How to Make Compost at Home

Healthy compost is made up of organic materials (kitchen and yard scraps from plants) and other suitable items that are left to decompose [1]. Afterward, you can use it to fertilize the soil.

There are many benefits to composting. For the most part, it adds nutrients to the soil and increases soil moisture. It’s a natural way to help your crops grow.

Read on to learn how to compost at home (a beginner’s guide).

Decide Why You Want One

You can use compost on your lawns, around fruit trees, as mulch, and even to feed potted plants. If you need compost for all of these, you will likely need two or more compost bins or sufficient space to create more than one pile.

Therefore, ensure that you have enough space to house your compost piles or bins. If you have a yard, that’s good.

Moreover, if you have sufficient space for an outdoor garden where you can utilize your organic compost, that’s even better.

Compost Pile vs. Bin

Which is better? The size of your garden and the available space will determine which option is best for you.

For those with larger gardens and more space, compost piles are more effective. Conversely, a compost bin is better suited for those with smaller gardens or limited space.

Acquire a bin or a tumbler in which to place your plant scraps. You can make your own or buy one that is preassembled.

Alternatively, you can have a compost pile in the back corner of your yard. This is fine if you have a large yard, but be aware that it may attract nuisance wildlife.

Things to Put in Your Compost

Kitchen and yard scraps from plants are the primary organic materials to add to your compost pile. However, you can also include other items.

Below is a list of things you can add to your compost.

• Wood shavings
• Paper bags (shredded)
• Grass clippings
• Dried leaves
• Human hair
• Eggshells
• Pine needles and cones
• Corn cobs
• Vegetable scraps
• Coffee grounds
• Newspaper (shredded)
• Cardboard
• Organic animal manure
• Twigs
• Sawdust

Can you compost bread? Absolutely! It breaks down easily and will add nitrogen to your compost. However, it may attract more insects than usual.

What Not to Put in Compost

Certain waste materials and scraps are not suitable for your home compost. These include:

• Dairy products. You can compost dairy products, but it is best to avoid doing so. They may cause an odor and attract unwanted insects.
• Human feces are considered unsafe for compost that will be used around edible plants. Harmful bacteria and pathogens may be lurking in them [2].
• Sawdust from pressure-treated wood. Pressure-treated wood is excellent for decks, but it is not suitable for food storage. It could leach arsenic into the soil.

The Composting Process

Although there are various composting methods, a simple homemade compost heap is typically set up in layers.

• The bottom should comprise coarse materials. Add some twigs, corn cobs, broken branches, etc.
• Now comes 4 inches of green material. This includes vegetable and fruit scraps, grass clippings, manure, and coffee grounds.
• Next, sprinkle 2 inches of soil on top.
• Additionally, add a layer of carbon-rich “brown” materials. This includes newspapers, dry leaves, straw, hay, wood chips, sawdust, and other similar materials.
• Afterward, add water to keep the mixture moist and accelerate the composting process. However, do not make your compost too wet. It should not be too dry either.
• From now on, you’ll keep adding in this order: green materials, soil, brown materials, water, and repeat.
• Place the bin or composter in a location that receives at least four hours of sunlight per day and is warm.

The finished product should look and smell like rich, dark soil.

After all the time and effort you have invested in creating your compost, be sure to enjoy the benefits of it. Not only will your plants benefit from this homemade plant food, but you will also be saving money.

Making Compost Tea

Making compost tea is very easy. For the recipe, you only need two ingredients: water and some of your finished compost.

Get a 5-gallon bucket and fill it with one shovel full of your finished compost. Next, add rainwater or non-chlorinated water to the bucket, filling it to the top.

Stir the mixture well and allow it to sit for about a week. During that time, stir it once per day, every day. After a week, your compost tea will be ready for use.

When ready to use, strain it and use it as is. However, if you are using it as a foliar spray, dilute it with an equal part of water and spray it on the plant leaves.

There are many benefits to this liquid compost tea. The most significant advantage is that it improves soil health. It also improves soil structure and helps suppress foliar diseases when sprayed on the leaves.

Takeaway

Creating a DIY compost bin is a smart way to reuse kitchen and yard plant scraps. Backyard composting can boost your vegetable garden, flowers, houseplants, and lawn.

It will also save you a trip to the local plant store to buy bags of someone else’s compost.