Good Lifestyle

We all want our lawns and gardens to thrive, preferably without using use hard chemicals or unnatural additives. Fortunately, this is where the composting can change the deal. Ecological practice is an excellent way to use household and courtyard waste and protect the environment, while saving money on materials that you could otherwise buy. And even if it may seem like a complicated project, it is surprisingly easy to operate a system that can immediately benefit your courtyard and the planet. Read the rest for a step -by -step guide on how to compost and what it could mean for your court.

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What is compost?

Whether you have kept a tank in your kitchen for years or you enter it, composting is a remarkably simple and effective way to use items that you normally throw to your advantage. You can consider it as a process used to "recycle" organic materials, such as food remains and grass cuts, says Kate Colarli , responsible for strategic ideas at Clean energy .

"The combination of organic matter in a pile of compost or a compost tank allows it to decompose, creating a compost rich in nutrients that can be added to the ground to enrich it," she explains.

What is the compost for?

If you have already had trouble advancing your garden at the start of the season, composting could be an easy solution to your problems. Compost can come from a wide range of materials, but basically, it is an organic fertilizer that "can be used to enrich the soil, promoting the growth and biodiversity of plants", explains Lauren Click , founder of Let's go to compost .

Indeed, the finished compost consists of organic raw materials based on carbon or nitrogen which are ideal for your garden.

"Carbon -rich materials include dead leaves, woody branches, sawdust, cardboard or pine needles," Janet Loughrey of Garden tell Better life . "Nitrogen -rich materials include fresh grasses cuts, green plant trim, cattle manure, kitchen remains, eggshells and coffee grounds."

As a rule, the process of transforming this organic waste into finished compost takes six to nine months. "People use compost to modify the soil and develop stronger and healthier plants," says Click. "New plants then become delicious foods, pollinators or animals can eat."

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How does compost benefit the environment?

Learning to make compost can have immediate advantages for your garden and your lawn, but the pros do not stop there. It is also an ecological habit that can help the planet in the long term.

In addition to reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers, Click says that it also helps to combat food waste - which is responsible for a large percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions such as methane. "And methane shows are 28% more powerful May carbon emissions, "she adds.

Composting also helps to kidnap carbon in the soil, improve the structure of the soil and reduce water runoff, which can strip it of vital nutrients for growth. At the same time, it also provides a rich source of essential nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

"Its organic matter improves soil structure, water retention and the availability of nutrients, promoting a healthier environment for plant growth," said Click. "The slightly acidic neutral pH of the compost helps to regulate the levels of soil pH, by optimizing more the absorption of nutrients by crops. And it supports populations of pollinators thanks to increased biodiversity in the soil and minimize the 'Chemical exhibition. "

"It also creates a closed loop system by converting waste into precious compost, which can then be used for agricultural purposes. This aligns with the principles of a circular economy," she adds.

What types of compost exist?

While the finished compost is generally considered to be a finished organic product, its starting components include two different sets of types called green and brown materials.

"Green materials, which provide materials rich in nitrogen, include articles such as left and vegetable remains, fresh grass cuts, coffee grounds, tea leaves, flowers, ears of corn corn And garden waste, "explains Coarulli. "Brown materials, which provide carbon -rich materials, include materials such as dry leaves, branches, twigs, fresh lawn cuts, straw and hay, grated paper, egg shells and wood chips. "

However, it is not because it was via your kitchen that it should be found in your heap of traditional compost. Some items should be left out, including bones of meat or meat, leftovers of fish and fish, dairy products, oils and fats, pet waste, coated or shiny paper, chemically treated short, plastic, metal and glass, explains Colarulli.

To use some of these materials, you can however try another process.

"Unlike other methods, Bokashi composting Allows meats, fats and oils that cannot go in most compost bins, "explains Lauren Gropper ,, Founder and CEO to reuse. "It requires materials added to arouse fermentation, but only takes 10 to 14 days to convert organic materials into usable soil."

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How to make compost

Even if you do not have a courtyard or a garden to be fertilized, composting for the property of the planet can be an interesting company. However, your options will vary depending on your life situation.

In urban environments without outdoor space

Those who live in apartments in the city or other spaces without courtyard or outdoor space are essentially left with a choice.

"The only indoor composting option is to use a vermicomposter - also known as the Ver bac," explains Coarulli. "This tank occupies little space, is relatively easy to maintain and produces no odor if it is maintained correctly." AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

Urbanites can buy a ready -to -use vermi composer or opt to do theirs. "With a trash can, you can collect the compost every few months and use it to feed the interior plants."

