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Save the Planet With Home Based Composting Ideas

As a kid, I remember our 7th grade syllabus including the various types of recycling processes which can help us generate fuel. At that point, all we did was just read about them and spill out the information in the exams and forget it later. But today, these forgotten recycling ideas, such as composting are being again referred to for their quality rich fertilizers and their effect on the environment.

Composting is a simple process which can be made much easier by knowing about it in detail. You don’t need a garden to start composting. Follow the easy steps here and make composting an extremely simple.

Why choose composting as a recycle process?

Cheap: Composting is a cheap process where you need not spend any money. Home compost is an ideal solution than the otherwise expensive shop-purchased compost.

Easy: the process of composting is very simple. Almost half of the process is done by Mother Nature and you will have a highly nutrient rich fertilizer for your garden or pots. This fertilizer will help enhance the soil structure, maintain PH balance and soil moisture which will help suppress all types of plant diseases.

Natural: You use only organic matter for composting, while the shop purchased compost is usually peat-based. The extraction of such a compost can be harmful to the environment. When you compost at home, oxygen decomposes the waste aerobically, without producing any methane.

Composting the Kitchen WastePreparing for home based composting

Buying a Compost bin

In order to start composting, you will need a low-cost compost bin for your home. In case you don’t wish to spend on a compost bin, you can still make compost at home without a compost bin. Read more about composting toilet review.

All you need to do is pile up all the fallen leaves form your garden and bin them in a black bin liner. Make a few holes into it and then tie the bag tightly. Hang the bag in a dark corner of your garden. After an year, you will get a highly nutritional crumbly leaf mould that will help improve your soil, condition the lawns and etc.

But, if you have purchased a compost bin, you will require choosing an ideal place for it where you can remove the compost easily when it is ready for use.

Where to place your compost bin?

Soil: usually, soil is the best place to place your bin as it allows the insects and microbes to start decomposing the compost in the bin. But, not everyone has a free soil in their home. Thus, instead of placing the bin on soil, you can also place them on the following places.

Paving: In case you have a well paved garden, just remove one slab and place your compost bin there. Also, you need not worry if you don’t have a paved path. You can still place your bin in a place where you will receive enough light, especially the bottom of the bin and around it.

Decking: Don’t place your bin directly on the decking as it may lead to staining caused by the liquid that seeps out of the compost bin. Instead, you can simply make a raised bed and then place the bin on it.

Gravel: Place your bin on the gravel, but make sure that it has direct contact to the soil. This will allow micro-organisms get into the bin and start composting.

Concrete: layer some soil on your concrete before placing the compost bin on it. This will attract worms and benefit in your composting process.

Apart from these platforms, just make sure that your bin receives little sun and little shade. This will help in enhancing the composting process.

Getting right Compost mix

If you want to make the best compost, you will require good mix. And in order to find the right mix, you need a proper mixture of both greens and brown mix together, at a ratio of 50:50

  • The green mix provides nitrogen and also moisture as they rot easily.

  • The brown mix provides carbon and fiber. They are slow to rot and also create air pockets in the compost, thus aerating the mix.

Use the compost

Before you start using your compost for your garden, you need to ensure it is perfect and ready to be used.

  • Check if your compost is dark brown and earthy. It should not smell like a waste.

  • It should be crumbly and also moist in its texture.

If your compost satisfies these two checks, then it is surely ready for use.

Use your compost differently for all different places and plants in your garden.

Flowerbeds and garden borders

Before planting, dig a 10 cm compost layer into the soil. If you have already planted your plants, simply spread the compost around the base of the plants. The roosts will take away the nutrients.

Spread a small 5 cm layer of your compost all along the border of your garden. The earthworms in the garden will mix this compost properly with the soil, thus nourishing the soil properly.

Around trees

If your garden has big trees, you can spread the compost around it in a 5 to 10 cm layer. The roots will extract the nutrients and help the tree fruit well.

As Mulch

The rough compost can be used around the shrubs and also flowerbeds as a natural fertilizer. They not only provide nutrition to the plants, but also prevent soil erosion by replenishing the nutrients back into the soil.

Pots

Remove a few layers of soil from your pots, and spread the compost over the soil. This will allow the roots to easily absorb the needed nutrients.

Similarly, you can spread the compost on your lawn and also vegetable garden.

What if you Don’t have a Garden?

It doesn’t mean that you need not compost just because you don’t have a garden. Well, you can still compost all your kitchen organic waste to nourish your small plant pots. Simply buy a small wormery or a Bokashi bucket to start composting your kitchen waste.

Wormery

Wormery is a box with earthworms that help in composting your waste. Simply bin all your kitchen waste in the wormery and let the earthworms do their magic. The compost made will be just as nutritious as the compost made from a traditional bin.

Bokashi Bucket

Bokashi bucket is a kitchen composter wherein the system makes bokashi juice. The juice is a great fertilizer for small pot plants. It can also be used to keep all your household drains clear of odor.

So, now that your know how to recycle your waste and make it useful, start composting and see your simple garden grow in a lush green and flowery garden.

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