daily basis. The bin should be no more than 18” deep filled with good bedding for the earthworms. Composting time depends on factors such as the number of worms, temperature conditions, type of food waste and air flow.
