April 12, 2021
Agriculture
How To Start Composting
If you are someone who is stuck at home due to the pandemic, it is possible that you are cooking more than ever before.
Consequently, you must be generating an extensive amount of food waste, too. Instead of throwing the waste for dumping in landfills, you can turn it into a useful resource through composting.
Composting is one of the best waste management methods that can help in the fight against climate change and reduce the stress of waste management on authorities.
Irrespective of whether you stay at a suburban home or a small apartment, you can easily follow composting.
Let’s begin with the basics.
What is the Compost and Composting Process?Â
Composting is the process by which organic waste is converted into usable soil. The powerful microorganisms come together to break organic material and turn it into rich manure or fertilizer for the soil.
It provides sufficient nutrients to all types of plants for their growth.
Compost can be defined as the mixture of decomposed organic matter that includes food scraps, fruit peels, eggshells, leftover stems, etc.
Check out our complete guide on home composting.
How to Start Composting?
It is interesting to note that 40% – 50% of the waste produced in households is organic. Thus, composting can be done by anyone living anywhere by following the four simple steps mentioned below.
- Step-1
The first step would be finding a location or space where you can compost. If you reside in a place where large space is available, use a compost pit for best results. Otherwise, you can always choose perforated bin composting. Only make sure that the space is well-ventilated and doesn’t get affected by sunlight.
- Step-2
Collect the waste and separate edible kitchen waste, which generally includes vegetable and fruit peels, coffee grounds, eggshells, and a small amount of leftover food in a container. If you have a garden, collect dry organic waste such as dried leaves. You can also include sawdust, shredded paper, and cardboard.
- Step-3
Store the waste in the container, and to speed up the decomposition of waste, follow the layering process. The layering process is nothing but adding greens and browns to the compost mix. Both these elements are essential for the effective functioning of microorganisms. Greens include food scraps mentioned before, and they add nitrogen, whereas browns are carbon-rich items like paper and dried leaves.
Moreover, browns allow aeration or air to flow, which is critical for proper and effective composting. Additionally, it helps excess water to be absorbed in the compost mix. Typically, it is advised that while layering, greens should be on top and brown at the bottom. As for the ratio of browns to greens, it is recommended that two parts of browns to one part of greens.
- Â Step-4
Leave the compost for some time. Make sure that the moisture level should be optimal, as too much or too little of it is bad. Also, depending on the season, you will have to wait for the decomposition process to complete. In hot summers, it will take up to two months, whereas, in cold winter months, it can extend up to four months.
To support the process, keep mixing the pile using a stick so that the pile is adequately aerated. You can do this every seven days.
Also, if you maintain the right balance of moisture, the resultant product will be just right.
You know the compost is ready when it smells fresh, woody, and earthy. Experts say that a family of 4 can reduce the burden of waste from 1000 Kg to less than 100 kg every year using the composting process.
Of course, there is a chance that you might run into some unexpected challenges, such as foul odour. Just use Organica Biotech’s SoilMate to solve these challenges.
SoilMate consists of rapidly acting bacteria that degrades compost waste. It is highly capable of suppressing foul odour and speeds up the composting process.
You can use SoilMate for home composting of waste, which in turn will provide you with nutrient-enriched compost for the soil. Start composting today!
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