Making your own compost
Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 4:15 pm
Organic farming is gradually gaining a foothold in the country. Aside from the obvious benefits of chemical free food, expensive and scarce farm inputs such as fertilizers are pushing small scale farmers to using home developed compost in lieu of synthetic fertiliser for farming.
Other advantages are:
It is cheap because it is derived from crop residues, animal manure, garden weeds, grass, hedge cuttings, kitchen and household waste.
Nutrients from the compost is immediately available for the plant thereby increasing Increased crop yields.
Compost increases the water holding capacity of the soil to better support plants .
nutrients release is gradually, hence the benefits stretches beyond a farming season
It reduces environmental pollution that inorganic fertilisers brings
To make compost is very easy. You can do this in your yard. the following are required:
You may start small with a space of about 4sqm to receive the materials and a smaller space beside it to turn the compost. The location should be sheltered from the wind, rain and sun. Also avoid a location with runoff.
Throw in organic waster materials such as cereals (maize, sorghum, millet) and legumes (beans, cowpea, groundnut) as well as other waster plant materials. Ensure you cut these into bits to aid the breakdown process.
The compost may be above or below ground. If constructed above the ground, scrub the grass and loosen the top few centimetres of soil. If the compost is in a pit, put some top soil at the bottom to introduce micro-organisms.
Build the compost pile by beginning with a bottom layer of bigger sized materials such as maize stalks of about 15cm long.
Add another layer of dry vegetation, hedge cuttings or grass of about 15cm. Sprinkle top soil and add water to moisten the whole layer regularly however avoid making the heap too wet. It should be damp
After 3 days, check for heat. The compost should be warm and after couple of more days, it should cool down. The compost is ready for use on your farm.
Other advantages are:
It is cheap because it is derived from crop residues, animal manure, garden weeds, grass, hedge cuttings, kitchen and household waste.
Nutrients from the compost is immediately available for the plant thereby increasing Increased crop yields.
Compost increases the water holding capacity of the soil to better support plants .
nutrients release is gradually, hence the benefits stretches beyond a farming season
It reduces environmental pollution that inorganic fertilisers brings
To make compost is very easy. You can do this in your yard. the following are required:
You may start small with a space of about 4sqm to receive the materials and a smaller space beside it to turn the compost. The location should be sheltered from the wind, rain and sun. Also avoid a location with runoff.
Throw in organic waster materials such as cereals (maize, sorghum, millet) and legumes (beans, cowpea, groundnut) as well as other waster plant materials. Ensure you cut these into bits to aid the breakdown process.
The compost may be above or below ground. If constructed above the ground, scrub the grass and loosen the top few centimetres of soil. If the compost is in a pit, put some top soil at the bottom to introduce micro-organisms.
Build the compost pile by beginning with a bottom layer of bigger sized materials such as maize stalks of about 15cm long.
Add another layer of dry vegetation, hedge cuttings or grass of about 15cm. Sprinkle top soil and add water to moisten the whole layer regularly however avoid making the heap too wet. It should be damp
After 3 days, check for heat. The compost should be warm and after couple of more days, it should cool down. The compost is ready for use on your farm.
