COMPOSTING

SOMETHING SMELLS!

By Marilyn M. Soliven

Because we produce waste, we contribute to the mounting garbage problem. One of the solutions to the problem is composting and this could be done at home. The rewards of composting are manifold. A sack of compost can fetch at least two hundred pesos or more nowadays. You will also find your garden healthier in no time with minimal effort and cost. 

Composting is the natural breakdown by microbes of organic material to a loose, dark and “earth-like” substance. A composting system confines the organic material so that the breakdown is accelerated. 

You can start composting by using old, well-drained garbage bins, wooden boxes (that you can have by the kitchen), or in a simple heap accumulated in your garden! 

Here are some tips to start your project. This is so easy. 

Method:

1. Choose a Site: Choose an area that’s convenient to reach with lots of room to move around so you can easily add materials, preferrably close to a source of water, i.e. garden hose. Place your compost heap or bin in a well-drained area that has some shade. Too much sun will dry out your compost. 

2. Adding the right Ingredients: Compost needs a mixture of rich organic materials such as fruit and vegetable peelings (from the kitchen), banana trunks and fresh cut grass, as well as nitrogen-poor materials such as dry leaves, woody twigs and paper. 

3. Layering the Ingredients: Start with a thick layer of brown or dry, coarse material, such as twigs or mulch. Follow with a layer of green or wet material, such as garden and grass clippings, food and vegetable scraps. Add water after each layer to keep heap moist but not wet. There is no strict formula so don’t worry, just layer. Invent. 

4. Maintaining Your Compost: Keep your compost well aerated to prevent foul odors or methane. Fluff or turn your compost on a weekly basis to hasten decomposition. Otherwise place bamboo trunks through the heap to allow air in. 

How to tell when it’s done:
Within about six to eight weeks, your compost is finished when the original material has been transformed into a moist, earthy matter. Congratulations! You now have rich, organic home fertilizer! 

Compost Heap Ingredients:
Vegetable and food scraps
Fallen leaves (in layers)
Tea leaves and tea bags
Coffee grounds
Soft stems
Dead flowers
Crushed egg shells
Old newspapers (wet)
Grass cuttings in layers

What not to add to a Compost Heap:
Meat and dairy products
Diseased plants
Metals, plastic, glass
Animal manures (especially the droppings of cats and dogs)
Fat
Magazines
Large Branches
Weeds that have seeds or underground stems
Bread or cake (may attract mice)
Bones*