SOURCE: FREEPIK
Compost is a natural fertilizer made from the decomposition of organic matter, which can be used as compost or fertilizer for plants. Organic matter is a key element for crops, since it has the ability to retain nutrients that we can add through compost or chemical fertilizers.
THE organic fertilizers They have less nutrient load than inorganic fertilizers, but they are better for good plant development. Meanwhile, inorganic fertilizers are inappropriately used to supplement plant nutrition because they are used in large quantities. This supposes a serious contamination of the aquifers and the soils, making that these certain soils can no longer be reused to plant new crops.
Contents
How is compost made?
To make good compost for our yard or garden, we need to gather and mix various organic materials in a warm, moist place so that the process called “decomposition” occurs and they become an earth-like substance.
The first step to make our homemade compost is to know what waste we can use. They are divided into dry and green, which should be alternated in several layers. The location of our compost bin should be in a strategic location to maintain proper humidity and environmental conditions for the decomposition process to take place properly.
The layers in which we will put the different organic materials to make our compost are distributed as follows:
First layer
In the first layer, we will add thick and woody matter (branches, stems, etc.) to our compost.
second layer
As a second layer, we will add brown matter (cardboard, litter, paper, towels…) to our compost bin.
third layer
In the third layer, we will add green matter (eggshells, fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, green leaves, tea…) to our compost bin.
fourth layer
In the fourth layer we will put dry matter (we can add soil if it needs nutrients to speed up the process) to our compost.
fifth layer
In the fifth layer, we will add new green matter (we can add grass in small amounts) to our compost. Later we will finish with a layer of soil and dry leaves, adding a little water while the material is dry.
Once a week, it is essential to remove the compost to avoid compacting the organic matter in our compost. The last step is to properly cover our compost bin with a cloth that lets air in.
SOURCE: FREEPIKWhat are the advantages ?
The advantages of making homemade compost for our orchard or garden are very numerous, since it is very easy to produce. In addition, the richness of its properties will provide us with a large amount of nutrients so that our plants grow and develop in optimal conditions.
Below we mention a list of the benefits we get from making homemade compost for our orchard or garden:
natural fertilizer
It helps the soil to enjoy good health, retaining moisture and nutrients, since it does not contain toxins that contaminate the soil of our plants or crops.
natural cycle
El compost es el resultado del final o del principio, según se mire, del ciclo natural desde que germinan las semillas que vamos a plantar en nuestro huerto o jardín hasta que devolvemos a la tierra los restos de los fruits que nos proporcionaron las plantas del anterior cultivated.
Energy
If we make homemade compost, we will not need energy during its production process. On the contrary, it generates energy, since the compost that is in our composter generates high temperatures due to the process of decomposition.
Environment
It is very beneficial for the environment, as it allows us to make the most of organic waste, which becomes carbon dioxide (CO2) which accumulates in the atmosphere during its process of decomposition.
nutrients
Compost has the ability to provide the soil with the extra nutrients it needs to be healthy and for our plants or crops to grow in the best conditions.
Waste
We produce less waste, reducing the volume of waste that trucks haul to landfills. Experts believe that much of the waste we throw away is organic material and therefore we can use it to produce our compost.
floors
It improves the structure of all types of soil, its porosity is greater, thus favoring the penetration of water and guaranteeing the correct development of the roots of the plants we grow.
Fountain: Ambientum writing