Nourishing your urban garden crops has never been easier with this organic compost made from banana and egg peels!
Organic compost is a mixture of kitchen waste, such as banana peels, egg shells, and coffee grounds. This waste undergoes a decomposition process aided by microorganisms, resulting in a nutrient-rich fertilizer for your garden soil.
What Nutrients Do Banana Peels Provide?
Experts say that composting not only reduces reliance on chemical fertilizers but also helps restore soil fertility and improve water retention. Compost delivers essential nutrients like potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and trace amounts of nitrogen. It’s an environmentally friendly way to give a second life to organic waste, including both plant and animal by-products.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to make organic compost at home using banana and egg peels, along with other easily obtainable kitchen scraps, to create a completely natural fertilizer for your garden.
Ingredients Needed for Composting
While the main ingredients are banana and egg peels, you should also consider the following:
- Plant waste: Dry leaves or foliage
- Fertile soil or worm humus
- 7-8 banana peels
- 3-6 clean, dry eggshells
Additional Materials Required
- Large reusable cloth bag (like those from the supermarket)
- Thick plastic bag
- Water sprayer
- Gardening shovel
- Gardening gloves
- Recycled plastic crate or box
Step-by-Step Preparation
- Line the Crate: Line your crate with a tarp or heavy-duty plastic. If you use a recycled box, lining isn’t necessary.
- Layering: In the lined crate, add a layer of plant waste (like dry leaves), then layer in the crushed banana and egg peels, topping with a layer of fertile soil or worm humus.
- Hydration: Use a water sprayer to lightly hydrate this mixture. Repeat the layering process: plant waste, organic waste, and hydration, until you have a final light layer of plant waste.
- Cover: Cover the crate with a large reusable cloth bag and a thick plastic wrap or bag.
- Turning the Compost: From this point on, turn the compost every 15 days, and then weekly. Keep it in a location at room temperature, protected from rain, and maintain a balance between green and dry materials to help microorganisms accelerate the process.
After 20 days, you can start using your compost to fertilize your urban garden crops, enriching the soil with essential nutrients. Banana peels provide potassium and iron, while eggshells contribute calcium, making this compost a fantastic addition to your gardening routine!
