Enrich Your Garden By Making Compost

Composting is one of the oldest methods used to fertilize gardens. Learning how to compost can be one of the best ways to save money on fertilizer. And another great benefit is you can reduce allot of waste from ending up in landfills. When the compost is done it will turn a dark color, becomes crumbly and can not decompose any further. Compost can be used as a natural fertilizer and eliminate the need of using chemical fertilizer. It will also help to retain water better, reduce the growth of weeds, and improve soil.

So what are the steps required to make your own compost? The most common way is this: 2 parts of brown material mixed with 1 part green material.

A compost pile is a teeming community of micro organisms that help break down organic matter like yard debris into compost. To encourage the growth of these micro organisms, you need to use natural fertilizer that is two parts “brown” materials, such as dried leaves, which are rich in carbon. Next one part green material which contains lots of nitrogen will be mixed with the brown material, material like grass clipping, when the brown material is mixed with green it will stimulate the micro organisms making the material heat up and producing compost fast.

List Of The Brown Material:
Old potting soil, twigs, dried grass and leaves, shredded newspaper, straw wood chips

For Green Material:

Lawn grass, green leaves and hedge trimmings, plants, fruits, vegetables, used coffee grinds

Material NOT To Put In The Pile:

Diseased plants, weeds with seed heads, invasive weeds such as quack grass and, morning glory, pet feces, bread and grains, meat or fish parts, dairy products, grease, cooking oil or oily foods

Compost Pile Size:
To make compost fast, chop or shred large items. The smaller you can get the material, the faster it will be done. Shears can be used to cut branches into smaller sections. Use a chipper shredder or lawn mower to shred leafs into smaller pieces.

Make the pile about 3 feet high and about 3 feet in length for quicker compost. Why is the size of the pile important? Because this is a great way to make the pile produce allot of heat and speed up the composting process. This is a good size to heat up the compost and it will be ready for use faster.

Giving Water And Air To The Compost:
Air and water is essential for life. Micro organisms must have air and water to complete the composting task. Sprinkle some water over your compost material. If possible, make them as damp as a wrung out sponge. You can give the material air by turning the pile, as well as making sure there is vent holes on your bin.

If you need information on how to make a compost bin see this site, also have a look at the latest project, how to build a shed.

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Related posts:

1. Learn Why You Should Make Compost
2. Why Is Composting Good For Your Garden?
3. Who Makes Garden Compost?