Domestic composting: why and how to make compost?

Hey steemers!

It been 3 years now that I started composting! I want to share with you some tips and tricks about this beautiful way of recycling! Keep reading !

Soo,composting is the transformation of organic matter of different sizes and provenance into compost. The mature compost is black and smells like "forest". Why and how to make a compost in your garden? Here are the answers:

-Improve the fertility of your garden
-reduce the volume of your waste by more than 30%
-make a gesture for the environment
-save water and fertilizer

Composting is one of the most technically and environmentally friendly ways of recycling organic waste, in compliance with the regulations:

-by limiting transport
-by not generating additional CO2,
-by providing a return to the soil of organic materials that are very useful in the Mediterranean region where soils are being desertified.

What can be composted?
All organic waste that you produce in the house or in the garden can be composted:

-Household waste: green plants, paper tissues and tea towels, coffee pond with its paper filter, chips and sawdust, cardboard and newsprint, etc ...

-Kitchen waste: peelings of vegetables and fruit or the complete food if damaged, eggshells grind in small pieces, dry bread break in pieces, crust of cheese, etc ...

-Garbage from the garden: grass clippings, faded flowers, weeds without seed, garbage after mowing a hedge, etc.

-Dry waste: Tissue paper, towels, cardboard, branch, straw, paper, etc ...

We can also compost other waste but their composting will be slower because of their consistencies and sizes: branches, small pieces of wood. It will of course crush these elements to facilitate and accelerate their decomposition.

Carbonaceous or nitrogenous waste?

Both ! The carbonaceous waste is as follows: Branches, chips, straw, bark, paper, dead leaves, sawdust, dry grass, cardboard, Sizes, etc ...

The nitrogen waste is the following: Kitchen waste, grass clippings, green shoots, etc ...

To obtain a good compost, you need to mix the two in successive layers. You can also alternate with coarser trash like branches, hedge sizes, large leaves. This will air the compost by creating air holes inside.

What not to compost?

Plastics, fabrics, baby diapers, glasses, metals, bones. Meats, even cooked, dairy products, cheeses are really not to put in compost. They will only bring you bad odors even several meters from the compost. Not to mention that you will attract all the critters around the corner who want to get satiated.

How to maintain your compost?

It's not about filling the compost and waiting for nature to do the rest. It will be necessary from time to time to visit him and return it with the help of a fork.
If the weather is too dry for a long time, you should water your compost moderately by turning it over in order to bring it a suitable humidity level. A compost matures after 4 to 8 months depending on the waste placed inside. It is easily recognizable by its dark color almost black.

How to make your composter?

There are two possibilities, the first is very simple, there is nothing to build, only to make a pile of garbage at the bottom of the garden. This is the simplest way but it will be less effective and aesthetic than the second, the compost bin. The compost bin can be wood or plastic. The plastic version is on the market for 40 € and you can also get closer to your town hall who can offer wooden bins for a reduced amount. The wood version will be just cheaper but you can make it yourself for 0$.

Indeed it is simple to provide a pallet that will then disassemble the unclogging. Then recover boards and rafters, assemble everything with nails to form a tray. Leave a space of 3 centimeters between each board for general aeration of the compost.

How to calculate the liter capacity of a compost bin?

It's easy if the composter is square or rectangle, we multiply the dimensions: Width X Length X Height = Volume of the tray

I hope I taught you something interesting and that this will encourage you, I love doing this! Thanks for reading!