COMPOSTING

Composting is an easy way to dispose of household and yard waste which will provide you with improved soil for your garden. It will also reduce the amount of garbage that is thrown into your trash container.

Composting can be done on a small or large scale. This article explains how you can start a compost bin on your balcony if you don’t have much room.

Equipment you will need: Plastic container with lid for kitchen Plastic pickling tub with lid and insert

Prepare your compost bin: To make compost you need green waste brown waste air Punch holes into the insert of your pickling jar. These holes will allow air to reach your waste and turn it into compost.

¾ brown waste to ¼ green waste Fill your compost bin: Successful compost is made of a combination of brown and green waste. The approximate proportions are: ¾ brown waste to ¼ green waste

Brown waste (carbon) is the following: Dry leaves, shredding will speed up the composting Dry branches (use only thin branches: 1 cm in diameter, and 1 cm long) Used coffee grounds (and filters) and tea (in bags or loose) Dried straw, grass Shredded paper (not waxed or coated, newspaper without coating or colors and paper towels work well)

Brown waste (carbon)

Green waste (nitrogen) is the following: Green grass, leaves Vegetable and fruit cuttings, peels, seeds. The smaller the pieces, the more quickly they will compost. Aged chicken manure (this will speed up the composting action)

Green waste (nitrogen)

WHAT CANNOT BE ADDED TO YOUR COMPOST: Oils Meats Dairy products and eggs (egg shells are ok) Cat or dog waste

Compost is made from plant wastes which decompose with the help of bacteria and air. It is easy to aerate your compost by putting the lid on the jar and rolling it a few times every day or so. Adding a little garden soil will speed up your composting also.

Making compost can take as long as a year, or as short as a few months, depending upon the contents. If you keep the proportions of green to brown waste 1:3, add an activator such as old chicken manure and aerate frequently, and add all the materials at the same time, you can have compost quickly. However, most of us add materials to the compost bin as we create them so the process can be slower.

Your compost should be moist enough to squeeze like a sponge with little or no water coming out of it. If it is too dry, add a little water, or moist green waste. If it is too wet, add more brown waste.

How do you know when your compost is done? When it is dark, crumbly, and smells sweet.

What do you do with your finished compost? Use it on top of your soil as a mulch to keep moisture in the soil Add it to your garden to loosen the clay soil and increase the health of the soil Make compost tea and spray it on your plants to keep them healthy and more resistant to pests and disease. (compost tea is made by adding compost to water and letting it “steep” like tea.)