How to make homemade compost

Compost is a product obtained from composting processwhich consists of the controlled oxidation of different organic materials. Here are some of the advantages of composting:

• It has the appearance of dark earth and does not produce intense odours.
• It is totally free of pathogenic elements.
• Compost is an excellent organic fertilizer, enriching the soil with a multitude of plant nutrients without contaminating it with artificial chemicals.
• It is not dangerous for the environment.
• It is easy to produce at home.
• The production of home compost It helps us recycle a good part of our organic waste.
• Compost also improves the water retention properties of the soil, helping the most arid soils to not need as much irrigation.

Now that you know what composting is and its advantages or benefits, we will explain how to make organic homemade compost with a step-by-step guide and more details on the materials that are suitable and those that are not recommended to use.

when you pose how to compost at home, it is very important to know what residues you can or cannot use in its preparation. here you have one list of organic waste that you can useclassified by decomposition times, as well as an indication of which ones should not be used:

Fast decomposing waste

• green weed
• Manure
• Green leaves
• Lawn pruning debris

Slow decomposing waste

• Dried flowers or potted plants
• Hedge pruning debris
• Dry plants
• straw or hay
• Fruit and vegetable peels and scraps

Very slow decomposing waste

• Wood chips
• Remains of pruning or clearing of branches or woody hedges
• dried fruit shells
• egg shells
• fruit pits
• Flowers

Waste that should be used little

• wood ashes
• Cardboard or paper derivatives

Waste that you should NOT use

• coal ashes
• Magazines or color prints
• Oil
• cigar filters
• meat of any kind

Logically, the list of materials that cannot be used is much broader, but those mentioned are some of the ones that generally cause the most errors in composting. In principle, all biodegradable material can be turned into compost given enough time, but the use of some of these materials can mean that, even if they are biodegradable, they attract unwanted pests or cause bad odours.

Now that you know the basics, we can move on to the important stuff: how to make homemade compost step by step Follow these instructions to get it:

Material to make compost at home

The first thing you need to consider is where you are going to make the compost. If you live in a house with a large yard, you can compost in a simple pile on the ground. It is simple and comfortable, although, logically, it cannot be done anywhere. If not, the first thing you will need is a composter or compost bin. It is easy to find them to buy, although making your own is also very simple. You can make it with old pallets or with planks yourself. The important thing is that it has drainage and allows the free circulation of air in a large part of its structure, not just above. In summary, you will need:

• 1 compost bin or a piece of land.
• 1 pruning shears or tongs to shred the remains.
• 1 rake to remove the compost.
• Organic waste that you produce at home on a regular basis.

Steps to make homemade compost

1. Prepare and locate the composter or area where you are going to start the composting pile.
2. Separate your organic waste. You must separate them between wet waste and dry waste. The first are fruit or vegetable remains, green remains from pruning or clearing, etc. The second are materials without moisture, such as dry branches or leaves.
3. form a base or bed with the most woody materials available: pineapples, branches or pruning of hard bushes. This will facilitate aeration of the compost, which is vital for proper compost production.
4. Add a first layer of dry residue of which you have, always crushed with the scissors. From here, you have to alternate the layers of wet and dry waste to make homemade compost fast, or at least to produce it as quickly as possible. In addition, there are those who recommend that the wet residues be approximately twice that of the dry ones. This will not be a problem, because a household usually produces many more of these in the form of food and yard waste, such as vegetable peelings or coffee grounds.
5. Water the organic waste a little, always without flooding them, so that the humidity penetrates into the different points of the container. It will be necessary to water and remove compost from time to time.
6. If bad odors appear, it may be because you have added invalid waste or because you are maintaining an excessive level of humidity in the compost bin. If this happens, add dry residue and stir. Don’t worry because, if all goes well, the compost pile will not produce bad odors or attract pests. At most a few little fruit flies that won’t stray far from the pile and actually help the process along.

Y, How long does it take to make a homemade compost? Well, it depends on the climatic conditions and the waste used, but it is initially a slow process. The first time it will take about 9 months to be able to have your compost, but later on you will be able to obtain it every 2 or 3 months. The good thing is that once you get started and have the first compost, if you keep filling it up and control the process a bit, you will always have homemade compost available.

You already know well how to make compost at home and, therefore, now we also recommend you to discover the Bokashi or bocashi compost: what it is and how to do it.

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