Welcome to this week’s edition of family DIY – we’re discussing the simple, fun and eco-friendly activity of building a home composting system. Whether you’re just starting out with simple gardening, or you’re an experienced green thumb, composting is a great way to create a healthier and more sustainable home environment. In this article, we’ll discuss the basic steps to constructing a home composting system, and how it can be a great family activity. With a little patience and the right materials, your family will soon be composting like pros!
1. What is Home Composting?
Home composting is an excellent way to reduce your household’s carbon footprint and recycle organic waste into a valuable fertiliser for your garden. It is relatively simple to set up, meaning you and your family can enhance your sustainability goals relatively quickly.
Making your own compost at home requires:
- A compost bin
- Nutrients
- Moisture
The compost bin should be located in a warm place with full sun or partial shade. If you don’t have a large garden, you can place the bin on a flat surface outside, such as a balcony or patio. If you are setting up an outdoor compost bin, you will need to consider the type of materials you are composting and the space you have available.
Your compost will need a fertiliser like grass clippings, soil, manure or molasses to help get things started. It will also need water to keep the pile moist. You can keep it damp by watering it down often. Once you have added the fertiliser and the water, mix the compost with a garden fork, shovel or pitchfork to create a moist, rich mixture.
The compost will take about three months to become ready, depending on the amount of material, warmth and moisture. When the compost is ready, it should be a rich, dark brown colour, with a slight smell of earth. Once the compost is ready, you can use it to fertilise your garden, vegetables or flowers.
2. Benefits of Home Composting
1. Healthier, softer soil for your garden
Creating your own compost ensures a good quality of soil for your garden, as the nutrients of the compost are easily absorbed into the ground. Using your own compost gives you better control over the quality of your soil, as home-made compost is much more tailored to the conditions of your plants than store-bought versions. Additionally, home-composting helps to create healthier, softer soil for your garden, making it more suitable for gardening.
2. Cheaper and more eco-friendly
Home-composting is much more cost-effective than buying compost from a store, and its more sustainable as well. Making your own compost prevents unnecessary waste as any organic material that is composted at home such as food scraps, yard waste, and paper products will be used in a sustainable way. Furthermore, you don’t need to buy tons of fertilizer for your garden as the compost in your home-composting system will provide the necessary nutrients.
3. Get a healthy and natural fertilizer
Compost that is made in your own home is of much higher quality than most store-bought fertilizers. It has more nutrients and is made of natural materials, ensuring that it is safer to use on your plants. Additionally, your home-made compost can also be used as a soil amendment in gardens, flowerbeds, and lawns, helping to improve soil quality and promoting plant growth.
4. Reduction of methane emissions
Home-composting is a great way to help reduce the amount of methane emissions in the atmosphere. Composting organic materials in your own home prevents them from entering landfills, where they give off large amounts of methane gas. By composting in your own home, you can help do your part in reducing your carbon footprint.
3. Choosing a Home Composting System
To build a compost pile, you’ll need an outdoor area large enough to accommodate it. Free-standing compost bins are the easiest option for families who want to compost in their backyard. Before choosing the compost bin that is best for you, there are a few things to consider:
- Size: Choose a size that fits your outdoor space. If you plan to compost a lot of food waste, you may need a larger bin to accommodate the larger volume of organic material.
- Material: Compost bins typically come in plastic, metal, or wood. Plastic is usually easier to assemble, whereas wood provides extra aeration to help speed up the composting process. Both materials are durable and can last for years.
Another option is to construct your own compost bin from recycled materials like wood pallets or large plastic containers. This can be a great way to use up any unused materials around your home, but it may require a bit more effort than buying a ready-made bin. You may also want to consider adding a compost activator or compost starter to help speed up the decomposition process.
No matter which compost system you decide to go with, make sure to keep it well-aerated and free from excess moisture. Turn the compost pile periodically and add new materials every few weeks to help it breakdown more quickly. With a bit of maintenance, you can have a thriving compost pile in no time!
4. Building a Home Composting System
Composting is a great way to reduce household waste, potentially save money, and help the environment – and with a little bit of effort it can be easy to DIY. Here is a helpful guide to setting up composting system at home:
- Choose a location: Choose a spot in your yard with plenty of natural light exposure. Stay away from places that are close to trees as the roots may affect the compost.
- Collect organic materials: Collect organic materials for composting such as vegetable and fruit scraps, grass clippings, and dry leaves. Aim to create a balance between these by layer by adding in slightly more browns such as dry leaves to your greens.
- Create the compost bin: Construct your compost bin out of recycled materials such as pallets, scrap wood, or even plastic. Make sure there are slots for air flow and adequate ventilation.
- Turn the compost: Turning the compost is the key to creating nutrient-rich soil. Aim to turn the compost every effectively every 1-2 weeks for best results.
