Compost is decomposed organic matter that can be used to enrich soil for gardening or agriculture.
Compost happens when the "Browns", "Greens", Water and Air combine and everything break down naturally.
Whether composting is done at home or in and large scale industrial facility, the end result is very useful for the garden and has huge environmental benefits.
A compost pile needs four things:
- Brown matter (“browns”): This is carbon-rich material such as dead leaves, dried plants(basically all plant materials that were once alive but now dead), shredded cardboard, or fallen leaves.
- Green matter (“greens”): These are nitrogen-rich materials like kitchen scraps, grass clippings, plants, weeds, green leaves, manure, or spent coffee grounds.
- Water: The pile should be kept consistently moist but not wet. Usually rainfall is enough to keep it damp, but in a dry summer the pile needs to be sprayed with water.
- Air: Oxygen is necessary for aerobic micro-organisms to survive. They are the ones doing all the work of turning the garden waste into black gold.
There are many different ways/methods to make compost but for starters, every "Greens" layer is alternated with a "Browns" layer with sprinkling of water. Initially the ratio of 50:50 is recommended for "greens" to "browns". The pile needs to be turned occasionally to incorporate air into the pile.
A compost bin with a tight fitting keeps the critters out ,keeps the contents moist in the summer months and the excess water out in the rainy season.
PIC 1 - Compost bin with a tight fitting lid
PIC 2 - Our plates added to the compost pile
PIC 3 - Finished compost
Read this article to know how to dispose off our products properly.