Composting
Create Your Own Compost
-
Compost
is a rich organic material that is created as other when different kinds of
organic matter decay. Composting is a good way to use your organic rubbish to
enrich your soil. Here are a few ways that you can use compost:
- To
aerate soil that contains too much sand or clay.
- To
increase nutrients in the soil.
- As
mulch, to keep your plants cooler and moist through out hot summers.
- To
restore nutrients that gardening removes from the soil.
Fall is typically the best time
to start a compost bin, because you have a lot organic remains lying around,
like scraps from your garden and leaves. This is how you make your compost.
Materials You'll Need
-
You can purchase a compost
bin or make one of your own from almost any material, such as concrete blocks,
wire fencing, or use bricks to make your compost bin. Bricks work best for
making a compost bin. If you decide to go with wood, be sure the wood you are
using not decay.
Set your compost bin in a
shady spot, because composting does create heat. It should also be placed where
it is fairly level and has excellent drainage.
For the sake of convenience,
place your compost bin near a source
of water, and near your garden.
The organic matter you
require to compost may be any type of plant matter like leaves, grass clippings,
rotten vegetables from your garden, table scraps, weeds, sawdust, etc.
Do not place whole tree
branches into your compost pile; grind them up using a chipper.
To aid speeding up the
composting procedure you can buy what' is known as an inoculant. This has
enzymes and bacteria that get your composting procedure started. Fertilizers
will also work to get thing going.
Building a Pile -
First, build up a six to twelve inch pile using organic material. Then
put in your inoculant or standard fertilizer to work as a catalyst to speed up
the process. Then water
the layer so it is very damp. Duplicate the layering process until you reach the
desired height, or the top of your bin. Maintain the moister, and stir your
compost at least once a week to maintain air circulation.
 Oxygen
is necessary for the bacteria to decay your organic material, so the more
frequently you mix up your heap, the sooner you will create compost.
In a few months, you will have
compost prepared for your garden. You can tell it is ready when your compost has
a consistent dark brown color and falls apart easily.
If you do not need your compost
until the following spring, only turn it over every few months, and the
procedure will slow down.
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