- Add water: Healthy compost needs to be damp, but not overly wet. To keep your compost from drying out, add water to it every two weeks.
- Harvest compost: Your compost is ready when it’s dark and crumbly with a pleasant, “earthy” smell. You can use your compost in gardening, potting soil, or outdoors.
Creating your own home composting system is a fun and rewarding way for the entire family to get involved in helping reduce waste and protect the environment. The above steps should help get you started on the right track!
5. Adding Compost Materials
Composting is one of the most effective ways to reduce your environmental impact and make use of organic waste. To getting your home composting project up and running, all you need is some compost material. Here’s a list of materials you can add to your composting system:
- Plant material: Leaves, grass clippings, and other green material can be easily added to the compost pile.
- Food wastes: Uncooked fruits and vegetables, eggshells, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags, and bread can all be used as compost material.
- Hair and fur: Humans and pets alike can provide their fur and hair as compost.
- Wood ash: Ash from burnt wood is a great source of carbon, but be careful not to overload the composting system, and avoid adding diseased plants.
However, it’s important to note that some materials can’t be added to the compost mix, such as meat, dairy products, oils, and pet droppings. It’s also best to avoid adding weeds, especially those that are invasives, as they will spread and take over the composting system.
Once you’ve gathered up your composting material, it’s time to start adding it to your compost pile. Start with a layer of brown material (such as dried leaves and grass clippings) and a layer of green material (such as cooked vegetables and fruits). Alternate layers of brown and green until you’ve reached the height of your bin. Finally, sprinkle in some soil or soil additive, and your compost pile is ready for collecting and turning.
6. Maintaining a Home Composting System
Ready to start reducing your household’s food waste with a homemade composting system? A home composting setup isn’t as hard as it seems and is a great way for your family to save money and help the environment! Here’s how to get it up and running:
- Choose the Right Type of Compost System: Decide whether you want to build an in-ground, outdoor composting bin or an indoor compost tumbler. Consider the amount of food you’ll be composting and what best fits your needs.
- Gather Supplies: If you’re creating an outdoor composting bin, you’ll need an enclosed bin or box for the compost, soil, nitrogen, wood chips or straw, and other ingredients. For an indoor compost tumbler, you’ll need a large plastic barrel, soil, organic waste, and a drill for holes.
- Create the Compost Layer: With an outdoor bin, mix organic material and soil together. Put it inside the compost bin or box and Drill holes into container sides and tops for ventilation. For a tumbler, start by adding a few inches of soil to the bucket. Then, layer in organic material.
- Add Nitrogen: Green organic material will provide nitrogen while brown organic material as well as wood chips or straw provide carbon. Mix these materials together for optimal composting. Aim for a 7:3 ratio of carbon to nitrogen.
- Mix Well: Whichever type of compost system you’ve opted for, make sure to mix the materials together and turn the pile regularly for proper aeration. Aim for a moisture level of 40 to 60 percent.
Once you have your compost ready, it’s time to start collecting food scraps! Start slowly and add a little at a time to avoid a smelly mess, and before you know it, you’ll have a home composting system that reduces waste and creates nutrient-rich soil for your garden!
7. Tips for Successful Home Composting
1. Start Small – Building a compost pile can be daunting at first, so start with something smaller. Consider using a teacher’s bin, a portable composter, or 1-5 gallon buckets of soil. These are great options for getting a compost pile off the ground.
2. Collect the Right Materials — Compost is a combination of organic waste materials like grass clippings, leaves, kitchen scraps, and even small twigs. It’s important to ensure that all material is free from pesticides and chemicals. Don’t forget about the carbon-rich materials, such as dried leaves, paper, and cardboard, which are also essential for composting.
3. Make sure it’s Aerated – Compost needs air pockets in order to breathe and break down properly. You can help aerate a compost pile by adding dry materials, using a compost aerator drill, or by turning the pile with a pitchfork.
4. Water the Compost — A compost pile needs to be kept moist in order to keep bacteria and fungi alive. Check the compost regularly and water as needed.
5. Let Nature Do the Work — Composting doesn’t require a lot of work once the pile is established. Nature does the rest. Eventually, the pile will break down and you’ll have nutrient-rich soil for your garden or lawn.
6. Monitor Compost Temperature – A temperate compost pile should be around 75-115 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature is too low, the process will be slowed down, while too hot will kill beneficial organisms.
7. Schedule Regular Exams — Once a week, check the compost for moisture, temperature, aeration, and consistency. If any adjustments are needed, make them quickly so the pile can continue to break down.
We hope this article has encouraged you to try your own hand at building a family composting system. It’s a simple and cost-effective way to reduce food waste and to add valuable nutrients back into your soil. Composting at home is an easy and rewarding activity that you and your family can do together. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be a certified composting pro!