Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Making organic compost from food scraps

If you think food scraps in your kitchen such as coffee grounds, tea bags, stale bread, grains are useless, you're wrong. You can make organic compost by yourself from those scraps easily.
Composting from food scraps not only help the earth to trap you can also provide additional nutrients to the soil without paying any penny.

Here is the list of food waste can compost

  • All your vegetable and fruit wastes, (including rinds and cores) even if they are moldy and ugly
  • Old bread, donuts, cookies, crackers, pizza crust, noodles: anything made out of flour!
  • Grains (cooked or uncooked): rice, barley, you name it
  • Coffee grounds, tea bags, filters
  • Fruit or vegetable pulp from juicing
  • Old spices
  • Outdated boxed foods from the pantry
  • Egg shells (crush well)
  • compost from food scraps
  • Corn cobs and husks (cobs breakdown very slowly)
Food waste cannot compost

  • Meat or meat waste, such as bones, fat, gristle, skin, etc.
  • Fish or fish waste
  • Dairy products, such as cheese, butter, cottage cheese, yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream, etc.
  • Grease and oils of any kind
  • Kitty litter or animal feces
  • Those will make the compost smell badly and attract maggot or rodent.

How to do compost from food scraps
1. Select a dry, shady spot near a water source for your compost pile or bin.
2. Before you add scraps, make sure larger pieces are chopped or shredded. The smaller pieces are, the sooner the compost will be ready.
3. Cover your composting area with a 6-inch layer of brown materials (dead leaves, branches, chip & twigs, shredded newspaper, saw dust)
4. Add a 3-inch layer of green materials (grass clippings, food scraps)and a little soil or finished compost.


5. Lightly mix the two layers above.
6. Top with a 3-inch layer of brown materials, adding water until moist.
7. Turn your compost pile every week or two with a pitchfork to distribute air and moisture. Move the dry materials from the edges into the middle of the pile. Continue this practice until the pile does not reheat much after turning.
8. Your compost will be ready in 30 dayss, but let the pile sit for two weeks before using.


No comments: