Each year in the spring people venture outdoors to begin planting their gardens and flower beds. The allure of warm, gentle days seems to call out the winter hermits in an act of reseeding the world with beauty and divine scents. One thing that does not make sense is the amount of money spent on commercial fertilizers and compost.
Composting yourself is free and makes some of the best fertilizer in the world. Sure, it does take some time but if you start work on it early you can have rich, dark soil by the time planting season comes around. Composting is environmentally friendly and once you know what can be composted and what cannot, you will be on your way to being eco-friendly. In this article the basics of composting will be covered such as what it actually is technically and how you can begin your own compost heap in your own backyard.
What is composting?
Composting is the process of taking organic material and breaking it down through a variety of chemical and animal processes to achieve fertilizer and plant building material that is both cheap and highly effective. It is very environmentally friendly and is a great way to avoid paying those high costs of bags of fertilizer. You can utilize those leftover food wastes, animal wastes, grass clippings, branches and other organic materials to create a loamy material that will help your plants grow to their maximum potential like no other commercial grade fertilizer possibly can. The best part is that it is free!
What type of materials can be composted?
Any organic material can be broken down. There are some exceptions such as egg shells that take too long to break down that it would seem futile to add them to your compost pile. They will add texture though so it may work out in your benefit. Yard wastes, food wastes and even animal wastes can be added to your compost heap. Each one will add a certain chemical element that will enrich the finished product. The resulting soil will be an incredible boon to your garden, flower beds or yard and you will be amazed at how the cycle of composting occurs.
How do I build a compost heap?
There are plenty of compost plans on the internet and do-it-yourself websites. Most people simply create a pile in one corner of their lot and create their compost heap there. But you want to be careful where you place your compost heap. It will need shade but will still need a little bit of daylight. The area will have to be kept moist and you will want to keep it away from the house and the neighbor's house so that the smell does not become a neighborhood issue. This is especially true if you use pet or animal waste. Rotting food will attract unwanted animals that will rummage through the pile scattering the decomposing material everywhere so be careful how you store your compost heap and what you place in it depending on what type of area in which you live.
What can I use to help the material break down?
If you want your compost heap and material to break down faster you are going to need to keep it aerated, moist and broken into smaller pieces. You can also help break down the material by adding worms and other small insects into the pile that will help eat the organic material. Their waste products are filled with great nutrients for the soil and before long you will have a compost heap that is ready to hit the garden to begin the cycle all over again. It is a circle of life that is a great example of Mother Nature at her finest and shows what recycling can do for the environment.
What can I do with my compost once it is done?
When your compost heap is broken down back into fertilizer you can use it in a variety of ways. You can use it in your garden. You can use it on your lawn and you can use it in your flower beds. Anywhere you use fertilizer you can use your compost material. It is that incredibly versatile and let us not forgets to mention that it is free. That is the best reason of all to compost your organic material.
How does compost improve the soil?
Composting adds valuable nutrients back into the soil such as Carbon, Nitrogen and Oxygen. There are other essential elements that are added that will all work together to add the depleted minerals from the growth cycle back into the soil after a plant has used them. Consider it a natural cycle that is essential for plants, grasses, trees and flowers to grow and thrive.
How can I stop it from smelling so bad?
If you do not want you compost heap to smell horrible you will want to avoid putting in food scraps and animal wastes such as manure and pet droppings. Besides the obvious odor as they decompose, they will attract other animals and you will wind up finding your compost heap scattered across the yard. If you live in a suburban area you will want to try to keep smell to a minimum so keep those food and waste products out of your compost pile and keep just yard trimmings and tree clippings in the pile.
How do I prepare the materials for composting?
Start preparing your compost pile by breaking up the materials into manageable pieces. The object is to help the materials break down or decompose faster. Larger pieces will hinder the process. A shredder works wonders for yard trimmings. If you are using manure you will want to take a pitch fork and break up the clumps before adding them into the pile. Try to keep the pieces to sizes around the shape of a leaf if it is at all possible. If you can keep them even smaller to help speed up the process that much faster and before long you will have a mound of fertilizer to use however you see fit.
Can I put my pet's waste in for composting?
You can put your pet's droppings into your compost pile but be warned: it will attract animals and is going to smell pretty bad as it begins to break down. If you live in the suburbs this may not be the best idea. Rural areas where you can move the compost heap to a far enough location may be okay but just be prepared for an atrocious smell. Sometimes it's better to just stick with organic materials such as yard trimmings.
Do I need to water or turn my compost pile over?
Compositing works best when the leaves and other materials remain moist. You do not want the material pile soaking wet but you do want it moist enough to aid the decomposition process. Once you wet the top layers, take a pitch fork and begin turning the pile over. Each time you reach a dry layer make sure and spray the area with water before turning over a new layer.
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Today's Tip On Composting
The organic materials suitable for composters include various plant materials, food scraps, and some varieties of animal manure. Good compost should include a mix of brown organic material and green organic material. The brown organic matter includes such as dead leaves, twigs, and manure. The green material will be comprised of things such as grass clippings, hedge trimmings, coffee grounds, fruit rinds and vegetable waste.
