Organic compost is a type of manure that is naturally prepared using garden waste. Garden waste includes anything from trimmed twigs, branches, prunes leaves, dead plants, and such like. Traditionally, our forefathers assumed that in garden clearance, the easiest way to dispose of garden waste was by burning it in a huge bonfire. But with the knowledge we have today, it’s evident that burning garden waste is not right, it does more harm to the environment than good. Which is why organic compost is a win win situation; it provides you with high quality compost for garden use, and also does little harm to the environment. The beauty of converting garden waste into organic compost lies in the fact that you don’t have to rely on a clearance company or anyone to get it done.
Here are the things you need to know about this conversion;
- For the composting process to succeed, you will need 4 vital elements; organic matter, oxygen, moisture, bacteria, and oxygen. The organic matter comprises of the twigs, leaves, plants, and other garden waste you have with you. In order to speed up the process, start by chipping and shredding the waste into smaller pieces. Another trick is to try and mix up brown organic waste with green organic waste. This means combining dead leaves, twigs and plants, with green waste like fruit grinds, lawn clippings. Mix them up at a ratio of 1;1
- Moisture is also vital in order to make this process successful; mixing the green and brown garden waste reduces the need for any additional water. But if the mixture looks too dry, feel free to add a little water, mix and turn it up till it’s like a paste of some sort. Turning the compost after every few days also helps oxygen flow within and reduces any bad odor from the compost pit. This ultimately leads to the uniform ‘ripening’ of the organic compost; it ensures that all the garden waste is converted into compost in totality.
- Within 2 weeks, the garden waste should almost be fully converted into the compost you’re looking for. Once the waste materials are mixed with oxygen and moisture, the bacteria will take care of the rest. The bacteria breaks down the garden waste and releases heat in the process; the heat then burns and help the waste decompose faster. The best time to prepare this organic compost is in summer or the warmer months, compared to winter. This is because the waste will decompose faster under warm conditions compared to cold ones.
The duration it’ll take for the compost to be ready, will depend on the size of the compost, amount of waste material therein, number of times you turn the mixture, and so on so forth. This means that larger compost pits with more garden waste will take longer than smaller pits with minimal mixture. When it comes to mixing and turning the mixture, always ensure that the waste at the center is thoroughly mixed and brought to the edges, while what was at the edges is pushed to the middle. This ensures that uniformity is adhered to in the decomposition process. If you happen to prepare the compost pit in winter, note that the bacteria will be less active at this time. If you have to open and turn the mixture in the pit, do it rarely lest heat is lost from the pit.
Once the organic compost is ready, you can use it in your kitchen garden, flowers, or even on your lawn. It’s highly nutritious and eco friendly in all aspects.