Do you miss a counter to compose inside? "Here is a green piracy: freeze your food leftovers and your carbon-rich materials in a compostable trash bag and drop them off at your convenience to a battery or a service near you who accepts them," explains Gropper.

In urban or suburban environments with little outdoor space

If you are lucky to have a little bit of outdoor space, such as a patio or a balcony, there is another choice at your disposal.

"In this case, you can use a trash can or a compost tumpel, which is a little larger than a worm tray and is kept outside," explains Coarulli. "Compost cups facilitate reversal and mix the compost while protecting it from animals and accelerating the composting process. There are several compost cup options available for purchase, or you can build yours."

In suburban or rural environments with a lot of outdoor space

Those who have the advantage of a lot of outdoor space have the choice to choose the choice.

"You can use a worm tank, a compost cup, a larger closed tank in your courtyard or a combination of the three," explains Coarulli. "As with other garbage cans, there are many closed tank options available for purchase, or you can do yours. If you compost with an outdoor tank, you can also buy a smaller tank for your kitchen where you can Place your leftovers until you have "re ready to take them to the outside compost tank and reduce work."

And although the traditional composting process can reverse the finished material in months, there are other outdoor techniques that use a practical approach more.

"Cold composting is a slower and less in hand composting composting method Reese L. Robbins , founder of Just pure gardening . "This method takes more time, often a year, but requires minimal effort."

This system is generally ideal for those who wish to reuse large amounts of grass cuts or fallen leaves, but also incorporate food waste from their kitchen.

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Deposit or collection services

Are you looking to contribute but you don't want to create your own system? The click suggests reaching out to a community garden to see if they collect remains or court waste.

Some areas also have street collection services from local initiatives or farmers who may withdraw your hands on a weekly or monthly base.

"Often, a local farmer will collect remains of food via interchangeable buckets on a defined basis. Food remains are then used as animal feed or are used in lots of compost," explains Click.

The best part? All that requires is to set up a small trash can in your kitchen or store your remains in a freezer until it is time to put them back. Don't you know where to find someone ready to take them? She suggests using online directories such as Shared waste to start.

Other composting options

It is not only households that take behind the advantages of composting: large institutions are starting to participate, sometimes with the help of municipal governments. However, Click warns that these specialized industrial, commercial and large -scale facilities can compost large volumes of organic waste is just beginning.

"Many of these programs are not yet available," she said. "Only four percent of Americans have access to an industrial composting installation, which is necessary to compost bioplastics and most of the" compostable "plastic packaging materials sold in the 50 states."

How to choose a compost tray

Depending on your level of engagement and your life situation, there is clearly no unique solution when it comes to choosing a compost bin. Instead, there are many options that you can consider according to your lifestyle and what suits you best.

"You can invest in a roller or a composting goblet that stores your compostable leftovers and launches your organic matter to save space and launch the decomposition process," explains Gropper. "Depending on your budget, you can also consider a domestic composter, such as the composting machine of the Lomi house, which breaks down your organic products in rich soil."

Whether you plan to build yours or buy one that is ready, Robbins suggests that you choose the size that can manage the amount of remains you produce but is still small enough to manage easily. It is also important to consider the material which is made, with plastic, wood and metal all with their own advantages and disadvantages linked to the cost, insulation and durability over time. However, an element must always be taken into account.

"A good air flow is crucial for aerobic decomposition," says Robbins. "Look for bins with good ventilation."

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Compost vs fertilizers: What is the difference?

Anyone who tried gardening probably bought a bag of commercial fertilizers in its local supply store in the hope of causing some growth. But although the two can help your plants, they are far from equal with regard to their effects on the environment.

"Don't forget: compost is an organic fertilizer," explains Click. “Traditional chemical fertilizers create nitrogen runoff in local water supply and groundwater, in addition to the immense amount of electricity necessary to produce it. In addition, when mixed with other chemicals in the garden, chemical fertilizers can create smoke and pollute watercourses, soil and air, such as when you mix a little fertilizer in a Zone treated with chemical pesticides. ""

Overall, it can make homemade compost an option much more respectful of the environment for your gardening.

Conclusion

Whatever your level of engagement, starting to compost can give several advantages with a relatively minimal effort. It helps to create a material rich in nitrogen and rich in carbon which is an organic fertilizer perfect for your garden, eliminating the need for potentially harmful commercial products made with chemicals. It also helps the planet by reducing the quantity of food waste producing methane to pass through discharges and making nutrients in the soil to help support ecosity.

In the end, there is a way to put yourself in composting, it doesn't matter where you live or with the quantity of space with which you work. Consider simply all the options and make the best choice, whether it is a question of building a large tank in your backyard or saving remains in your freezer to deposit at a nearby collection point.