This document by Suhas Dixit is aimed to shed light on composting process. Composting is a process in which the organic waste can be reduced to manure which can be a great source to increase fertility of the soil.

1. HOME COMPOSTING
A SIMPLE GUIDE TO REDUCE
YOUR WASTE

2. WHAT IS COMPOSTING?
 Compost is organic material that can be
used as a soil amendment or as a medium
to grow plants. Mature compost is a stable
material with a content called humus
that is dark brown or black and has a
soil-like, earthy smell.

3. IT IS CREATED BY:
 combining organic wastes (e.g., yard
trimmings, food wastes, manures)
 adding agents (e.g., wood chips) as
necessary to accelerate the
breakdown of organic materials;
 allowing the finished material to fully
stabilize through a curing process.

4. Yard Waste

5. TYPES OF COMPOSTING
 Natural composting or biological
decomposition began with the first
plants on earth and has been going on
ever since. As vegetation falls to the
ground, slowly decays, providing
minerals and nutrients needed for
plants, animals, and microorganisms.

6. TYPES OF COMPOSTING
 Mature compost IS a complex organic
material that has been transformed
into a stable humus by microorganisms.
 It gives plants an advantage in
increased nutrients and water
availability and reduces disease
pressures.

7. DID YOU KNOW THAT
COMPOST CAN…
 Suppress plant diseases and pests.
 Reduce or eliminate the need for
chemical fertilizers.
 Facilitate reforestation.

8. WHAT TO COMPOST
 Animal manure
 Clean paper
 Coffee grounds and filters
 Eggshells
 Fireplace ashes
 Fruits and vegetables
 Hair and fur Yard
trimmings
 Houseplants
 Leaves
 Nut shells
 newspapers
 Tea bags
 Wood chips
 Wool rags
 etc

9. WHAT NOT TO COMPOST
LEAVE OUT:
1. Black walnut tree leaves or twigs
2. Coal or charcoal ash plants : Might
contain substances harmful to plants
3. Dairy products (e.g., butter, egg yolks,
milk, sour cream, yogurt)
4. Fats, grease, lard, or oils
5. Meat or fish bones and scraps : Create
odor problems and attract pests such as
rodents and flies

10. 6. Pet wastes (e.g., dog or cat feces, soiled cat litter) : Might
contain parasites, bacteria, germs, pathogens, and viruses
harmful to humans
7. Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides : Might kill
beneficial composting organisms
8. Diseased or insect-ridden plants : Diseases or insects might
survive and be transferred back to other plants

11. A basic guide to
composting
STEP 1 :
 First select a spot to set up your bin. It should
be out of the way but convenient to reach with
plenty of room to work around. Some good
places would be near your garden or in a
back corner of the yard. It is also a good idea
to choose a location close to a source of
water.

12. A basic guide to
composting
STEP 2
Now for the recipe for compost:
 micro-organisms that recycle leaves and other
plant parts with a mix of brown stuff and green
stuff. They also need air and water to live and
work. Put all this together and in time you will
have compost!

13. A basic guide to
composting
Recipe Ingredients
 Air
 Water
 Brown stuff
 Green stuff

14. A basic guide to
composting
 Brown stuff is dead, dried plant parts
like leaves and pine needles. Brown
stuff is high in the element carbon.
 Green stuff is fresh, living parts like
grass clippings, kitchen vegetable
scraps, weeds and other plants. Green
stuff is high in the element nitrogen.

15. A basic guide to
composting
Don't Use
 Don't use meat, milk products
because pets and other animals may
try to dig them up out of your
compost bin.
 Also don't use diseased garden
plants. They can spread disease
back into the garden later when
you use the compost.

16. A basic guide to
composting
Step 3
This is the easiest way to build our compost bin
in layers of ingredients:
Start with the brown stuff by spreading a
layer of leaves or pine needles.

17. A basic guide to
composting
STEP 4
Next, for the green stuff, add a layer
of grass clippings.
It is helpful to mix the layers up a little
as you make them.

18. A basic guide to
omposting
STEP 5
 Sprinkle a shovelful of soil or compost
to add microorganisms to the bin.

19. A basic guide to
composting
STEP 6
 Each layer gets a good sprinkling of water to
wet the ingredients. It is important to wet each
layer as you build it. Repeat each of the layers
until the bin is full.

20. A basic guide to
composting
STEP 7 - Finished Bin!
 The microorganisms will go to work breaking
down the ingredients into humus. If you want
faster compost.
 you can mix the ingredients every few weeks
but this isn't necessary.

21. A basic guide to
composting
FINAL RESULT:
 This is compost!
 the dark, earthy-
smelling stuff is rich
in nutrients.
 Plants love it!
 Let's talk about how
to use compost to
help plants grow.
Handful of Compost

22. A basic guide to
composting
Use Compost as Mulch
 You can use compost as a mulch
around garden plants. Mulch
protects the soil and shades out
weed seeds.
 Nutrients are washed out into the
soil with each rain to feed the
roots of plants.

23. TYPES OF BINS

24. ThankYou