Making compost

Thus, composting is no longer reserved for experienced gardeners or environmental activists. Today, it is established as an essential practice. It is aimed at all those who wish to act in favor of the planet. By transforming our organic waste, including food waste, into a valuable resource, compost concretely reduces our environmental impact. It also contributes to soil fertility. Thanks to simple actions, practical tips, and the use of an activator, successful composting becomes accessible to everyone. You can thus fully enjoy the benefits of a healthier garden.

Why compost?

Thus, recycling kitchen, garden, and especially green waste holds many benefits through the recycling and controlled fermentation of these organic materials. Moreover, each year in France, a household produces on average more than 300 kg of household waste. Furthermore, among this waste, nearly 30% is biodegradable and could return to the earth in the form of humus. Finally, rather than unnecessarily filling trash bins and feeding incineration, valorizing these leftovers into compost allows:

• To significantly reduce the volume of collected waste
• To obtain a natural, rich, free amendment and an excellent fertilizer from waste
• To enrich the biological life of the soil
• To limit the use of chemical fertilizers by using compost as a natural fertilizer

Thus, there is nothing better than combining the useful with the pleasant, while contributing to waste reduction, preservation of natural resources, and promotion of a sustainable environment.

The keys to successful composting

First of all, before starting, it is better to understand what will be composted, the types of waste to include, and under what conditions this natural process can yield the best result.

Next, microorganisms play an essential role in the composting process. They break down organic matter through cycles of digestion that transform waste into rich, fertile humus. Thanks to these invisible actors, compost not only enriches the soil but also its biodiversity, promoting plant health and resistance to diseases. Therefore, by maintaining an environment conducive to their development, the efficiency of composting is optimized and a superior quality final product is ensured.

Where to install your compost?

Firstly, choosing a suitable location to place your composter, including for accommodating biosolids, helps avoid many disappointments while maintaining good moisture to facilitate the decomposition process. A shaded corner, sheltered from the wind, and close to a water source is ideal for composting waste. Additionally, prefer a spot in direct contact with the soil, ideally located in the garden, to facilitate the arrival of worms and microorganisms essential for decomposition.

Moreover, city dwellers are not left out: composting in an apartment or on a balcony is entirely feasible with a composter, a worm composter, or a compact bin.

Finally, to choose your composter well, it is crucial to consider several factors such as capacity, material, and type. Composters made of recycled plastic are often lightweight and weather-resistant, while wooden models have the advantage of being more aesthetic. Some prefer rotary composters to facilitate mixing of materials, while others opt for tiered systems for easier management of space and the decomposition process. In short, whatever your choice, the important thing is that the composter is suited to your space and your needs in terms of the volume of waste to be processed.

What to put in the compost?

Here is a table to make things clearer:

Thus, respecting this balance, by favoring an alternation of green materials (rich in nitrogen) and brown materials (rich in carbon), including organic waste and brown waste, remains essential to maintain good aeration and avoid bad odors.

The "nitrogen-carbon" balance

One of the secrets to successful composting when including waste: this clever mixture.

• Nitrogen inputs: peelings, fresh grass clippings, coffee grounds, bio-waste
• Household waste, once properly sorted, constitutes a valuable resource for composting. By wisely integrating different types of organic waste, the decomposition process and the quality of the final compost are optimized.
• Carbon inputs: shredded branches, dead leaves, raw cardboard, and carbon-rich organic waste

Therefore, aim for a ratio close to two parts carbon-rich materials to one part nitrogen-rich materials to effectively balance the waste.

Moreover, a well-maintained garden can also benefit from the advantages of composting. By using homemade compost, plants receive essential nutrients, thereby improving their growth and resistance to diseases. This practice not only strengthens soil health but also the garden's ecosystem, allowing nature to flourish harmoniously.

The actions that make the difference

Regularity and attention to mixing allow waste to be quickly transformed into compost.

