How to make HOME COMPOST - Easy Step by Step

Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!

Organic fertilizers are an excellent way to maintain the health of our garden, orchard or pots in an optimal state, while taking care of the environment. The most widespread of them all is compost, especially at the level of hobbyists of gardening and horticulture. The main advantages of compost are that it is easy to make and that it can be made by reusing organic household waste. But what does it take to make homemade compost and how is it made?

If you want to learn how to make homemade compost step by step and all the details to achieve it successfully, join us in this Green Ecologist article in which you will see a practical guide to making homemade compost.

What is compost - definition and benefits

Compost is a product obtained from composting process, which consists of the controlled oxidation of various organic materials. These are some of the advantages of composting:

• It looks like a dark earth and does not produce strong odors.
• It is totally free of pathogenic elements.
• Compost is an excellent organic fertilizer, which enriches 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 household compost 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 not to 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 suitable and not recommended materials.

How to compost at home: organic waste that you can use

When you think how to compost at homeIt is very important to know what waste you can or cannot use in its preparation. Here you have one list of organic waste you can use, classified by decomposition times, as well as an indication of which ones should not be used:

Fast decomposing waste

• Green weed
• Manure
• Green leaves
• Lawn trimmings

Slow decomposition waste

• Dried flowers or potted plants
• Hedge pruning remains
• Dry plants
• Straw or hay
• Skins and remains of fruits and vegetables

Very slow decomposition residues

• Wood chips
• Remains of pruning or clearing of branches or woody hedges
• Nut shells
• Eggshells
• Fruit pits
• flowers

Waste that should be used little

• Firewood ashes
• Cardboards or paper derivatives

Waste that you should NOT use

• Coal ash
• Magazines or color prints
• Oil
• Cigar Filters
• Meat of any kind

Obviously, 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 become compost with enough time, but the use of some of these materials can cause that, although they are biodegradable, they attract unwanted pests or cause bad odors.

How to make homemade compost step by step

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

Compost material at home

The first thing you need to ask yourself is where you are going to make the compost. If you live in a house with a large lot, 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. They are easy to find to buy, although making your own is also very simple. You can make it from old pallets or from planks yourself. The important thing is that it has drainage and allows free air circulation in a good part of its structure, not only above. In short, you will need:

• 1 compost bin or a piece of land.
• 1 pruning shears or tongs to shred the remains.
• 1 rake to remove 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 compost 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. Forms a base or bedding with the most woody materials available: pine cones, branches or pruning of hard bushes. This will facilitate the aeration of the compost, something vital for its proper production.
4. Add a first layer of dry residue of those you have, always shredded with scissors. From here, you have to alternate the layers of wet and dry waste to make homemade compost quickly, or at least to produce it as quickly as possible. In addition, there are those who recommend that wet waste be approximately twice that of dry. This will not be a problem, because usually a household produces many more of these in the form of food and pruning remains, such as vegetable peelings or coffee grounds.
5. Water the organic waste a little, always without flooding them, so that the moisture penetrates into the different parts of the container. It will be necessary to water and stir compost occasionally.
6. If bad odors appear, it may be because you have added invalid residues 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, if all goes well, your compost pile won't smell bad or attract pests. At most, a few small fruit flies that won't wander off the pile and actually help the process.

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 an initially slow process. The first time it will take about 9 months to have your compost, but later you will be able to obtain it every 2 or 3 months. The good thing is that once you manage to start and have the first compost, if you keep filling it 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 discover the Bokashi or bocashi compost: what it is and how to do it.

If you want to read more articles similar to How to make homemade compost, we recommend that you enter our category of Cultivation and care of plants.