CompostaBlog

All right, let’s make this really easy. I want you to devise a home composting program. I know it sounds all technical, but the reality is that it’s extremely simple to do. If you don’t compost, you’re a bad person–no, I’m kidding. However, you are missing out on the many benefits such a minimized amount of trash in the house, great gardening soil and another thing you can make the kids do if you don’t feel like it. I’m going to break down the different types of composting for you to see which one works best for you.

Dig a Hole in Your Backyard. Or Your Neighbor’s.

Depending on how your living situation is laid out geographically, you need to find a place to dig a hole for your scraps. I have a tiny house in the city with an even tinier backyard, but I manage to keep a 2′ hole chugging along just fine. Maybe you live in an apartment complex, and your neighbor has a small plot of dirt…so ask them if you’d like to compost together. Fun for everyone.

I prefer throwing food scraps in a hole because a) it’s the cheapest option at zero dollars, and b) because those compost turners aren’t very awesome in my opinion. Yes, maybe there’s a model out there that works, but none that I’ve seen.

So Many Compost Tumblers to Choose From…

Although I just bashed compost tumblers, I’ll suggest one that may work even though I don’t use it myself. Look for a tumbler that rotates end over end, as opposed to spinning horizontally. This is because the material will get mixed better if the whole barrel is flipping around. If it spins horizontal, all the material in the center just kinda sits there.

As I said that, I realized that in a vertical compost tumbler, material may sit in the center. However, I don’t think this is nearly as likely and since it takes more effort to turn it, it must be moving around more on the inside. Anyway, if you live somewhere that wild animals like to dig food scraps out of your backyard, a compost tumbler will keep your material safely away. I have cats that sometimes hang out in my compost pile, but I like cats so who cares. I’ve seen squirrels eating some fresh scraps that I threw in the pile, but I think that’s cool that I feed the squirrels anyway. Notice I didn’t mention about the smell yet…I’ve personally never noticed a smell with composting, so using a tumbler to contain the smell is a moot point for me. If you keep the ratio right, you have nothing to worry about.

Oh Yeah, How to Compost…

While I’m at it, I should mention how to compost. It’s pretty simple. Keep a good mix of leaves, twigs and grass clippings for your pile: This is your carbon. As you add new food scraps (nitrogen), always add more carbon material.

Keep the pile in good shape by turning it over each day. This may sound frustrating, but remember that if you’re adding food scraps to the pile every night, then you’re already going out there to begin with. You want your pile to be relatively moist looking, although you don’t have to water it. When you start to see worms in there, that’s a good sign. One more thing, I forgot to mention that you should get a little Tupperware container for the kitchen to hold your food scraps. Food, coffee grinds (worms love this), laundry lint, it’s all good. So get out there and get composting.

Hopefully I made composting seem pretty straightforward for you…that’s because it is. It’s not smelly, dirty or weird; it’s what needs to be done to reduce our garbage and provide ourselves with excellent gardening soil. Even if you don’t garden, you probably know someone that does. Give them the gift of compost and get something else in return.

Of course, I can get really in depth about composting as there is an art to it. Remember, it doesn’t need to be that way. I’m just being nerdy. On the most basic level, you can keep your kitchen smelling better, have less wet mess in the bottom of your trash can, lighter bags of garbage and fantastic fertilizer. So get into it…I dare you to not enjoy it.

Tyler is a nut when it comes to sustainability, waste reduction, alternative energy, you name it.
All his secrets are revealed on how you can save tons of money going green and feel good about it. Uncover them here: http://www.tylers-ebook-reviews.com
Article Source: http://www.articlegarden.com

Related Blogs

• Food for thought, but don't believe the label « Truth on the Market
• The Jew and the Carrot » Blog Archive » Chickens and Compost in …
• Waterford Grafton Street Westland Tumbler S/4-Retail $225.00! Sale …
• where's my hole, steve? « delicious juice dot com – a zesty …
• Inexpensive BACKYARD BASKETBALL
• Heartea Interactive Beverage Mug by Sangmin Bae, ID+IM Design Lab …
• Not A Tumbler, Best Deal Online Copco 2510-9973 Sierra Cold …
• Muslim Raheel Raza speaks out against Ground Zero Mosque on O …
• The Local Beet: Chicago » The Compost Chronicles: Urban Composter
• Consumer Spending On Material Happiness | Stock Market News …
• Normal Techniques of Processing Compost | srdesignow.com
• Eat Fast Food! | Springhouse Meats
• Black Hole Blows Big Bubble | Science Magazine News
• Fantasia Music Videos: Caption This! » Right Celebrity
• Joseph Barrino: Fantasia Barrino's Father » Right Celebrity
• Vermi Lasagna Gardening-08-11-10
• image pile up | QUALITY PEOPLES
• Natural Pile Treatment Strategies To Get Rid Of The Pain Now …
• Offshore Wind » Cape wind permitting process continues as lawsuits …
• New Band Smell : Eternal Summers « My Old Kentucky Blog {BETA}

