How to make compost at home step by step

By following the below-given steps you can make compost at home from dry leaves, curd, mud and kitchen waste.

How to make compost at home step by step

Follow the easy steps given below:

• Arrange a big terracotta pot to collect kitchen waste.
• You can use “khamba” a proper home composter. If you can’t find khamba then you use pot. 
• There are two major differences between khamba and a pot. Khamba contains holes for aeration which allows air to keep passing.
• Aeration is very important for the functioning of microbes. Microbes are responsible to form compost.
• The second difference is adding food becomes easier due to the wider neck of khamba in comparison to a pot.
• Since the pot does not have any aeration hole you have to make some holes in the pot on your own.
• Use any sharp thing such as a knife or screwdriver and make 5 to 6 small holes beside the pot. 
• Make 2-3  holes in the bottom of the pot and these holes should be a bit larger than the above holes.
• The bottom potholes help the water from kitchen waste come out. 
• Put a utensil to collect and compost water from the pot that comes out from the bottom of the pot.
• In the absence of the holes compost, water will not come outside and you can’t collect it resulting in water stagnation in the pot itself. Eventually, it will convert into a slurry and this will obstacle to the process of decomposition. 
• Therefore it is very necessary to make some holes in the matka.
• Remember, compost water is nutritious water.
• This composed water is also known as “Compost Tea” and you can use it for plants.
• Cover the matka on the top.
• Now put some kitchen waste into the pot but don’t use any acidic components such as vinegar, or lemon because it will slow down the decomposition process.
• Don’t put non-veg in it it will make the process of decomposing slower.
• You can put cooked and uncooked foods in it.
• The paper contains dyes therefore it’s good to avoid putting them into it. 
• Add some dried leaves and grass to the pot. 
• The reason to add dry matter such as dry leaves is to maintain a certain C: N ratio. 

Fresh waste such as kitchen waste is rich in nitrogen content. But the decomposing microbes like carbon along with nitrogen. Hope you are enjoying this article, keep reading it.

Read this – How to use cocopeat for plants

• So Kitchen waste contains nitrogen and dry leaves contain carbon.
• Maintain the proportion in the 1:2 ratio. Where 1= dry leaves, and 2 = kitchen waste.
• Maintaining this ratio is very important to form a good compost and the functioning of microbes. 
• Now add some curd to it and add some mud as well.
• Once it starts smelling mix it. Anaerobic respiration results in a foul smell.
• If you add more nitrogen and less carbon smell will be more. Therefore it is very necessary to make a ratio of carbon and nitrogen as given above. 
• It is necessary to always add dry leaves and grass to your compost mix.
• It will take approximately 1 – 2 months for compost to get ready.
• Initially, you can collect your kitchen waste every 3 to 4 days in a dustbin. After three to four days you can add it to the pot.
• Humidity and temperature plays important role in the time period of compost formation.

Read it – How to use coco peat for plants correctly

We do not recommend plastic buckets to prepare to decompose because the decomposition process likes warm and moist conditions. It’s difficult to maintain temperature and moisture in plastic buckets. Instead, you should use terracotta because it’s easy to maintain a moist temperature in terracotta. Plastic is impermeable meaning air and water can’t pass it even if you will make holes it does not perform perfectly. 

The biggest benefit of making compost at home is you will get organic fertilizer at home with very less effort.

FAQ

Read More

How to use coco peat for plants correctly

How to start organic farming at home beginners

vermicompost benefits for plants