Composting

[AlumniClub]

I grew up in a area, with a yard made up mostly of dirt. My mother always had gardens growing, though, and everything from green beans to strawberries to lilacs peppered the dull dirt yard with color. What always intrigued me about gardening as a child, however, was not to be found anywhere in the many garden retreats of my childhood home, but at the edge of the woods behind my grandmother’s house. Every summer, as we ate our grilled meals with watermelon and berries, things were selectively discarded separately from the other garbage. These rinds and peels made their way out to that pile in the edge of the woods soon after dinner, adding to the compost heap that would eventually become the top soil for my grandmother’s flowers.

As the world becomes increasingly more aware and concerned about environmental issues such as waste disposal and renewable resources, composting is not something that is just confined to suburban homes with woodsy backyards. In fact, some experts predict that within ten years, composting will become as common a source of recycling as recycling aluminum cans or glass bottles. One reason that this does not seem unfeasible is the sheer simplicity of composting as a part of daily household routine. Using kitchen and yard waste to create compost that can be used to create a healthier lawn or garden around your home is a practical way to reuse waste from your home and also save money at the same time.

Essentially, composting is a way of aiding the decomposition process of formerly living plants and organisms that will eventually become part of the soil and add nutrients to the other plants around them. There are some basic necessities for your compost pile or bin. Like any living organism, your compost pile needs ample space for air and it also thrives on water. Microbes that aid in the decomposition process also work quicker when the compost pile is hot, but any temperature above about fifty degrees Fahrenheit can sustain a compost pile.

There are two basic categories of compost. One is green, and the other brown. The best compost piles are a good balance of both green and brown. Green is things like grass clippings, fruit or vegetable leftovers, coffee grinds, and other kitchen waste. Brown compost is things like wood chips, sawdust, dry leaves, and things of that nature. Brown compost may need to be watered before being mixed in to the compost pile. Grass clippings, kitchen waste, not pernicious weeds, hay, wood chips, and other yard waste make great additions to any compost pile. There are things that you should not compost, like chemically treated wood products, weeds, or diseased plants, meat, bones, and human or pet waste. The best way to think of this process is as creating a healthy diet for the microbes that are creating this compost for you. If you meet their ideal conditions, you will get a great final product that will meet your gardening needs.



GB2

SOURCE: Copyright 2006 info-revealed.com All Rights Reserved.
http://gardening.info-revealed.com/a...omposting.html

[AlumniClub]

Composting has been around since the beginning of time and it is one of the best ways to feed your garden organically. Basically, composting allows you to turn organic waste into rich nutrients for your garden and, while composting is a very simple process, there are some basic steps that you should follow in order to build a good composting pile.

Keep in mind too, that just about anyone can compost and just about anything that was once alive can be used for composting. You don’t really even need a special bin or box to contain a compost pile. All you really need is the compost material (although some kind of container is recommended just for the sake of tidiness and for keeping rodents, flies and creepy crawler types away).

Material for composting can come from dead grass, leaves, shrubs, and lawn trimmings as well as left over fruits and vegetables from the table. Most home composts are contained in old trash bins with lids or even boxes made from spare wood or wire frames. The most important thing is that the pile of compost be exposed to air.

Another key to successful composting is layering. Composts should have alternating layers of green and brown organic materials. The green organic material should consist of fruits, vegetables and grass clippings, for example, whereas the brown organic material should come from dry leaves, twigs or small pieces of wood. If you have too much green organic material the compost will become too high in nitrogen whereas too much brown organic material in the compost will make it too rich with carbon. Too much nitrogen may cause slime and too much carbon may cause the composting process to move too slowly.

Maintenance of your compost pile or bin is also important. Don’t let the pile dry out. It should be regularly checked to see that its moisture is maintained and it should be watered if there is not enough moisture. It must also be regularly mixed and fluffed to make sure that the entire compost pile is exposed to adequate amounts of air. Mixing the compost pile approximately every two weeks should be sufficient. It is also best, but not absolutely necessary, if your compost pile is directly in the sun and if your compost is not inside a container of some type, the best place for it is directly on the soil.

While knowing how and what should go into your compost pile is important, knowing what should not go into your compost pile is equally important. Chicken, dairy, fish, and meat products should never go into a compost and neither should human waste or pet waste, fats and oils, diseased plants, or even plants that have been sprayed with herbicide.

Composting is a simple process and easily learned. You will also reap many benefits from composting. Not only will you be enriching your soil when you mix it with the compost pile, but you will be disposing of unwanted materials in an earth-friendly way, thereby helping to minimize the amount of garbage dumped into landfills and aiding mother earth in the process.



GB2

SOURCE: http://www.myorganicgardeningsupplie...Gardening.html
My Organic Gardening Supplies

[AlumniClub]

Retzer Nature Center is located just west of Waukesha, Wisconsin, south of Highway 18 on County Road DT. The exit from the highway and the entrance to the park are well marked.

There is a nature center building with various displays, a small picnic area, and trails throughout this reclaimed farm.

Retzer has numerous trails including some through woods containing a small stream, up to a hillside prairie, and a longer hike down to a large Fen.
Trails are moderate to easy and there is a wheelchair accessible trail as well. Trail maps are available at the trail head.

There are various programs throughout the year including both adult and youth activities.

*A permanent display of various composting techniques is available for the home gardener. An annual sale of native prairie flowers is also held each year.

WEBSITE: http://www.qsl.net/wb6jnn/retzer.htm

[MrKhay]

As you consume food, and care for your yard, you can also be helping your lawn and garden. Use the by products from your cooking, and the refuse from your lawn to make compost.
Compost is a natural, organic fertilizer that doesn't cost a penny. It aids plants in root development, loosens clay soil, helps hold water in sandy soils.
Worms love it, and worms help aerate the soil, and deposit their own organic material.
Find more information about composting, and the tools needed at the following link:
http://www.compostguide.com/