Composting is a great way to help Mother Earth and/or your home garden. Composting is a process where one allows organic matter, otherwise considered waste, to decompose and become a nutrient rich soil conditioner known as compost. Compost can be used to feed the vegetables and fruit you have growing in your garden. It can also be used to help those ornamental shrubs and trees grow. No matter what you use it for, compost benefits the earth by providing nutrients and minerals that would otherwise go to waste in a landfill.
Making compost is easy. Simply keep a bucket in your kitchen so you can discard any vegetable peels or scraps left over from dinner. Make sure you do not mix the vegetable piles with any meats, bones, or fats. Eggshells are good for the compost, but they do take a long time to decompose. So if you would like to add eggshells to your compost it is a good idea to let them dry and grind them into a powder prior to adding them to your compost. Once you are ready simply take your bucket full of vegetable scraps out to a place where you can pile them together, cover them with leaves and let the composting process begin.
While composting is a relatively easy process it does take a little planning. First off, figure out what type of composter works best for you: a pile left outside semi covered or a compost bin that is fully covered. It all depends on you, where you live and what is easiest to implement to make it sustainable. Our compost pile is set away from the kitchen area but close enough for us to bring out organic material at least three to four times a day. To keep our pile from washing away during times of rain, we enclosed the compost area on three sides. Keep in mind that if you live in an area that gets cold or has a great deal of rain, you may want to keep your compost covered with a tarp or with a make shift roof.
In our compost area we simply pile up our chopped up organic matter and cover it with leaves. We have not had any trouble with animals or bugs. When we see flies start
ing up, we simply make sure we cover the pile with more leaves. Some people opt to use a covered composter. If you live in an urban or suburban area, a covered compost may be helpful as compost piles are a good source of food for some animals. Covered compost bins help eliminate unwanted animals or vermin.
When locating where to put your compost pile keep a few things in mind. You may not want it too close to your house, but you also do not want to put it in a location that makes it inconvenient to get to. You want to make sure that you use your compost pile. Once you have picked the right spot for your pile, decide if you are going to build a compost bin out of scrap wood or pallets, or if you are going to invest in a store bought compost bin. If you are the DIY type of person, making a compost bin is a great project for an individual, family or to share an afternoon activity with friends. There are many different plans for making a compost bin, so perform a search on google or the search engine of your choice.
Once you have your bin or location for a pile, simply follow the process below:
Oh and we do recommend keeping a shovel by your pile. Makes it easier to chop and mix.
Add organic material to your pile
Add some water (if necessary)
Cover with leaves
Mix
Cover with leaves
Add organic material to your pile
Add some water (if necessary)
Cover with leaves
Mix
Add organic material to your pile
It is that simple. Make sure that when you add water to your compost pile that you are not adding too much water. The pile should feel like a wrung out sponge. It should not be too wet, but should have some moisture. The amount of water you add will be determined by the amount of rain that your pile is exposed to. The key in the composting is making sure the pile gets hot, and letting the insects and microorganisms do their work.
Once you have a big enough pile, you may want to start a new pile and let that one sit, so it decomposes well. Once you see rich, black soil with an earthy smell in your pile you know you have some good compost. Now you can take full advantage of your compost and feed your garden, shrubs, and trees.
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