Gafusa — Home Composting Guide | gafusa.com
An ordered procedure: choose the site, place the bin, layer, turn, and harvest.
Begin with the site. Choose a level, well-drained spot with partial shade; drainage prevents waterlogging, and shade keeps the pile from drying out too fast in summer. A bin is preferable to an open pile when food scraps are involved, because it excludes pests and holds heat more evenly.
Place the container and build a coarse brown base 10–15 cm deep from twigs, straw or shredded cardboard. This base lets air enter from below and keeps the drainage layer from silting up once moisture starts moving through the material.
Start layering: thin green layers from kitchen scraps, each covered by browns. Keep the overall carbon-to-nitrogen ratio near 25:1 — the most efficient balance for composting. If the pile smells of ammonia, you have added greens too fast; if it stays cold and dry, add more browns and a little water.
On narrow screens, swipe or scroll the plate sideways.
Turn the pile when it cools from its 130–160 °F (54–71 °C) peak. Turning restores oxygen levels above 5%, which aerobic composting bacteria need to perform the processes required for composting. A pile that is turned regularly finishes faster and produces fewer odors.
Monitor for failure signals: ammonia smell means excess nitrogen, rotten smell means oxygen has dropped below 5%, flies mean uncovered scraps. Each has the same remedy — add browns, turn, and bury fresh inputs.
Harvest when the original materials are no longer recognizable and the pile has cooled and settled. Finished compost improves the soil's physical, chemical and biological properties and introduces beneficial microbes that help suppress pathogens and reduce soil-borne diseases.
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