Step by step guide to making your own compost at home
The Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) shared simple steps on how you can start your own compost at home while the enhanced community quarantine is being implemented.
Prepare a bin for your compost
For an ordinary indoor compost bin, you may use any type of container. You may recycle an old pail, water container, pot, and others. Make sure that the compost bin is sealed, durable, and can be covered.
Common compost bins vary in size, but in this project, the best size is five gallons or 19 liters or bigger to prevent having a bad odor.
Putting holes in the bottom of the bin
The number of holes to make depends on the size of your compost bin, just make sure that there are enough streams for the extra water from the compost pile.
Prepare a tray for the bottom of the bin
After putting the holes at the bottom of the bin, prepare a tray to place underneath it.
The tray will be used to catch any liquid from the compost pile, so make sure it has no holes and can hold up to 1 cup of excess liquid.
Find a safe and secure place for the compost bin
Put the compost bin in a safe and secure place that will not interfere with your movements to prevent its contents from dropping. This is more important if you have children or pets in your home. The best place to put the compost bin is at the bottom of your kitchen cabinet. Make sure that the place is dry and the temperature is constant.
Put soil in the compost bin
Put some soil in the compost bin. As a basis, the soil should reach a quarter or ¼ of the compost bin.
Cut papers into small pieces
The small pieces of paper will be used to sip all the excess moisture and smell inside the compost bin. It can also help in speeding up the process of composting.
Make sure that the ink used in printing the papers or old newspapers is non-toxic so that the compost will not be contaminated with any harmful substances.
Prepare food scraps for the compost
The skins peeled from the fruits or vegetables and other clutters in the kitchen can be used as compost.
However, avoid using fish bones or bones and tendons of meat for your compost because it may rot and stink. Furthermore, rats and insects may also reside in your compost.
It is also better to slice the food scraps into thin slices (2 inches) to speed up the process of composting.
Combine the small pieces of papers and food scraps
Combine the accumulated food scraps and small pieces of papers before transferring it to the compost bin. While mixing, spray some water on the compost pile if it is dry.
Put the compost pile into the compost bin
Properly pile and flat the compost mix inside the compost bin. You may add a thin layer of soil at the top of the compost pile to prevent fruit flies and other insects.
Mix and add soil in the compost bin once every week
Properly mix the compost pile to make sure that everything decays at the same time. Spray some water on the compost pile if it is getting dry. After this, add a new layer of soil (1 inch or 2.5 cm) and put the compost bin back again into its place.
Use the compost as fertilizer for your plants
Put the compost material around your plants. You may add some soil at the top of your compost if you like. If you just started planting, make sure that the seeds are in the soil and not in the compost material.
