COMPOSTING 101 It’s possible to do this, even in urban space

Compost is simply decomposed organic material. The organic material can be plant material, animal matter or simply anything biodegradable.

Composting is the perfect solution in disposing biodegradable waste because you turn unwanted waste materials into healthy organic fertilizers for your plants. Composting may seem mysterious or complicated, but it’s actually a very simple process that happens naturally.

The first step in composting is finding an appropriate compost site. When considering a compost site, always remember that the area depends on the volume of waste produced.

In setting up the compost site, it would be best to have at least two containment areas or two chambers. This is because composting takes time, and while waiting for the materials in one chamber to decompost, you will need another receptacle for your waste.

If you have a garden, opt to build your own compost bin. Use old tires, fences or hollow blocks to build your compost bin and be creative, just make sure that it could easily be aerated through contact with air.

If you live in an apartment, town house or condominium, clay pots or plastic containers will do, as long as you have enough for disposing of your biodegradable waste in a rotational basis.

Underground composting is not advisable because of the danger of leachate finding its way to underground waterways and contaminating water supplies. The above-ground method of composting is much more favorable with all requirements to successful composting present: LAHAT (lupa, araw, hangin, ako at tubig).

The key to efficient composting is to have the proper mixture of waste. Most references would say that you need four parts or 80 percent carbon-rich waste, which includes paper, sawdust, dried leaves, and yard waste, and one part or 20 percent nitrogen-rich waste, which includes, food scraps, wet leaves, and animal waste.

Since most of our household biodegradable waste comes from the kitchen, it would be very hard to achieve this ratio unless we have a large garden to supply us with the carbonrich waste. The solution to this problem is to include a suitable amount of regular soil or finished compost material into the mixture.

Having a thick layer of soil on top of your open pit or bin also prevents pests from being attracted to your compost and reduces the odor. For rotting meat and waste with rancid smells, be sure to use materials that neutralize odors like sawdust, crushed peanut shells, and ash.

Always make sure that your compost gets enough moisture and oxygen. Add a bit of water when your compost gets dry and turn your compost with a shovel, pitchfork or a rake after a few weeks.

To hasten the decomposition process, you may shred your waste (to increase the surface area), or add compost activators. The most common compost activators are earthworms. They not only hasten the decomposition process, they can also help ensure that the compost is properly aerated.

These little ‘earth angels’ can be found anywhere, just dig a few holes in your garden and you can find them. They also bless your garden with a fertilizer-rich compost. Other compost activators include Trichoderma, a fungus sold at the Department of Agriculture, and chemical compost activators available in the market. (S. Guerrero)