Your cannabis needs nutrition – and composting is a cheap and sustainable way to feed your plants. Here, we will show you how to make one in a very simple way at home!
If you’ve ever dealt with land and plants, you’ve probably heard of the famous compost bin, or composter. It is an incredible way to reuse leftover food and organic residues, in addition to producing an incomparable fertilizer for cannabis or any other type of plant.
The best of everything?
You don’t need much to assemble it at home – or even in an apartment!
Whether for a garden or a grow: see here how and why to make your own composter.
Why you should make a compost bin
The human being produces garbage as hell: according to data from the Institute of Applied Economic Research (Ipea), here in Brazil, about 160 thousand tons of waste are produced daily. Organic matter corresponds to 57% of the total volume. This is usually destined to dumping grounds, where they end up being responsible for the emission of various harmful gases into the atmosphere (such as methane, for example).
Making a composter is a way to give a new destination to these residues, not only reducing the emission of pollutants, but also helping your plants to have a mega healthy growth.
The liquid resulting from the composting of organic waste is a biofertilizer – unlike what flows from dumps, this one is 100% natural, does not leave pollutants and is extremely clean (if done correctly)! Composed of organic matter decomposed by bacteria (and even by the dead bacteria themselves), it acts by fertilizing and enriching the soil with a material full of nutrients and minerals, which are easily absorbed by nature. Here we will explain what are the main components needed for healthy soil!
You can also get humus. The transformation of the waste into humus, or organic fertilizer, is done by detritivorous and decomposing beings, such as the earthworm. This material is 100% decomposed, and 100% organic matter. Like biofertilizer, it is one of the most powerful nutrients for your plants – and should be dosed in moderation! Here we have a complete text about the nutrients needed for the growth of cannabis plants.
Making a composter is a way to give a new destination to your residues
How to make the compost bin
The composters can be aerobic or anaerobic. There are some ready-made models on the market, but we guarantee that making a composter with five-liter plastic bins (preferably with lids) is cheaper and just as efficient!
For this one you will need:
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3 plastic boxes with lids or buckets, with at least five-liter capacity;
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Organic waste (such as fruit and vegetable peels, egg shells, tea bags and coffee grounds);
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Sawdust or garden waste, such as dry leaves;
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Substrate for seedlings or soil;
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A filter tap;
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Coffee filters;
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A fine mesh net to cover the top bucket.
Step by step:
Step 1: take a box or bucket to be the base. In it, you should cut a hole in the side just to fit the tap. There can be no leaks – this will be your biofertilizer container!
Step 2: get another box or bucket. This one is going to be in the middle of your composter. Make holes in the base and cover them with coffee filters – those basic ones made of paper!
Step 3: after covering the holes, add a layer of carbon: dry leaves or sawdust. This layer should go halfway through the bucket. After placing these elements halfway, you must fill the rest with the earth or the substrate, until you reach what will be the base of the third bucket or box.
Step 4: take the third bucket or box, poke some holes in it and cover with filters like the previous one.
Step 5: As in the previous one, you must also place the dry leaves or sawdust, and then cover with soil or substrate. Put up some more leaves or sawdust.
Step 6: time to add the organic compound (nitrogen)! The perfect measure is a full blender glass. Just add water gradually and beat until it becomes a paste.
Step 7: add this paste on the dry leaves or sawdust. Then cover with another one each of earth and carbon (dry leaves or sawdust).
Step 8: snap all the buckets into position. To keep flies and insects away, finish with coffee grounds and a fine mesh.
Tip: to obtain the humus in the same composter, just add earthworms to the substrate or soil of the third bucket – the upper one.
About the elements
As we said above, there are two main elements that will act on your composter: carbon and nitrogen. Here, we will give some examples of each of them:
Precious observations:
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DO NOT PUT MEAT IN THE BIN! Its decomposition can create undesirable odors, in addition to attracting insects and animals that you will not want in your home, by the way.
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To make an organic compound, everything must be organic, ok?
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Avoid citrus fruits. The bacteria that decompose organic matter are very selective, and are not very fond of them.
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The ideal ratio is one part of nitrogen to two of carbon. More nitrogen can unbalance the mixture and make it smell really bad!
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Putting the shells through the blender accelerates the composting time by two to three times.
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The composter must be in a ventilated place, protected from the sun and rain.
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In addition to fertilizer, the resulting liquid can be a great pest repellent.
How to apply biofertilizer and humus
As it is a very acidic liquid, the fertilizer must be diluted before being used on the plants! The ideal ratio is 10 to 15 liters of water for each liter of biofertilizer.
Use a container to accumulate the liquid and, once diluted, apply it to the soil. But be careful: if the fertilizer is kept in a closed environment for a long time, its smell becomes strong and unpleasant. Therefore, do not accumulate this material at home for long periods, guys!
The application of the liquid can be done every 15 days in pots, beds and gardens. Humus, on the other hand, should be mixed with the soil, in a 50/50 ratio.
So, did you like this tutorial? We guarantee: your plants and the planet are grateful! This can be a great way to start practicing biodynamic agriculture, and approach a more sustainable lifestyle.
And what about you: already have or want to make a compost bin? Tell us!
See you later.