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HOW TO TURN YOUR KITCHEN SCRAPS INTO USEFUL GARDEN COMPOST

Kantanka Farms

Updated: Oct 7, 2023


Turn kitchen scraps into compost

Compost is the natural decomposition process of breaking down your organic waste like food scraps from the kitchen. Compost is miraculous stuff. It boosts the health and vitality of your plants, and can even improve the taste of your garden produce. When you see the benefits you won’t be able to get enough of it! With some basic knowledge, you can produce rich, sweet compost for all your backyard plants. Food scraps and yard waste accounts for more than 30 percent of what we send to landfills each year. Instead of throwing out your kitchen waste, you can compost them and use the nutrient-rich compost to feed your plants. It's a great way to cut back on your food waste and reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. You can use your finished compost as a soil amendment to give your plants the boost they need to thrive. In this article, you'll learn the benefits of composting kitchen waste, what types of materials can and can’t be composted, as well as how to easily start composting your own kitchen scraps.


BENEFITS OF COMPOSTING

Not only can you save money by throwing away less trash, composting is great for the community, soil, and environment. Composting reduces waste, makes us less dependent on landfills, and decreases greenhouse gas emissions. Compost strengthens soil and promotes healthy plant growth. Adding compost to soil improves its structure and texture, making it more ideal for plant growth by adding organic matter. With higher percentages of organic matter, soil is better able to retain water, nutrients, and air – benefiting the entire ecosystem by creating an optimal environment for plants, and by reducing runoff and erosion. Again, Composting reduces the need for pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Because compost enriches soil and promotes healthy plant growth, plants grown in compost-rich soil tend to be more resilient to diseases, pests, and fungi. The healthy bacteria and critters that are present in compost also help fight off harmful pests and diseases before they can get to plants – thus reducing the need for toxic pesticides.

In addition, compost is a slow-release nutrient source for plants. The diverse materials in compost break down at different rates, slowly releasing nutrients over a long period of time; as opposed to releasing them all at once, as fertilizers do. Compost also contains a greater variety of nutrients than fertilizers, because it is made with so many different types of materials. Because compost both adds nutrients to soil and alters soil structure so that it retains nutrients more effectively, compost reduces the need for fertilizers.


WHAT KITCHEN WASTE CAN YOU COMPOST?

Not all food scraps have the same potential for your compost bin. There are certain organic materials that just cannot go into your compost pile. Kitchen waste like vegetable scraps and eggshells add essential nutrients to your compost and are great additions to your compost pile.

Items like meat and dairy products should be avoided because they take a long time to break down and can attract rodents and other pests to your compost pile. Some highly acidic food scraps like tomatoes and citrus peels can be added but should be done so sparingly.

Here's a short list of kitchen waste you can add to your compost pile and those you must avoid.


KITCHEN WASTE YOU CAN COMPOST

KITCHEN WASTE TO AVOID

​Cassava, Yam, cocoyam peels

Dairy products

Vegetable scraps

Bones

Cooked rice

Cooked meat/Raw meat

Egg shells

Onion peels(Moderate)

Coffee grounds

Citrus peels(Moderate)

Fruit scraps

Oily foods or grease

Expired spices

Seafood products

Nutshells

Coal/charcoal ash

Banana peels

Pet waste

Bread crumps/Stale bread

Fish scraps


HOW TO COMPOST YOUR KITCHEN WASTE


Kitchen waste

Composting kitchen scraps is relatively straightforward and doesn’t require much specialized knowledge. You just need to know that things like animal products and oils shouldn’t be composted. But beware! Kitchen scraps alone will not result in compost!

It’s a common mistake to think that leftovers from your kitchen are enough to produce rich compost. Organic household refuse is high in nitrogen and is known as “green” composting material. For successful composting you need to mix this with plenty of “brown” materials which have a high carbon content. Brown materials include straw, saw dust, dried leaves, dried grass, cardboard, paper etc. To help your waste turn into compost as quickly as possible, its necessary to cut your kitchen materials into small pieces. Smaller scraps have more surface area, which allows bacteria to break them down more quickly and easily.


COMPOSTING METHODS

When it comes to choosing how you will compost your waste, it largely depends on you. The method you choose depends on the space you have available, and the time you want to devote. There are a number of different ways to compost food scraps like trench composting, indoor composting, or vermicomposting.


TRENCH COMPOSTING

An incredibly quick and easy method for composting food waste outdoors is to simply bury it in the ground! Trench composting is often considered the easiest, or the laziest to some, method of composting food scraps. As the name suggests, you simply dig a hole or trench in the ground near your garden and bury your food scraps. That's all there is to it!

While this method does require some physical labor, there is no maintenance to worry about. You just bury your food scraps and you're done. Your trench or hole should be about 12-18" deep and covered in about 6-8" of soil. You should also make sure to dig your trench at least 6" away from your plants.


INDOOR COMPOSTING

An indoor compost bin is a great option if you don't have the outdoor space for a traditional compost pile. There are a variety of different indoor compost bins out there so you should consider one that meets your budget and needs. However, If you have an extra bucket laying around and don’t want to pay for a composting bin, you can make a DIY composting setup of your own. it won’t be able to hold large amounts of compost, but it’s one way to get started.

Begin by drilling some holes on the sides and bottom of the bucket. You will want something to keep the bucket raised off the ground, so air can get in underneath and prevent the contents from becoming anaerobic. Place a tray underneath the bucket to catch water that comes out during the composting process. This liquid is sometimes called compost tea, and can be added directly to your garden as a fertilizer. Try to alternate the contents of your bucket into alternating layers of green matter (kitchen waste) and brown matter (yard waste like dry leaves).

Mix the contents of the bucket one or two times per week to keep it aerated. This will help add extra oxygen and speed up the decomposition process. If the contents get too wet, try adding more dry leaves. If it gets too dry, you can mist it with a hose to add a little moisture.


Another hands-off indoor composting method is to arrange your composting materials in a large bucket with a drainage hole. Start by adding some dry leaves then add any kind of garden soil. Next, you can add your kitchen waste. Be sure to add some eggshells for a calcium rich compost. Top this up with some more dried leaves. Cover the whole setup with garden soil. Give it some water and keep it in a shaded area for a minimum of 40 days. No need for any extra job. The bacteria and worms will do the job for you.


Conclusion

Composting your kitchen waste is an easy way to cut down on the amount of garbage that your home produces, and is one way to start living more sustainably.

And the best part?

You end up with a fantastic soil amendment which provides everything your plants need to grow happy and healthy !

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