How to Make a Compost Pile at Home
There is a lot to be said in favor of composting. It gives you natural organic fertilizers and saves your soil from the chemical ones which can slowly poison it. Of course, it does save you from the cost of buying chemical fertilizers from the market. But the best thing is that the raw materials that you use to make this ‘gardener’s gold’, the wastes of your garden and your kitchen. Yes! Compost is made of the leaves, soil clipping and weed of your garden and of the fruit, vegetable and grain waste of your kitchen. It also reduces the waste that leaves your house and is a sure step towards recycling and sustainability.
Instructions
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1
Choose the area where you can build up the pile. Do remember that composting can be messy and can also create odors because of the decomposition for organic material. So it is better if you build it away from your living quarters. A corner in the garden and yard can be chose. A compost pile can be built right on the ground inside chicken wires or in a bin which contains it. Decide on the mode of building you prefer. A shady place near a water source is preferable.
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2
Now start collecting the ingredients for your pile. You do not have to make much of an effort here because most of the ingredients are waste from your garden and kitchen. Compost is made up of the browns and greens. Pile up dry leaves, grass clippings left after mowing and any other garden debris in the compost. Things that you can add from the kitchen are overripe fruits, vegetables, grains and tea bags. Leftover coffee grounds are also a favorite. You can also add in waste papers and newspapers. These ingredients will keep building on day by day. Keep a bin in the kitchen and deposit the ingredients into the compost at the end of each day.
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3
Keep the compost moist using the garden hose. Wet any dry objects that you area adding. You can also cover the compost with a tarp to keep it moist and hide the contents from view. Compost takes months to build so you can also get a compost started from the market to speed up the process. You can also add worms to the pile to increase micro bacterial activity. Add a pile of soil to the compost once in a while to introduce microbes.
