COMPOSTING QUICK TIPS
Composting for many is a fairly new concept, and a bit intimidating. Sure, it looks weird and can smell a bit funny. But, with the right understanding and application, Composting can be one of the best ways to reduce our impact on the planet and create valuable soil for your home gardens or farms.
According to the FAO, food waste accounts for more than 8% of greenhouse gas emissions. When food is thrown into your trash, it ends up in landfills where it improperly breaks down with other synthetic materials emitting toxic CO2 gases into the atmosphere.
Not only is Compost great for the planet, but it’s also great for your Garden and Farm. For centuries Farmers have been using homemade compost or what they like to call “black gold”, to enhance soil quality, increase productivity, reduce weeds, and replenish the earth year after year. Compost works like an Organic fertilizer and is one of the most important amendments to use for your home Garden or Farm. The best part, you can have it for free every year, simply by making your own!
So what exactly is composting?
Composting is a natural process of recycling organic material that can be added to soil to promote and help plant growth.
It enriches soil helping to retain moisture and suppress plant disease and even pests.
Adding compost to your soil reduces the need for any chemical fertilizers keeping your plants and veggies healthy and free of toxins.
When the right amount of organic materials are combined and broken down properly, helpful bacteria and fungi grow in order to break down materials that create nutrient rich material.
Helps reduce your personal carbon-footprint
It greatly helps in reducing methane emissions (most toxic green house gas) from landfills.
What is compost made of?
Compost should be a blend of three key organic ingredients: browns, greens, and H2O.
Browns-are our carbon fixers which are materials such as leaves, twigs, paper, or other yard scrap.
Greens-these are nitrogen agents. Grass or flower clippings, vegetable waste, fruit scraps and even coffee grounds.
Water-moisture helps break down organic material
These should all be used in equal amounts layered on top of one another.
Composting at home
There are many different ways to start your compost in your home. Depending if you have access to a yard or live in an apartment may makes things a little more difficult to manage, but it's not impossible.
OUTDOOR
Selecting a relatively shady spot.
Use wood pallets to build a three sided box structure.
Add brown and green materials (if pieces are larger make sure to break them down into smaller pieces)
Moisten compost once in a while and place a large tarp on top
Stir it up once a week either with a pitch fork or shovel will be easiest.
Once bottom layer is rich and dark, compost should be ready to use. (2 months -1 year)
I like to keep a small container inside and when needed transfer to larger pile.
INDOOR
No outdoor space? you can always compost materials indoors using a special type of bin or a worm composting bin. Which you can find at any garden supply store. If composted properly it should not smell or attract any pests.
Keep bin in dry place
alternate your green and brown materials
add water if compost isn't breaking down quickly(within a few days)
Add worms ( helps break down and stir up compost)
THINGS TO KEEP OUT OF YOUR COMPOST PILES
any meat or fish scraps/bones
anything treated with chemicals
Synthetic materials (plastic)
Weeds or infected yard waste
I hope my Composting Quick Tips have inspired you to give it a try! Still feeling unsure? Or want to delve a bit deeper? Check out my new Composting 101 Ebook for more in-depth information and tools for composting successfully. As well I get into Vermiculture composting using worms. As always leave any questions or comments below!
Happy Composting!!