Surely you have heard of composting. Compost is the mixture of different organic materials that, after a simple and natural treatment, becomes an excellent fertilizer for your plants.
Organic materials you throw away every day, such as fruit, vegetable and eggshells, used matches, hair, dust, paper, dry leaves and more, can make perfect compost.
We will teach you how to do this and what you should use to make compost.
1- Assemble your compound
Peeled to compost – Source: spm
Setting up a compost bin is very simple and can be done with items you have access to or even in your home. There are furniture-shaped composters on the market that can be used both indoors and outdoors.
Today we will show you how to make indoor compost at home. If you have an outdoor space, you can also move it.
It is ideal for balconies, patios and terraces!
What can be composted?
You can compost from plastic boxes or plastic buckets like paint buckets, wooden boxes, or any deep container you have around the house.
It is necessary to place or dry one on top of the other, it will be necessary to drill holes in the bottom so that they are connected to each other and that the organic waste can be aerated and evacuated correctly. It is very helpful to put a layer of soil in the last bucket and a smaller bucket or raised tray below it in case liquid from the compost spills. It is recommended to cover the compost.
2- Things you can put in your compost
Composting – Source: spm
The organic waste that you can put in your compost are: fruits, vegetables, coffee grounds, tea filters, eggshells, wood, cardboard and paper waste, ashes, leaves, used matches, hair and dust.
It is important that whatever you compost is done in a balanced way because composting is done with a variety of different organic materials. To get a good compost, you will need it to have the correct pH. The ideal for this fertilizer is that it is neither too wet nor too dry.
Things you can’t compost
Compost requires balance and this is risky if you throw away waste that can rot or break down unproductively. These foods are: meat, fats and oils, carbon, citrus peel, dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese.
3- Integration of verses
Worms in compost – Source: spm
Earthworms are ideal for composting. They feed on organic waste and return it to the soil in decomposed form. In this way a perfect balance is achieved.
The ideal is to incorporate the worms after the first two weeks of eliminating the organic matter. Earthworms are great for this step and their droppings will produce humus, which is a great compost and fertilizer for your plants.
other insects
Compost needs an ecosystem of different insects for the organic matter to decompose properly. These are some insects:
Soldier flies and their larvae are preferred allies because they assimilate debris faster than other insects. Springtails also help in the rapid decomposition of compost, insects and symphyla can speed up the process.
4- How to know if your compost is ready
Ready-to-use compost – Source: spm
Compost tends to be different depending on where it is found, the organic matter it receives (quantity, quality, variety), temperature, humidity and the space in which it is found.
The easiest way to tell if your compost is ready is to open the lid of the compost bin and not discriminate between organic materials. When it has been cleaned of isolated items, it is ready for composting and you can use it.
