HOW TO MAKE COMPOST AT HOME EASY

Basic composting methods

 

1.   Landing system
2.   Values ​​method
3.   Barrel system
4.   Coat Frame Method

Landing system

• The easiest way.
• It is the ideal method for large scale commercial compost production.
• Easy to roll.
• This is the best way to maintain optimum moisture, air, and temperature.
• Low labor costs.
• Suitable for large as well as small scale products.
• Land filling is considered the most important method of composting. It has many advantages compared to other methods.

Benefits of the build system:

• The easiest way.
• Degradation occurs quickly.
• Well ventilated
• Maintains optimal moisture.
• Easy to roll.
• The compost produced will reduce the mix of soil or sand.

• It is the ideal method for large-scale compost production.
• Also, suitable for small-scale production.
• This is the method used by all commercial compost manufacturers.
• Decomposition is often successful and monotonous.
• There are no problems with flies and stinking.

 
Therefore, for the success of composting, it is important to follow the landfill method which is easy, profitable, and effective. Increasing the height of the pile will make it difficult to perform various operations, but the length of the pile may vary depending on the availability.

Steps for Making Compost

Considerations in Choosing the Right Place for Compost Production

• Being a place and place where raw materials are readily available
• A convenient shipping point for raw materials and compost.
• Should not be flooded (Low lying area)
• Being a place where water is available.

• Not being close to homes.
• No proximity to water sources or wells

Prepare the production site

• Clean the site of production.
• Remove the pebbles and level the earth.
• If the soil surface is loosened, crush the soil with a wall mill.
• Have a drainage system to drain the place.
• If the drains are built at the production site, remove the soil from the drains and make them rise to the ground.
• There is no need to cement the floor.

Supply of raw materials

• Common types of leaves, grasses, aquatic weeds and crop residues in the area
• Any easily available animal products in the area
• Applying a little bit of compost (as “yeast”) (about 20 kg of yeast per 1000 kg of raw material is sufficient.)
• If possible, obtain rock phosphate fertilizer at Eppawala (Approximately 50 kg of rock phosphate per 1000 kg of raw material is sufficient.)
• Get water to wet the ingredients.
• Get a black wax cloth or polysac bag or weed coconut branches to cover.

How to produce

The first layer

• Draw a floor plan with the size of a pile to produce.
• Determine the size of the pile to be built on the availability of raw materials.
• If materials are plentiful, mark the maximum width at 5 – 6 feet and the maximum length at 14 – 15 feet.
• If the ingredients are limited, make small piles.
• Lay a layer of green foliage or grass around 9 to 10 inches above the ground surface (first floor).
• Place the shark stalks on the leafy branches 3-4 inches from the end of the pile.
• Doing so allows the rod to be pulled out before the first toppling.
• It does not need to separate the leaves from the stalks.
• That leads to lower production costs.
• Laying the leaves or leafy branches underneath will help prevent the accumulation of water on the ground.
• For this reason, do not use animal manure as the first layer.

 

The second layer

• Place animal manures or plant parts that are easy to decompose as a second layer.
• If using the second layer of animal manure, the height of the deck can vary from 2-3 inches to 8-9 inches.
• Depending on the availability of raw materials, the height of the animal manure layer can be changed.
• If the ingredients used in these two decks are insufficient, add water.
• Sprinkle the finished compost (” leaven ”) all over the surface of the second layer.
• In rural areas, even small scale compost can be used as a “leaven” for the decaying garbage dumped in the garden.

Third layer

•     If you use animal manure as the second floor, you can use the plants as the third floor.
•     If plant parts are used as second floor, use animal manure as third layer.
• If rock phosphate is available, spray some of the rock phosphate on the surface of the third layer.

Build up

•     After the third layer, re-arrange the plant parts and animal waste as above.
•     Sprinkle the “yeast” over 2-3 times.
•     Spray the rock phosphate three to four times a day.
•     Use raw materials like this to make the piles about 5 to 5 feet high.
•     Put the raw materials in the pile, rotating them with ease.
•     Apply a layer of animal waste at least 2-3 times a day.
•     In 7-8 days the pile height appears to have decreased.

 

To speed up decay

•     Once the raw materials (such as dry leaves, straw, wood powder) are placed in a layer, then a layer of animal manure or "yeast" over them will speed up the decay.
•     It is best to place the rotating materials in a rotating pile, which is difficult to decompose and easy to decompose.
•     Use the plant parts 2 to 3 times or a layer of animal manure.
•     If animal fertilizer is difficult to obtain, apply only a thin layer of animal manure.
•     If there are several types of animal fertilizers, place them in different floors at least 2-3 times a day.

Maintaining moisture

•     The green leaves have moisture and they decay quickly.
•     When using dry leaves or dried animal manure, apply water as needed.
•     Once the piles are 4 to 4.5 feet high, re-apply the water as needed.

Land cover

•     Cover with black polythene bags or polysacchards or enclosed coconut branches to allow air to enter the pile.
•     Maintaining a cover about 6 to 12 inches above ground level allows air to enter and exit the pile.
•     Well ventilation into the pile will cause decay quickly.

