How to Start Composting At Home -A Beginner’s Guide To Compost for Organic Gardener

Compost is organic material used as fertilizer for the soil. It is an inexpensive way of increasing the productivity of the soil for better plants. It is seen that lots of kitchen wastes are untreated and wasted which could have been used for composting. Let’s look after why we should compost our wastes.

Here are the some advantages of composting:

1. It reduces landfills allowing biodegradable materials to break down naturally.
2. Organic materials in landfills produce toxins when air cannot reach the biodegradable waste.
3. It is productive fertilizer.
4. Saves money on landfill costs and chemical fertilizer.
5. Saves the planet by utilizing its natural resources.

Ingredients:
3 ingredients are needed for composting:

1. Browns:

  This includes dead leaves, branches, twigs, etc.

2. Greens:

               This includes vegetable wastes, fruit scraps, coffee grounds, and others.

3. Water:

               This needs no introduction and explanation.

What to Compost:
Fruits and Vegetables, Eggshells, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags, shredded newspaper, cardboard, paper, and many more.
What not to compost:
1) Coal or charcoal ash: It might contain harmful substances for plants.
2) Dairy Products/Egg/Oils/Meat/Fishbones: It creates or and attracts pests such as rodents and flies.
3) Insect-ridden plants: Some of the insects may survive and transfer to other plants.
4) Pet wastes: It might contain bacterias and viruses harmful to humans.

How to Compost:
We need 3 ingredients: Browns for Carbon generation, Greens for Nitrogen generation, and Water to create moisture.

Steps:

1. Collect Kitchen wastes in one container made up of stainless steel or ceramic model which will cut down odors.
2. If the pieces are large, then chop them into smaller pieces to fasten up the process of composting.
3. To accelerate the composting process, you can stir up your pile to activate composting every 2-4 weeks.
4. Water your pile in the right amount, do not overwater it.
5. Protect your wastes from odor spreading and insect attraction by always keeping on the lid.

The composting process can take from 3 months to 2 years. After it becomes ready, compost becomes dry, crumbly, and brown. I hope with little space around your house, you can follow these steps and make your compost and give it to your favorite plant. You will love it after you compost your wastes and use it as fertilizer for your little plants.