• Turn: Stir with a fork or a compost turner every two weeks to promote oxygenation and speed up transformation.
• Moisten or dry: If the compost seems too dry, add wet materials or lightly water. Conversely, if it is too wet, add brown cardboard or dead leaves.
• Fragment: The more finely the waste is cut, the faster its decomposition. A garden shredder can be useful for branches.

Different composting methods

Choosing a technique adapted to one's needs and space, such as adding materials in a garden, guarantees a positive experience. Here are three common approaches:

Compost pile

Thus, the simplest solution in rural areas is to deposit waste directly on the ground, in a pile possibly protected by a tarp. Access to worms and microorganisms is maximal, and decomposition is often faster.

Bin composter

Thus, a popular solution in modest-sized gardens and urban areas, the composter, often in the form of a bin (wood, metal, or recycled plastic), facilitates the management of inputs, waste, and aeration. Additionally, some models have flaps allowing easier retrieval of mature compost.

Vermicomposting

Moreover, particularly suited for small spaces (apartment, balcony), it takes advantage of the action of earthworms (Eisenia fetida) to quickly process kitchen waste with minimal space. Thus, both a liquid fertilizer ("compost tea") and a very rich solid compost are obtained.

Solving common difficulties

Home composting sometimes presents surprises that should be anticipated and corrected without panic:

• Unpleasant odors: Often due to excess nitrogenous materials or lack of aeration. Remedy by turning the pile and adding carbon-rich elements.
• Presence of insects: Seeing some fruit flies (small flies) is normal, but to limit proliferation, cover each fresh addition with a layer of dead leaves or cardboard.
• Compost too dry or too wet: Adjust the texture by controlling the moisture, adding either wet materials or absorbent elements like wood chips.

The time of compost... and its use

After a few months, the compost has matured. Its brown color, forest floor smell, and fine texture indicate a product ready to use. It can be used to enrich your garden by transforming waste into rich compost:

• Enriching vegetable gardens, flower beds, planters
• Mulching the base of trees and shrubs
• Preparing seedlings or repotting plants

Thus, well-decomposed compost stimulates plant growth, contributes to their disease resistance, while reducing waste, maintaining moisture, and sustainably improving soil structure.

Compost and biodiversity: a virtuous circle

Furthermore, beyond the beautiful material obtained, compost shelters a true discreet but essential fauna. Worms, woodlice, millipedes, bacteria, and fungi work behind the scenes. This microcosm illustrates the richness of living soil, capable of hosting indispensable biodiversity, fixing carbon, storing water, and nourishing plants, animals... and humans.

Integrating compost into daily life

Thus, making this gesture a reflex and learning to compost requires some adjustments. Setting up a small kitchen bin reserved for bio-waste, providing an accessible compost area or a composter to deposit waste, and involving the family in this approach quickly bears fruit.

Moreover, why not establish a weekly ritual? Transferring organic residues, monitoring the transformation, sharing discoveries: this is a playful and meaningful learning experience, conducive to changing our relationship with consumption.

Composting and CBD: an unexpected meeting

On the site cbd certified, amateur gardeners are also interested in hemp and wellness cannabis cultivation. These plants directly benefit from humus-rich soil. Homemade compost, free of chemicals, promotes healthy development, increased resistance to stress and drought, as well as generous flowering.

• Thus, compost enriches without depleting the soils
• It reduces root diseases
• It facilitates the assimilation of essential trace elements
• Its microorganisms improve the properties of the substrate

Combining good composting practices with CBD cultivation thus allows reconciling ecology and well-being, in harmony with nature.

Some tips to go further

So, for those who want to perfect their approach, there are many resources: municipal guides, participatory workshops, wood chip exchanges between neighbors. A community of motivated composters is developing, ready to share advice and good tips.

Therefore, dive in with enthusiasm: observation, patience, and a dose of curiosity will quickly transform these everyday residues into treasure for the soil and crops. Thus, compost, the result of attention and a return to life, opens simple, concrete, and motivating perspectives for a more responsible lifestyle.