Composting
Composting is a method of speeding up the
natural decomposition of organic matter. It is a way to quickly turn your
yard waste and some household waste into a nutrient rich compost that will
do wonders for your garden. So if you are ready to get started composting,
read on.
What Can Be Composted
Just about all of your yard waste and a few
things from your household waste can be composted successfully. You can
put the following items in your compost pile: grass clippings, leaves,
straw, vegetables, fruit, coffee grounds, cow and livestock manure (not
dog or cat manure), shredded paper, sawdust and twigs or small branches.
Types Of Composting
There are three types of composting methods.
The method that you choose depends on how much time you have and how much
work you would like to put into it.
Cold Composting
This is the easiest and slowest method of
composting. With this method, you just pile your grass clippings and
leaves in a bin or on the ground. This will work for you if you do not
have much waste to dispose of and if you are in no hurry to get usable
compost. It can take up to a year to get usable compost.
Hot Composting
This method is harder work but will yield much
quicker results. You need to have a large amount of yard debris for
this method of composting. You need to place the debris in a bin and the
pile should be 3 feet wide by 3 feet deep by 3 feet tall. Since
temperatures in a Hot Compost pile can reach almost 160 degrees, it has
the additional benefit of killing off most weed seeds. For more
information on this method, visit the following link:
Hot Composting.
Vermicomposting
Another less known of method of composting
involves the use of worms. The advantage of this method is that you can
place the pile in a garage and do it year round. The other two methods
only work in the growing season. This method also works better than the
other two in disposing of kitchen scraps. For more information on this
method go here: Vermicomposting
Using Compost
You can use compost in just about every area
of your garden to improve your soil. It also makes a great mulch and
is a good alternative to chemical fertilizers.
|