Composting, according to the Department of Agriculture (USDA), is a natural process that works to speed up the decomposition and decay of organic material by providing the ideal conditions for organisms such as bacteria and fungus, to thrive.

The end-product of this concentrated decomposition process is a nutrient-rich soil additive that can help plants such as food crops, garden plants and even trees, to grow and flourish.

What are the benefits of composting?

Composting carries with it an entire slate of benefits, some of which are as follows:

• Compost is an effective and sustainable soil conditioner. Compost adds nutrients to your plants and helps the soil retain all-important moisture. In addition, it introduces helpful microorganisms into the soil itself, thus ensuring its ability to remain fertile for a long period of time.
• Composting can help minimize the amount of waste and excess carbon you put out into the environment. Composting, according to its proponents, can help divert as much as 30 percent of all household waste away from the garbage can — and ultimately, the landfills, which are some of the biggest producers of methane emissions. This means that aside from keeping one’s home clean and tidy, composting can actually help lower one’s carbon footprint.
• Composting helps minimize dependence on synthetic fertilizers. Chemical fertilizers, while known for being able to rapidly nourish the soil, have several disadvantages, chief of which is its propensity to cause severe imbalances and pollution in the environment. Compost has none of these negative properties and as such, is a better choice for farmers and home gardeners alike.
• Composting can be done by anyone and anywhere. According to experts, because composting relies on beneficial microorganisms instead of mechanical devices, it can be successfully done in almost any setting, from indoor bins in high-rises and apartments, to large outdoor piles in backyards.

What should I put in — and exclude from — my compost pile?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), one must first ensure that he has a balance of “greens” and “browns” in his pile, in order for composting to occur.

As noted by the EPA, greens are nitrogen-rich materials such as grass clippings, fruit and vegetable waste, and coffee grounds. The browns, meanwhile, are the carbon-rich yard clippings, such as dead leaves, branches and twigs.

Achieving a carbon-to-nitrogen ratio between 25 to 1 and 30 to 1 is ideal for rapid composting, the EPA said.

With that being said, here are some materials that can be put into a compost pile:

• Waste from fruits and vegetables
• Eggshells
• Coffee grounds and paper filters
• Used tea bags
• Manure from herbivorous livestock such as cows, goats and sheep
• Crushed nutshells
• Shredded newspaper, paper and cardboard
• Yard and garden trimmings including untreated grass, leaves, branches, and twigs
• Untreated hay and straw
• Untreated sawdust and woodchips
• Cotton and wool cloths and rags
• Hair and fur

Meanwhile, here are some items that should not be put into a compost pile:

• Black walnut and other plants that are known to release substances that may be harmful to other plants
• Coal or coal ash
• Dairy products, eggs, fats and oils, and meat or fish bones and scraps which can rot and attract pests such as rodents and flies
• Pet wastes and used cat litter, as it might contain harmful parasites, bacteria or viruses
• Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides

Aside from making a traditional compost pile, you can also experiment with other methods. Here are some “recipes” that you can try:

Banana peel compost tea

Banana peels are one of the best ingredients to make compost because they contain ample amounts of potassium, an essential mineral that plays a role in photosynthesis, disease resistance and the formation of important plant tissues.

Aside from that, potassium from banana peels also helps to revitalize plants when they’re no longer flowering or when they start to exhibit general weakness.

Directions:

1. Cut the banana peels into several strips and put them to boil in a pot filled with water for 15 minutes.
   After this time, turn off the heat and let cool.
2. Transfer the “tea” into a clean spray bottle. If you want, you can leave the peels in the water.
3. To use, simply spray the compost tea on the plants that you think need an extra hit of potassium.

Eggshell compost powder and tea

Eggshells are an integral part in traditional composts. However, did you know that you can use eggshells on their own as a natural plant food? This is because eggshells contain a lot of calcium, which means they can prevent the development of blossom rot in fruiting plants such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplants.

Directions:

1. Gather the eggshells from about five to six eggs. Wash and then dry them thoroughly.
2. Once dried, crush the shells using a coffee grinder or a similar instrument, into a fine powder.
3. To use, sprinkle the crushed eggshells directly onto the soil.

Don’t have a coffee grinder? Don’t worry — just like banana peels, you can also turn eggshells into a “tea” for your plants.

1. Boil 10 to 20 eggshells and then let the concoction sit overnight to extract the calcium from the shells.
2. The next day, strain and transfer the liquid calcium solution to a clean spray bottle.
3. Apply the solution to plants about every two weeks.

Seaweed or algae tea

Seaweeds are known for their high nutritive value. This makes them valuable, not just as a food item for humans, but also, as a natural fertilizer.

This can be done by either mulching fresh or dried seaweed into the soil, or by steeping them in water to make a potent “tea.”

Directions:

1. Pace a big handful of seaweed in a bucket of water
2. Cover with a loose lid and let soak for at least three weeks.
3. To make larger batches, you may also put the seaweed in a large net or other porous bags inside of a barrel of water. The seaweed may be reused by simply adding in more freshwater as the “tea” gets depleted.
4. To speed up the process, introduce an aerator or aquarium pump into the container to stir and agitate the water.
5. To use, simply dilute the resulting “tea” with water and spray on your plants.

Gardening and farming don’t have to be overly reliant on artificial fertilizers and soil additives — especially when natural and safe alternatives already exist.

Learn more about composting and other gardening methods at GreenLivingNews.com.

Sources:

USDA.gov

EPA.gov

StepToHealth.com