How to Make Manure Out of Non Animal and Vegetable Compost

Good compost gives plants proper nutrition.

Nutritious soils are made from manure or composts. An organic garden will often use vegetable composts rather than animal manures to ensure that the plants are as pure as possible. Making vegetable compost is a long process, but it is easy and has many benefits to the soil and garden. It is especially useful when growing foods because it gives the plants the appropriate nutrients and it keeps the foods completely organic.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic bin or metal tumbler
• Green and brown plant material
• Soil
• Hay
• Water
• Soil
• Lid
• Turning fork
• Gloves

Instructions

1. Get a bin that has an open top and bottom. It needs to be open on both sides and should have a lid that seals the top. Plastic or metal is ideal. The size should be large enough to make compost for the entire garden area, so the size will differ depending on the size of the garden. Bins can be bought online or obtained through local recycling centers.

2. Place green and brown plant materials in the bin. The open bottom allows the materials to touch the earth. Kitchen items like coffee filters, fruit and vegetable scraps and brown paper can be used and would be considered "brown" materials. These are also useful for absorbing extra water. Green plant materials include grass, leaves and similar plant cuttings.

3. Place some hay throughout the mixture. Hay will absorb extra water to help avoid making the mixture too wet. If the compost gets too wet, it will rot and become useless.

4. Add soil to the top of the compost pile. Soil will act as an absorbent material for water and it has organisms like bacteria that help break down the materials faster.

5. Add some water to the mixture. The water should moisten the mixture, but should not soak it. Soaking the mixture will result in stagnant water that attracts flies and ruins the compost.

6. Put a lid on the bin. The lid keeps the compost warm and keeps the water from escaping. Weather conditions can affect compost and ruin it.

7. Turn the compost every 5 to 6 days. Turning the compost allows the entire compost to have access to the earth and warms every area. Warming the entire compost kills weed seeds in the compost. The turning fork size will depend on the size of the compost bin and the amount of material. The forks can be obtained through any gardening supply store or online; make sure to look under composting supplies or tools.

8. Wait until the compost has a rich, earthy smell and appears crumbly to use it. It is complete when the items in the compost are no longer recognizable and the smell is fresh and earthy.

Tips & Warnings

• Set up the bin away from the neighbors. The compost process can sometimes have bad smells, especially while turning the compost.

• The compost can be left unturned, but leaving it unturned will slow the process.

• Avoid using dairy products, animal products and products like foam or metal that will not decompose. These will ruin the vegetable compost.

References

• USA Gardener: Compost, Manure and Fertilizer
• Natural Resources Conservation Service: Composting
• Garden Organic: How to Make Compost