How do you compost?

Answer 1

Any organic garbage that decomposes can be put in a compost pile. This includes vegetables, potato pealings, egg shells etc. Also leaves in the fall and grass or anything from last years garden that is going to rot or decompose can be put in a pile. After it has been sitting since last year and is well rotted you can mix it (till or spade) into your garden soil in the spring and it will be a natural free and organic fertilizer. Make sure it is well rotted though (six months to a year) or it could cause fungus and diseases for your plants and garden. A compost pile, if it has a lot of kitchen garbage can stink a bit so it is often best to have it away from the house if you can. A compost bin is anything that can hold compost. Just nail some old boards or plywood together in about a 4' x 4 cube or larger if you are more ambitious. Since it is for decomposing material it doesn't need to be anything fancy. You may want to have some kind of door in the front to make it easer to remove when needed. compost will shrink as it rots so if it is full of leaves in the fall, next spring it will be maybe 1/3 full or less. I don't know if it needs a lid or anything unless you live somewhere dry. Compost needs to stay damp if it is to rot. I live in Minnesota where it stays fairly wet so our compost bin was always open and worked just fine.

Answer 2

If you are composting garden/yard/house green waste you make a pile in a desired area. You will then add a little water to the pile. Each week turn the pile with a pitch fork or a shovel. Keep large clumps broken up. Add a little water as needed to keep the compost moist. After a period of a couple months you will have rich compost. If you are composting in a tumbler style composter you add your garden/yard/house waste in it. You will turn the drum five-ten times a day, after two weeks your product will be fully composted. If you are a commercial composter you will first separate the manure from the liquid waste, it should have be 40-60% moister. Then you will pile it in windrows(size determined by the size of turner you have) You then will have to keep a recored on what date and temperature you turned it at. The temperature you need to turn the windrow at is between 145 F - 165 F. do not turn if above 165 Degrees F. You will also need to add water as needed to keep adequate moisture in the pile. The composting proses will take about 90 days. It is then to be stock piled in a pile then left to cure for another 30 days. After this period of 120 days it then can be marketed/sold. You will need to provide soil samples of final product and will need to have the field logs to show that adequate turning and temperatures were in place to kill bacteria.