Check the moisture of the pile

•     After 6 to 7 days, remove the veil and insert an abrasive wood into the pile and touch the edges of the wood.
•     In the dry season watering is less frequent and the rainy season is more frequent.
•     If the moisture is low, make a few holes in the pile surface and apply water.
•     After applying water, keep the pile closed again.
•     Moisture is checked once a week until watering is done for about a month.

 

The first toppling

•     After about a month, remove the cover and roll well.
•     Roll out the non-decaying parts and mix them well.
•     Sprinkle “Unleavened” sprinkles and mix well.
•     It mixes all parts of the "yeast" pile.
•     If the "yeast" is not mixed at the time of rolling, you can place the raw material into a 9-inch layer by sprinkling the "yeast" on the surface.
• As mentioned earlier after the first roll up, the reclaimed piles should be inspected for moisture once in six to seven days.

The second rollover

•     About 2 months after landing, or about one month after the first roll, the cover is removed and the second tossed.
•     This rollover is also done as the first rollover. If necessary, apply water.
•     There is also a need to add "yeast", stir or apply "leaven" once per 9 inch layer.
•     After the second roll, the pile is covered with the first.
•     Then check the moisture once in six to 7 days and apply water if necessary.

 

The third toppling

•     The third rollover is carried out 3 months after the build-up, or about 1 month after the second rollover.
•     This rollover is similar to the first and second rollover and is rebuilt and closed.
•     By this time most of the raw materials have decomposed and the compost produced can be used when needed.
•     When the compost is successfully finished after the third toppling, it is best to close the pile completely, as this will prevent insects from laying eggs on the compost pile.
•     A maximum of three times the amount of compost is sufficient.
•     In the manufacture of commercial compost, the compost can be made into a 4-millimeter mesh bag and marketed.
•     Once that is dumped, the remaining dirt can be recycled into compost and used as raw material.

  Moisture testing of manufactured compost

•     Take a handful of the compost produced and squeeze well.
•     If the water drops between the toes, the moisture content of the compost will increase.
•     Doing so can result in optimal moisture if it is created as a compact pile of poorly decomposed compost.
•     In commercial composting, it is important to accurately determine moisture from a laboratory.

 

Method of the ditch :

Some farmers adopt this method when making compost in rural areas, and in the home garden, it is often seen that this method is not used successfully.

Disadvantages of the method ditch:

•     Making a ditch takes a lot of effort
•     This is an expensive system
•     It takes more time to decompose.
•     Not well ventilated.
•     During the rainy season, excessive water accumulates.
•     It is difficult to maintain optimum moisture.
•     This method is difficult to roll
•     Not a good way to produce large amounts of compost.
•     You can't produce too much compost.
•     Commercial compost manufacturers do not follow suit.
•     A considerable proportion of the compost produced is mixed with soil and sand.
•     Flushing and flies are often seen.
•     Not suitable for areas with heavy rainfall.

For this reason, composting is not considered a viable method.
 

Barrel Method

 barrel is a method of producing compost in small-scale backyards. This is particularly appropriate in an urban environment where there is a limited amount of raw materials and space. This method allows the ventilation of the barrel for ventilation, thereby speeding up the decay.

•     Ideal for suburban gardens.
•     It's hard to roll over.
•     It takes more time to decompose.
•     Raw materials management is important for small quantities of raw materials daily.
•     Not suitable for large-scale compost production.
•     That leads to spending extra money to buy barrels.

 

Advantages of the barrel system:

    There is an opportunity to manage household waste daily.
    The waste collected in the garden can be used to manage.
    This method provides good ventilation and is easy to protect against moisture.

Disadvantages of the barrel system:

•     Only suitable for a garden with a limited amount of raw materials.
•     The barrels used in this method cost considerable.
•     Because the raw materials are not turned over, it takes longer to decompose.
• The amount of compost that can be produced here is limited

Core frame system

•     Suitable for small farms.
•     There is no overturning.
•     Dries quickly.
•     Crop residues, weeds etc are important for recycling.
•     It takes more time to compost.

 

Core frame system:

The poultry system is most often used in small farms or gardens.

Advantages of the conical frame:

•     Well ventilated
•     No odors and no flies

This method can be used for small farms and home gardens to produce compost according to their needs.

Disadvantages of the cone frame system:

•     Only suitable for backyards and small farms.
•     Boxing takes more effort to build the frame.
•     The amount of compost that can be produced is limited.
•     It is constantly exposed to ventilation and therefore prone to rain and drying.
•     Composting of this method takes much time.
•     Due to the lack of systematic layering, decay does not work well.
•     Exposure to air and rain often compromises the nutrient content of the compost.
•     It is difficult to protect the moisture with a cone frame.
•     Because the raw materials are not turned over, it takes longer to decompose.
•     As time passes, the cones decay.
•     It is also difficult to extract the fertilizer produced.