Compost making has existed for centuries. However, compost making has acquired meaningful connotations as waste generation reaches catastrophic levels while landfill sites shrink alarmingly. In this context, turning household and garden organic waste into nutrient-rich compost is an ecologically sound initiative. Compost is one of nature's best soil amendments; it improves soil structure, texture and aeration while boosting its water-retentive capacity. For this reason more gardeners and households are taking up composting activity on a regular basis.

Compost is the end product of a process by which myriad microorganisms break down decaying organic material. This is mimicking nature's own system of disintegrating materials on the forest floor. The resultant humus is a dark, nutrient-rich, friable mass.

Compost Making:
1. Compost making is easy; almost any organic material can be composted. All the organic waste generated by your garden and household can be added to a compost pile. The only rule is that they should be in a 30:1 ratio of browns or carbon and greens or nitrogen material. This balanced proportion creates the right environment for the pile to heat up in the center. Any imbalance will distort the process: too much carbon slows decaying while excess nitrogen will give off ammonia.

2. The list of organic material that can be added to the compost pile is endless. Kitchen refuse like egg shells, vegetable and fruits peelings, leftover food, coffee grounds, tea leaves; garden waste as leaves, dead plants, shrub clippings, mowed grass, manure and bone meal can all be dumped in your compost pile.

3. Care should be taken to place the compost pile on bare earth to take advantage of friendly microorganisms.

4. Shredding and layering the material while turning it often will also speed up the composting process.

Obviously then, Compost making can either be passive or active. In the passive mode, compost making requires just mixing the material and waiting for the results over a longer time period. In the active mode, Compost making demands frequent intervention in the form of turning the pile often to acquire finished compost in as short a time period as 3-4 weeks.

Compost making is easy and fun. Rules for making compost are straightforward and easily implemented. In this era of environmental awareness, there are countless reasons to embrace this practice.

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