COMPOST - TURNING TRASH TO TREASURE

As promised in my previous post, here we are going to share my findings on composting. I have been doing my own homemade composting over the past one and a half year already, but still I believe that I should frequently update my knowledge about it, improving my techniques from time to time - reading and watching on youtube.

Google and Youtube are two of my bestfriend when it comes to my studies.
I ensure everyday, I accomplished something no matter big or small, that is including ensuring that I learn at least something every day.

https://www.bhg.com/gardening/yard/compost/how-to-compost/

Type of Composting

There are 2 types of composting; Cold and Hot Composting

Cold Composting is a simple as collection of yard waste or taking out the organic material in your kitchen waste/trash (such as fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds and filters, eggshell, etc)

Over the time, all the materials will decompose. - this is more like the long shot.

Hot Composting is for the most serious gardener - faster process, how does get your own organic compost in 1-3 months time sound to you? Great right! Especially people like myself, living on an island - surrounded by sea, so hard to get good soil, even if there is - it is too costly.

So, composting is my best solution!

Back to Hot Composting, basically you will need 4 basic ingredients for this "fast-cooking" hot compost. They are nitrogen, carbon, air and water. Together these items feed microorganism, which expedites the process of decaying.

Another thing, have you heard of VERMICOMPOST ?  It is made via worm composting. When the worms eat the food scraps, they release castings (I call it Worms poops), Worms poop is very rich in nitrogen, so adding them in our compost certainly will help to speed up the process.

But do note that it is "redworms" (red wigglers) that you need for this process.

Next, lets see what to compost and what NOT to compost. Let us start with what we can add to our compost bin;

• Fruit and vegetable scraps
• Cofee grounds, tea bags
• Onion, garlic, ginger (skin) or left over
• Eggshells
• Grass, plant clippings
• Dry leaves
• Finely chopped wood and bark chips
• Shredded newspaper (
• Straw (not the straw for drinking ya!)
• Sawdust from untreated wood

I also use banana leave and stems (this need to be chopped finely before adding it to your compost to ensure it won't delay the whole thing).

On top of newspaper, I also use eggtray (not the plastic on yer)

Note: if you are doing Hot Composting method, please avoid putting onion, garlic, ginger into the compost bin as those repel earthworms.

Now, lets see what NOT to put in the compost bin.

• Anything containing meat, oil, fat or grease (dairy products)
• Diseased plant materials
• Animal feces
• weeds that go to seeds

Now let me share, how I do my TURNING TRASH TO TREASURE at my backyard.

At the moment I have 3 big compost bin and 2 small containers. All the 3 bins placed outside the house, 1 small container outside at the front yard and another one is kept in my kitchen counter.


This is the small unused Rice Pot I use to collect my kitchen waste - it will easily get full in 3-7 days. Once it is full, then I will put them into the bigger compost bin outside.
everytime I add kitchen waste in this pot, I would cut them into smaller pieces first (in a hope that they will decay faster). 

Actually many more to write here but I am running out time and it is time for cooking! If I am spared, tonight I will update more.

XOXO,

vR