We know that compost with organic matter has the ability to add more nutrients to the soil, increasing its fertility and viability. A cheap way to make compost is by using the organic waste that we generate daily in our home. In this way, we will achieve a triple benefit, reducing the use of synthetic fertilizers on the ground, less spending on fertilizers and making use of household waste (less amount of garbage generated).
In this article, we reveal the answer to how to make homemade organic compost for plants, giving you several ideas and examples.
Why use organic fertilizers instead of synthetic ones
There are many advantages of using organic manures and fertilizers and more if they are made at home, because what is natural is always healthier and, in addition, we will be reusing waste. It should also be borne in mind that the disadvantages of synthetic fertilizers are diverse , and these are some of them:
- They contribute to climate change.
- They can cause contamination in waters, soils and rivers, as a consequence of the washing effect of the rains.
- They affect plants and nutrients due to excess minerals: synthetic fertilizers are generally highly concentrated and when used in excess they can worsen the quality of the soil, instead of improving it.
- They contribute to the acidification of soils, favoring desertification.
- They can cause poisoning when handled without adequate protection.
Fertilizers and organic fertilizers for plants – the most recommended
These are some of the most recommended homemade organic fertilizers for plants for their benefits for the land and crops and, also, for their ease of obtaining and application:
Manure
It is undoubtedly one of the best and most beneficial organic fertilizers for the soil. Although it can be purchased at garden stores, if you have chickens, goats, or rabbits, you can use their droppings. Rabbit droppings have the highest nitrogen content and can be added directly to the soil, but those of other animals must go through a previous composting process .
Banana skins
Bananas have a high potassium content, which is very beneficial as a nutrient for our plants, for example, it is very beneficial for flowering. After eating the fruit, we can use its peel to make homemade compost.
Eggshells
Eggshells are very beneficial in the garden, as they provide nutrients such as calcium carbonate and serve as a pest repellent. The ideal is to crush the peels well to add them to our homemade compost, although you can also make a powder with them and spread it well at the base of our plants.
Coffee grounds
After having a cup of coffee, we can take advantage of the coffee grounds or leftovers to make compost for our plants, since they provide a good amount of nitrogen, which is very beneficial as a nutrient. They can also be mixed directly into the ground or spread on its surface.
Human urine
Urea in urine has a very high content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Urine is a sterile product as long as the body that produces it is healthy. It can be dissolved in water at a 1: 8 ratio and added to our homemade compost.
Grass
Once the grass or weeds have been cut, they can be added to our organic compost, since they are very rich in nitrogen and retain some of the nutrients that they have absorbed from the same soil on which they have grown.
Fireplace ash
The ashes from the fireplace provide large amounts of potassium and calcium carbonate, ideal for making our homemade compost. It is important not to apply them directly around acidophilic plants or if the soil is alkaline.
Vinegar
The acetic acid in vinegar is very good for plants that require acidic soils. You can even dissolve vinegar in water and irrigate plants of this type directly.
Earthworm humus
The worm humus is one of the best organic fertilizers, totally natural and effective to improve the health of the plants so that they grow healthy and flourish or bear fruit. The truth is that humus as such and with its most suitable composition is only obtained on forest floors, produced naturally by earthworms. However, you can get a very similar product at home, making or buying a vermicomposter.
Lentils
Lentil sprouts are excellent as compost and rooting agent. If you want your new plants to take out more roots and grip better to grow without problems, do not hesitate to make these sprouts, crush them in water, strain to obtain the liquid and remove the remains of the lentils and, finally, mix a part of the concentrate with ten parts of water to use this product as irrigation water for fertilizing and rooting.
How to make homemade organic compost for plants step by step
Although you can put some organic waste directly on the ground, the ideal way to decompose it is to follow a series of steps to make a homemade compost or compost . These steps to make an organic compost at home for your plants are:
- Drill some holes in the surface of a small container approximately one meter deep (or in a large or medium container, depending on our needs).
- Place 4 or 5 fingers of soil inside (or more depending on the container).
- Add organic waste (examples mentioned above). It is important that they are not waste from any animal product.
- Cover with a little more soil.
- Every so often (approximately two weeks), stir well with a shovel, bringing the remains that are down to the surface and vice versa. This step is important to aerate our homemade compost.
After a few weeks, worms, fruit flies and other insects start to appear in our compost; a sign that the decomposition process is taking place. When the soil takes on a black, lumpy appearance and the organic matter has completely decomposed, it is ready to be applied in the garden or orchard. The smell of the compost should be similar to that of wet soil. The compost manufacturing process usually takes two months, if we start in summer (the heat favors decomposition) and five months, if we start in winter. To apply it, spread it by spreading it well around the roots of the plants, using a rake or other instrument.
