Choosing to make homemade compost means adopting the right habits every day. Do you want to throw away less? Do you want to reuse your peelings and reduce your waste ? Whether it's dead leaves or food peelings , see how to make your own homemade compost . Follow our little tips to create natural fertilizer for your plants or vegetable garden .
How does composting work?
Starting to compost is good for the environment and the planet. It's a great way to eat healthy or garden organically.
Definition of composting
The term "composting" refers to the transformation of all your collected waste into natural fertilizer. In other words, it's compost. A practice as old as time itself that our ancestors used long before us. It's an ecological and economical system.
The principle of composting
It is a multitude of microorganisms which come into play such as:
- fungi that act mainly on materials that are resistant to bacteria;
- earthworms that live between the surface and the first 20 centimeters;
- insects such as fly larvae or cockroaches;
- mites that help aerate your compost;
- etc.
All these little creatures feed on the sugars and proteins in your organic matter. They transform your waste into compost. So stop rushing to buy it from your garden center. Compost is a real nutrient for vegetation. All these humble creatures are the decomposers of all organic waste in nature.
Why compost your biodegradable waste?
Composting your waste and collecting it for the composter allows:
- to provide your land with 100% natural and free fertilizer;
- to recycle your waste, you who are a zero waste enthusiast or in the process of becoming one;
- to fill the bin less and therefore limit the consumption of bags;
- to reduce the number of trips to the recycling center;
- etc.
By taking these simple steps, you're helping the planet and your wallet. You can:
- improve the quality of your vegetable garden and garden soil;
- provide nutrients to your flowers, trees and shrubs;
- improve the soil in your planters and pots;
- no longer buy fertilizer and therefore save money;
- etc.
📌 When shopping , think about the To Do List . Nothing beats recycled paper to put in your compost.
What waste should you use for your compost?
The soil naturally becomes depleted every year. So, recycle your food and garden waste. Enrich your soil healthily and build a veritable gold mine for your land.
Compostable waste
Compostable waste comes in several forms. We find:
- food waste: fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, egg shells, cheese rinds, tea bags, etc.;
- garden debris: dead leaves, manure, sawdust, moss, faded flowers, brushwood, potting soil, etc.;
- household waste: ash from your fireplace or stove, shredded paper, cardboard, stale bread, etc.
Non-compostable waste
It would be far too easy to be able to put everything in there. But be careful, you can't compost everything:
- food waste: dairy products, meat, fish, shellfish, nut shells, kernels, etc.;
- household waste: glass, newspaper, vacuum cleaner bags, plastic, chemicals, bones, etc.;
- garden debris: weeds and diseased plants.
📌 Become a zero waste fan and reuse your tea bags .
How to make your own compost?
Our bodies need all the essential nutrients to function properly. It's our diet that provides us with all this energy. The same goes for your vegetable garden or plants. Compost must be of high quality to provide a solid fertilizer for your soil.
Prepare the composter
Ask your local town hall for your compost bin. You can also make one yourself without spending a cent. Nothing could be simpler than reusing a few recycled pallets. Take inspiration from the tutorials that are popping up online. Of course, opt for untreated wood.
Place the composter
Your compost bin is more or less imposing since it contains two bins. Preferably, choose a sunny corner of the garden. One of the bins contains the pile currently composting. The other contains the following year's compost. You must have easy access to it so you can turn it over as needed.
Position your waste correctly in the composter
Make a lasagna of food and green waste. Spread your waste out in layers. Use your spade or a fork. Alternate green and wet waste with dry waste.
Maintain your compost before using it
It's not enough to simply set up and fill your compost bin daily and forget about it. It's essential to maintain it to a certain extent before you can use it.
Properly care for compost
Above all, you need to take care of it and ensure that it always remains moist. Remember to water it a little from time to time to encourage fermentation. You will then have to turn it over. This mixing of the materials is essential.
Use compost when it is ripe
So don't be in a hurry. You'll have to wait up to a year. You'll then have quality potting soil. Do you see a lot of earthworms and other insects? So much the better! Compost without life is compost that won't be able to decompose and mature.
Knowing how to make your own compost is essential for creating a good fertilizer. Collect your household waste and create excellent humus. Reduce the amount of waste you have to process in your community. These are all good ways to adopt for individual composting. Naturally feed your garden and plants all year round!
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