The Beginner’s Manual Towards Successful Composting

Compost Guide: The Essence Of Composting In Our Planet and Well-Being

Composting has been applied by agronomists since the early 90s. Its effectiveness is proven through experience and modern knowledge from agricultural science. If you’re a beginner in composting, you might find it hard to understand the essence of its soil nourishment. People who’ve done composting before know how complicated it is at first as mistakes can lead your soil to dehydration and many more issues. However, there is nothing to worry about. In Go Compost, we provide the best and simplest compost guide you can utilize. Also, when you start to prosper in your composting, keep in mind that our planet also benefits from it!

Did you know that almost 10% of greenhouse gas discharge comes from wasted organic foods every year? And, more than half of the percent of said wasted foods comes from households around the globe. To put it simply, we are the problem. Not the Government, not the Society, but we, as dwellers of our own planet. For most countries, their own citizens have diplomatic power, not the government. This might not be true for some cases but what is true is that society did not create people, we create the society we belong to. That’s why unity between everyone is the key to a healthy planet and well-being. And that starts at your own home. Begin with doing relatively good things that could benefit both you, the society and our own planet.

For that matter, why not give composting a shot? You don’t have to worry about anything as we’ll provide the best compost guide for you!

What is Composting and How does it Work?

Composting is a natural way of soil nourishment. Sunlight, water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and sugar are insufficient for plants to thrive and survive. Most plants are bound to not adequately acquire the nutrients they need and simply perish in the process without a suitable foundation, which is soil. That’s why for agricultural providers like farmers who rely on large crop cultivation as their main source of living, composting is essential.

Creating compost is simply decomposing organic waste. Unlike any modernized method of soil cultivation, composting materials are free preventing you from any unnecessary expenses and having your money spent on more valuable and worthwhile endeavors. Organic materials mostly include kitchen wastes which will be the source of carbon in your soil. Carbon source materials or the “greens” provide better stability between your plants and the soil. The higher carbon your soil contains, the better soil aeration it can provide to your plants. To put it simply, the nutrients from both above and below the ground will be delivered with no issues and delay to your plants.

Another thing with composting is that it provides not just carbon but also nitrogen. The nitrogen source materials also known as “browns” are the ones responsible for the growth acceleration of your plants. In simpler words, browns are natural fertilizers in composting process. However, too much nitrogen can toxify your soil. The more nitrogen in the soil, the higher the acidity level it gets which is not good for plants.

Compost Guide: What To Compost And Not

As said earlier in this compost guide, there are two things your compost must have: greens and browns. The essentiality of having both nitrogen and carbon source materials is what succeedingly makes the purpose of composting. However, some organic materials are limitedly used or even totally prevented as they can cause harm to your plants.

What to Compost

• Animal Manure

The best source of carbon is animal manure. Unlike nitrogen, too much carbon is fine for the soil so adding a large amount of animal manure is fine. But then, the amount of animal manure must only be under the capacity of your soil. You don’t want to have the unpleasant odor strongly reeking out of your compost.

• Coffee Grounds

If animal manure is the best source of carbon, for nitrogen source products, coffee grounds will stand above all! Coffee shops often provide sacks of coffee grounds for free, especially for farmers. They don’t consider selling it as they don’t have any use for it in the first place. Just keep in mind how too much nitrogen can toxify the soil.

• Leaves

If you’re having a hard time finding enough amount of coffee grounds for your compost pile, then take green leaves as an alternate option. The good thing about leaves is that whether it is green, red, yellow, or brown, they can simply be composted.

• Grass Clippings

The same as leaves, grass are great compost material.

• Fruits and Vegetable Scraps

Any fruits and vegetable scraps (except citrus fruits) are healthy for your compost pile.

• Thin Papers (Newspaper, etc.)

Thin papers like newspapers are safe and healthy for your compost pile. The only issue is that papers take time to decompose (because of their high lignin content), but not as long as large twigs from trees.

Not to Compost

• Raw Meat (Pork, Beef, Chicken, etc.)

Any raw meat is considered unhealthy for the soil kitchen so adding it to your compost pile is out of the question. The existence of raw meat in compost can create rodent infestations and attract unwanted pests that will kill the beneficial organisms in your compost pile.

• Dairy Products

If you leave your dairy product out in the open, pests will surely come. How much more in an open compost pile?

• Fats

Fat-based products take so long to decompose. Having those types of products will just delay the decomposing process.

• Oil and Butter

Remember what your elementary science teacher told you? Oil and water don’t mix. Rather, oil delays or can even prevent water from having contact with the plant.

• Stickers on Market Fruits and Vegetables

You might disregard that little sticker from your fruit and vegetable scraps since it looks too small to become a problem. However, that small sticker is simply not a compostable product. By any means, it won’t decompose, and putting it into your compost pile will just delay the decomposing process.

• Foil

Foil is simply a non-biodegradable product. Putting it will just delay everything in your compost pile.

• Citrus Fruit Peels

Fruit scraps are healthy for your compost pile. Even fruit skin is widely used by many farmers in composting. But, citrus fruits like orange, lemon, and many more have a high level of acidity from every part of them. Adding any part of citrus fruit can increase the acidity level of the soil which can be toxic for plants.

• Large Branches Of Wood

These take FOREVER to decompose! Dry and age it for weeks and chop it into smaller pieces, only then you can add it to your compost pile.

• Hair or Animal’s Fur

Your stomach can’t even dissolve hair so putting it into your compost pile is out of the question.