Making compost the easy way

Turning kitchen leftovers into compost
 

Get a plastic bin as container. Make holes in the bottom and cover of the pail. Then place the leftovers such as the leaves, roots, stalks of vegetables, remains of fruit in the container.

Mix one portion of such leftovers with one portion of clean soil or existing compost.

When the container is full turn over the contents once every 20 days. After about two months the mixture will be ready for use.

Compost made easy by earthworms

It is also a good idea to introduce a number of earthworms (often sold as fish bait) to the mixture of leftover food and soil.

The earthworms speed up the disintegration process and save you the trouble of turning over the compost and the smell of decomposing material.

Furthermore, vermicast (droppings) from the earthworms also provide additional nutrients to the soil.

Forest soil — a rich alternative

Get some crates discarded by fishmongers into which place 30 cm of forest soil (uncontaminated by chemicals or degraded in other ways).

Such soil contains a very rich and balance micro ecological system as well as minerals and organic substances.

The forest soil will need to be sufficiently thick (enough to cover 1/3 the height of the container). This will make it easier to maintain the high temperature conducive for fermentation and the killing of germs.

In this process there is no need to get anything else other than the forest soil and the kitchen leftovers. After about 4 to 6 months the mixture will be ready for use.

Unlike compost it is soil enriched by decomposed organic matter and can be directly applied for the cultivation of plants.