Tip #1 – Add a balance proportion of “green waste” and “brown waste” to your compost pile
Green Wastes are high in nitrogen and proteins, in addition to supporting the growth of microorganisms and increasing temperature–all necessary for creating a high quality compost.
Brown Wastes are high in carbons and carbohydrates, giving the energy necessary for the survival of microorganisms. The addition of Carbohydrates also keep bad odors away and nitrogen from evaporating.
Tip #2 – The more diverse the waste materials, the greater the quality of finished compost!
Compost is like a salad full of ingredients; the more the ingredients it has, the greater diversity of nutrients present. A compost with a vaster diversity of nutrients implies a more diverse population of microorganisms!
Tip #3 – Cut & shred waste into small pieces!
The smaller the waste materials, the faster they will decompose!
Tip #4 – Turn your compost pile!
Turning waste, aka aerating the compost pile, is essential to it’s decomposition. Without oxygen the pile will begin to smell, attract pests, and eventually create a compost undesirable to fertilize plants
Tip #5 – Take care of the humidity of your compost pile!
Compost piles must maintain humidity at all times, but it must not be kept too wet nor too dry. When the pile is too wet, materiales may begin to rot and when the waste is too dry the population of microorganisms will grow at too slow a rate, slowing the process of decomposition.
Tip #6 – Take care of the temperature of your compost pile!
During the process of decomposition the temperature of waste materials within a compost pile must rise in order to accelerate the growth of beneficial microorganisms. The heat within a compost pile serves to inactivate weed seeds and kill off pathogenic microorganisms that are sometimes found in the environment. Careful! If temperatures rise too far, the compost pile will dry out!
Tip #7 – Bad smells and mold are signs that oxygen is missing in your compost pile!
The Solution? Step 1) Remove any moldy waste. 2) Turn compost pile. Step 3) Add dry brown waste. Step 4) Do not add any new materials to the pile for a week.
Tip #8 – Keep your Composter close to the house!
You’re more likely to care for your composter if it’s not too far away!
Tip #9 – Use a special bin dispose organic waste and take it to your composter later!
In the kitchen use a special bin with lid to discard wastes easily while cooking, then when full (or about every 4 days) dispose of contents in your composter. Add dry brown wastes in order to prevent odors and the attraction of pests.
Tip #10 – Use worms!
Worms help speed up the decomposition of organic waste by literally feeding discarded wastes, converting it into vermi-compost or as it’s known in South America, “Humus de lombrices.” Worm manure draws the nutrients from it’s decomposed fruits and vegetables, making it a great fertilizer for plant.
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