14 DAY BOMA COMPOST MAKING AT KENYA INSTITUTE OF ORGANIC FARMING-JUJA CAMPUS

14 Day Boma compost is made by making alternate layers of green lush vegetation and farmyard manure from livestock untill the heap is about 1.5 meters high. Water the heap and leave it for 5days when it is turned to increase aeration for micro-organism assisted decomposition. Leave it for another 5days and turn again. Ensure that the heap remains moist to help micro-organism feeding when decomposing the organic material. Turn to mix on 14th day when the compost is now ready for use.
Kitchen organic waste is also very useful in absence of farmyard manure or to complement the farmyard manure. Wood ash may also be sprinkled to add mineral nutrient content to the final product which is known as HUMUS. The heap should be protected from rain and excessive sunshine by covering with mulch on dry weather or tarpaulin during the rainy weather. The heap can be stacked above the ground level or made in a tench that is 1m deep to conserve moisture especially in the drier areas. Ground level heap is recommended for high potential areas where water is not a limiting factor.

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