How to Make Humic Compost
- 1). Shred anything you can find into small pieces. You can either do this with your lawn mower by laying the leaves and twigs on the ground and then mowing over them a few times or with a chipper, if you have access to one. The more the material is shredded, the quicker you will get humus. A simple ratio is 1:1 parts of green plant material to brown (dried) plant material.
- 2). Pour the shredded plant material into a compost enclosure that will allow the pile to be at least 3 feet wide by 3 feet deep by 3 feet high. Pile it in so that you have a full 3-foot cube immediately. This will cause the process of decomposition to happen quickly and with a good heat level.
- 3). Pour water over the top with your garden hose. The whole decomposition process needs water to work. Without moisture, the particles of plant matter will just dry up until the next time they get wet when the composting will begin again. When you pick up a handful and squeeze it, it should be moist, but not dripping wet. Aim for about 50 percent moisture.
- 4). Stir the pile if you want to speed up the whole process. Use the garden fork to lift the material from the outside of the pile and throw it into the center. This will add oxygen to to process which aids in the breaking down of the plant material.
- 5). Remove the humus from the compost enclosure when it is dark brown, loose, crumbly and individual plant parts are no longer visible. Shovel it on top of your garden, your flower beds, your potted plants, even your lawn to start building up the humus content of your soil.
