It's very easy to turn your household and garden waste into rich compost. Adding compost to your garden's soil is one of the best things you can do to improve it. If the soil is sandy, then adding compost will help it to retain moisture; whereas soils rich in clay will be made looser. Apart from improving the structure of the soil, it can help protect your plants from diseases and pests.
Making your own Compost
Making compost is a very easy process. The materials most suitable for composting are household vegetable waste, grass clippings, leaves, most weeds, etc. The best compost will be made from a mixture of these materials. Although there are many compost bins on the market, it's quite possible just to make it in a heap. The pile should be at least 3 cubic feet, this is necessary to provide the optimum conditions for the bacteria, which you need to break down the organic matter, to multiply and survive.
There are only two ingredients needed for the bacteria in the heap to break down the organic matter into useful compost: air and moisture. To give it enough air, all you have to do is turn the heap regularly with a fork or pitchfork. There are specialized compost tumblers on the market, but they're not really necessary. The heap needs to be kept moist, but not saturated with water. Too little and the necessary bacteria will not survive; too much and the compost will become slimy. You can simply add water if you think it's too dry, or cover the heap with a tarpaulin if rain is making it too wet.
How long it takes for the compost to be ready is dependent mainly on the materials used and the temperature. It could be ready in as little as 12 weeks, but six months to a year is more likely. You'll know when it's ready as it will become dark brown/black and crumbly, and have a pleasant, earthy odor. You should not be able to make out any of the original waste.
The finished compost is most commonly used as a mulch on top of the soil, where it helps the soil retain moisture, slowly adds nutrients, and helps keep weeds down.
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