You may want to create your own compost pile for your garden or farmyard and speed up the composting process. It is quite easy and this article explains all you need to know about speeding up the composting process.
1) Create a Larger Pile of Compost
Heat is a factor that drives the turning of organic waste into nutrient-rich fertilizers for plants. This can be achieved by making your compost pile large enough.
This significantly means the larger the pile, the faster it will heat up due to the larger area. Apart from that, a larger pile of compost has the ability to retain moisture better. To create a larger pile of compost, you can start with a square meter.
2) Make a Proper Ratio of Brown Materials to Green Materials
To speed up composting process, there is the need for high brown carbon material to green nitrogen material ratio. Once that is done, watch your compost closely. If after having your brown carbon material and green nitrogen material the compost isn’t still decomposing as quickly as it should, add in more brown materials such as hay, shredded brown cardboard, e.t.c.
3) Shred your Materials
For a faster-composting process, shred your brown carbon materials in your compost. This is because smaller materials are sure to break down more quickly than larger materials. Apart from this advantage, your shredded materials tend to create pockets of air within your compost pike thus, helping to aerate and speeding up the composting process.
4) Pile turning and Aeration
This is another great way to speed up your composting process. By turning your heap constantly, you are giving room for decomposition while also, simultaneously aerating your compost.
With fresh oxygen, there is an increase in the rate of composting. Not only that, but it also controls the temperature and produces aerobic microbes which help in speeding up the composting process.
5) Add a Layer of Branches at the Bottom
Speed up your composting process by adding a layer of twigs or branches at the bottom of your compost pile. This will help in trapping the air inside the compost pile and enabling aerobic composting to occur. Asides from that, it helps to drain excess water.
6) Add Compost Activators
There are certain compost activators that speed up the composting process. An example of this is chicken manure. Nettles, as well as urine also work absolutely great.
7) Use a Compost Duvet
Make use of a compost duvet such as hot water bottles which helps to maintain warmth and also, keep the optimum temperature for the breakdown of organic materials by bacteria and fungi.
8) Add Easily Digestible Materials
Certain materials such as grass clippings compost faster than certain other materials such as wood. Wood is known to be high in lignin which is quite difficult to compost most especially if it is in a large size.
9) Add Worms
Add compost worms at an early stage to speed up the composting process. These compost worms e.g Red Wrigglers also help in removing pathogens from compost.
Conclusion
All explained above help to speed up the composting process. Other ways by which you can speed up the composting process include:
Make use of compost bin, addition of biochar to your compost, addition of nitrogen-rich materials, making use of a hot water plastic e.g plastic bottle or small keg to kick-start your compost.
Above all, always ensure that your compost is kept moist. A moist compost pile will decompose faster. If it’s dry, add some amount of water to keep it moist but not soggy.