Compost piles must hold a minimum of organic material before they will maintain rapid decomposition. So the pile should be at least 3-feet-by-3-feet and 4-feet tall. Naturally piles can be larger. Moving leaves to the pile, then chopping them up with a lawn mower or leaf shredder before they go on the pile aids composting considerably, as small particles decompose faster than large ones.

There are other things we can do to accelerate composting and make it more efficient. As slightly wet leaves decompose quicker than dry ones and rain may not penetrate the pile center, I’d dampen dry leaves before adding them. Ground limestone may also be scattered in if we add a bunch of oak leaves and we’re concerned about the acidity they may generate in our pile. Scatter about a pound of lime for every five leaf layers. But do not use lime if your compost will be given to acid loving plants such as mountain laurel, blueberries, azaleas, rhododendrons and potatoes. Adding lime to compost is an option rather than mandatory.

The addition of fertilizers speeds composting. Scatter 1 cup of fertilizer for every 15 square feet of pile.
Two pounds of dried cow manure can be the fertilizer. The addition of fertilizer is not a necessity.

Shady piles seem to compost faster than sunny ones, as they more promptly retain the moisture microbes need. Drenching a dry pile with water can be helpful in hot weather. Construct your pile lower in the center and higher on the sides, that way rain will go in more easily. Covering the pile with plastic sheets to reduce evaporation can help in conserving that most important water supply. Turning the pile every month with a garden fork or similar tool aerates our microbes and speeds composting.

Garden waste material and vegetable scraps make great compost additions, but don’t place meat, bones, glass, plastic or metal in the pile. Keep material loaded with weed seeds, plant disease or insects out of the pile. Never put in material that’s been treated with herbicide. Straw or hay can be added, but seeds in the hay may not decompose, sometimes causing weed troubles. Pine needles may be added, but because of their waxy coatings, they may take longer to break down. If you add twigs make sure they are small and broken, or they will take forever to break down. If you add newspaper they need to be shredded into tiny strips. Choose an inconspicuous site for the pile. While piles aren’t ugly, they are seldom beautiful.

Compost has so many garden uses that I never get enough of this terrific stuff. I blend compost into every planting hole, whether I’m planting a dogwood tree, petunia beds, tomatoes or anything else.

Jim’s articles are from extensive research on each of his topics. You can learn more of organic materials by visiting: Compost Piles

Organic Gardening Tips

Compost is a great tool for any gardener. It helps your garden hold just the right amount of water, makes it the right texture for optimal plant growth, and provides it with beneficial natural organisms. While you can buy several different types of compost products at a retail store or gardening center, it’s much cheaper to make your own compost. Not only will you save money, you also get the added benefit of knowing that you’re not just throwing your yard waste away; it’s actually doing something beneficial for your garden and for your health.

Before getting started on building your compost pile, you should know what to put in it. To get good compost you need four elements: carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and water. Grass clippings from your yard provide the carbon. Nitrogen comes from leaves in the fall. To make sure your pile gets water, build it somewhere where it will be rained on; just be sure it’s not completely soaked with water. Lastly, you can add oxygen simply by mixing the pile regularly. Just turn the soil over once a month with a rake or garden shovel. Don’t worry if you can’t provide enough nitrogen or carbon to your compost pile through your yard waste, you can always add a little fertilizer. The type of fertilizer you select will depend on what nutrient you’re lacking.

There are two different types of compost piles you can make; the first is a cool pile. To make a cool pile, simply throw your clippings and leaves in the bin as they come and stir the ingredients occasionally. This is a good option if you don’t have a lot of time to devote to composting, but it takes about a year to get useable compost. You shouldn’t add diseased plants or weeds to this mixture because they can be harmful to the soil quality and weeds will continue to grow once they’re back in your garden.

If you’re anxious and just can’t wait of if you need your compost in a shorter time span, you should try making a hot compost pile. Unlike cool piles, you need to have a significant amount of yard waste available to start a hot pile; at least 3 feet by 3 feet. This mixture will require mixing much more often. You can mix it anywhere from once every two weeks to once every couple of days. The more you mix, the more you break down your yard waste, the faster you get compost. This type of pile will kill weed seeds and diseases because it reaches much higher temperatures (about 160°), but be aware that it may also kill beneficial bacteria. A cool compost is a much better solution.

