EASY COMPOSTING

Compost Pit

Composting is one way of caring for the environment as follows:

• Adds nutrients to the soil. 
• Introduces valuable organisms to the soil. Microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and protozoa, decompose organic material.
• Recycles kitchen and yard waste.
• Reduces wastes for landfills

My composting area is at my small backyard. It’s a series of shallow 1 ft. by 3 ft. pits. It can be made bigger or deeper. I choose to make it small and shallow to facilitate harvesting. I have 10 small pits, side by side , with twigs as separators, which I rotate.

Compost pit

Items For Composting

1. Vegetable and fruit peels
2. Scrap fruit and vegetables
3. Fallen leaves
4. Garden trimmings – cut to small size
5. Egg shells, food and other kitchen scraps

Cover Full Compost Pit

I cover with broken terra cotta pots and put plant pots on top such that when the plants are watered, the compost is watered/moistened too. I don’t turn or air my compost but they never smell nor attract unwanted bugs.

Full Compost Pit

Harvest Compost

After 10 to15 days depending on the volume of biodegradable wastes, a pit becomes full. Cover the full pit and open the oldest pit to harvest the compost and so on. If there are still solid items (happens if I don’t cut them small enough), I just put them to the next compost pit.

Compost