Another alternative is to check with your local city councilor to see if your region hosts Community Days. Community Days are growing in popularity in the United States and Canada. Hosted twice each year (usually Spring & Fall), Community Days often ask citizens to bring their recycling items, unwanted clothing and used electronics to a central location for collection & re-distribution. The last five years, Community Days have also included “bag your own compost” services. Free compost is available. Anyone with a shovel and bucket can tote away as much compost as they can carry.

It’s easy to know when your compost pile is ready for use. When your compost pile no longer resembles what you put into it, it’s ready to be used. Just mix into your soil for strong, healthy plants.

Get started with the comprehensive book, “Organic Gardening for Beginners”, Learn everything you need to know to garden without the use of chemicals or other harmful substances! Visit organic gardening for more information.

Article Source: http://www.organicgardenarticles.com

Compost, made from decomposed grass clippings, leaves, twigs, and branches, becomes a dark, crumbly mixture of organic matter.

Learn how composting works. Even a newbie to composting can make good quality compost. It can be compared to cooking as art or part science. The following 7 factors will help you master the art of composting.

1. Materials
After a time anything that was once alive will naturally decompose. But, not all organic items should be composted for the home. To prepare compost, organic material, microorganisms, air, water, and a small amount of nitrogen are needed.

These items are safe to compost at home:
* grass clippings
* trimmings from hedges
* vegetable scraps
* leaves
* potting soil that has grown old
* twigs
* coffee filters with coffee grounds
* tea bags
* weeds that have not went to seed
* plant stalks

These items are Not safe to compost at home:
* weeds that have went to seed
* dead animals
* pet feces
* bread and grains
* meat
* grease
* cooking oil
* oily foods
*diseased plants

2. What To Do To Make It Work
There are small forms of plant and animal life which break down the organic material. This life is called microorganisms. From a minute amount of garden soil or manure comes plenty of microorganisms.

Nitrogen, air, and water will provide a favorable environment for the microorganisms to make the compost. Air circulation and water will keep the microorganisms healthy and working. The nitrogen feeds the tiny organisms. You may have to add a small amount of nitrogen to the pile.

Putting on too much nitrogen can kill microbes and too much water causes insufficient air in the pile. You just cannot add too much air.

3. Beneficial Microorganisms
Bacteria are the most effective compost makers in your compost pile. They are the first to break down plant tissue. Then comes the fungi and protozoans to help with the process. The arthropodes, like centipedes, beetles, millipedes and worms, bring in the finishing touches to complete the composting.

4. Smaller is Better
The materials will break down faster if the microorganisms have more surface area to eat. Chopping your garden materials with a chipper, shredder, or lawnmower will help them decompose faster.

5. Size of The Pile
The activity of millions of microorganisms generates heat in the compost pile but a minimum size 3-foot by 3-foot by 3-foot is needed for a hot, fast composting pile. Piles that are any larger may hamper the air supply needed in the pile for the microorganisms.

6. Moisture and Aeration
If you can imagine a wet squeezed out sponge with its many air pockets, then this would be the ideal enviroment for the microorganisms in the pile to function at their best. Pay attention while your pile is composting, to the amount of rain or a drought you may have. Water in a drought and maybe turn the pile in a lot of rainy days. The extremes of these two may upset the balance of the pile. The use of a pitchfork would come in handy at this time.

7. Temperature and Time
Keep your pile between 110F and 160F and the beneficial bacteria will love it. Not too cool nor too hot.
The temperature will rise over several days if you keep a good ratio of carbon and nitrogen, maintain lots of surface area within a large volume of material, and maintain adequate moisture and aeration.

-Importance of Compost-

+Compost has nutrients, but it is not a complete fertilizer.

+Compost provides nutrients in the soil until plants need to use them.

+ It loosens and aerates clay soils

+ Retains water in sandy soils.

-Using the Compost-

+ A soil amendment, mix 2 to 5 inches of compost into gardens each year before planting.

+ A potting mixture, add one part compost to two parts potting soil.

+ Make your own potting mixture by using equal parts of compost and sand or perlite.

+ A mulch, prodcast 2 to 4 inches of compost around annual flowers and vegetables, and up to 5 inches around your trees and shrubs.

+ A top dressing, mix finely sifted compost with sand and sprinkle evenly over lawns.

The final thing I would suggest once you have mastered the art of composting is to look very seriously at making your very own aerated compost tea. This elixir will give you results that are hard to believe.

Basic Info for Organic Gardening

Article Source: http://www.organicgardenarticles.com