Content
Intro
There are many reasons to start composting in your garden. Compost is a natural way of fertilizing your plants and vegetables, it can help you save money on fertilizer, and it's an easy way to reduce your household waste. We will go into detail about all the benefits of composting as well as some things you should know before starting.
You should start composting in your garden now for many reasons. Here are some benefits that may be convincing for you to give composting a try:
- Compost helps all the microorganisms grow which makes nutrients easier for plants to absorb - this means healthier soil! This process also releases nitrous oxide (N20) into the air which has been shown as being beneficial for humans because we need oxygen molecules with nitrogen atoms. There was one study where they concluded: "nitrogen addition increased photosynthesis by 78%". Not only does compost make your garden better, but it also makes the air better.
- Composting is a great way to avoid wasting money on fertilizer because by composting you are essentially creating your own natural fertilizers that will be free! It's nice not to have to buy expensive gardening tools or supplies - and if you use things like eggshells, coffee grounds, sugarcane mulch, leaves, etc., then all this stuff can just go right into the compost bin instead of being thrown away where it will make an unsightly mess. This saves money in two ways: less spent on buying products and much less wasted since there's no need for any produce scraps from vegetables we've eaten anymore either!
- Compost reduces household waste and helps the environment.
- Composting also means that you will not be contributing to landfills that are filling up with garbage every day because your compost can go right into your garden without any harm being done!
- It's best for plants too - they absorb nutrients from the soil much more easily when it is well fertilized by a good compost mixture. Plants grow better in enriched soil and provide more fruits or vegetables than those grown in normal dirt.
- Compost reduces nuisance pests like ants who tend to come out of nowhere during the warmer months and start invading homes on their quest for food scraps left behind after people have eaten outside at picnics etc.. These pests usually get trapped underneath pots or succulents when people are using them to store their compostable waste.
- Composting is one of the best ways you can contribute to a clean and sustainable environment for everyone.
- If your household produces over two pounds per week of food scraps from all meals that get thrown out, then you should definitely be considering starting a backyard compost bin! Remember - there's no need to worry about these things rotting too fast as long as everything gets mixed together on a regular basis so that the bacteria have an opportunity to break down organic matter quickly while still keeping smells and pests at bay. Plus, backyard composting is free, and you'll be able to use it in your garden!
- There are a lot of great reasons why you should start composting in your garden right now. The most important one being that if we all do our part then the earth will have an easier time going green again.
What is Compost
- Composting is the process of decomposing organic material into a soil amendment.
- Compost is organic material that has been decomposed by microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi.
- The term "compost" can also refer to the finished product which is a brownish mass of soil or mulch that can be used as an ingredient in gardening.
- In order for composting to occur, there needs to be an appropriate temperature (this may take up to six months), air, water, and food sources such as green plants and leaves.
- Compost piles should have a moist but not wet texture with plenty of airflow throughout it so that decomposition occurs quickly without generating mold or odors.
- In a compost pile, bacteria and fungi break down plant materials to form new organic compounds.
- The process of decomposition continues until most of the original material has been converted into carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrates, or other nutrients plants can use for growth.
- Composting is also known as "the black gold" because it is rich in nutrients and helps fertilize your garden beds which will lead to higher quality harvests from your crop yields!
Adding to your Black Gold Pile
When you start composting, there are some basic steps to get started. There is a wide variety of containers that can be used for your pile including pallets, wire mesh frames, and old barrels or drums. You also need something on the bottom like gravel or cardboard because organic matter decomposes more quickly when in contact with air while it's being processed by bacteria and insects - this will create heat which helps process it even faster! The pieces should also be broken up into smaller chunks so they'll stay together better during transport the compost from one place to another as well as final processing at the end of its life cycle. To keep things cooking properly (pun intended) moisture needs to remain around 50%. Adding water every now and then will help to ensure this.
- It's always a good idea to put some "green" into the mix, which means adding some nitrogen-rich material like food scraps or garden waste when you're building your pile as it will provide more nutrients that help break down the organic matter quickly and efficiently. This can also be used in conjunction with bone meal as another way of introducing minerals for healthy composting.
- You don't want to wait too long before turning over your pile either because if left alone for too long without being turned, decomposing piles will begin emitting an unpleasant odor due to bacteria breaking down protein from dead plants and animals. The frequency of turnings is up to personal preference but most people tend to turn their piles once every few days
- Composting is a great way to reduce the amount of waste in your garden.
- A compost pile will help soak up rainfall water, which reduces erosion and runoff into streams or rivers.
- The more organic material you add to your soil, the better it can hold nutrients and moisture allowing for healthy plant growth.
Nitrogen Materials
Or green Materials
*Organic Material Examples: Fruit & vegetable scraps from produce such as apples, bananas, carrots; coffee grounds; eggshells; tea leaves/bags - no meat or dairy products*"green materials:" grass clippings (no sod); weeds pulled from lawns before flowering with roots intact (when possible)" nitrogen materials:" kitchen scraps, such as vegetable and fruit scraps from produce such as apples, bananas, carrots; coffee grounds.
Carbon Materials
Or brown materials
- newspapers, cardboard boxes, leaves.
- Paper bags from groceries.
- straw, dried grasses or leaves, shredded nutshells from nut trees.
- Do not use any of the following materials in compost piles: plastic wrappers/bags; meat scraps (meat bones are okay); dairy products; oils or fats; cat litter.
The Ratio of Carbon and Nitrogen Materials
- A good ratio of carbon and nitrogen materials is about 25 parts carbon to one part nitrogen.
*The exception is when you are composting kitchen scraps, which should be approximately 50/50 by weight (i.e., equal amounts).
Instructions: "Soak all food scraps in cold water for a few minutes before adding them to the pile."
Steps to Compost at Home: "If you have access to land or space outside your home--such as an unused corner of your lawn--you can build a simple backyard compost bin with low walls that will help keep rodents out while allowing airflow or if there's no room available on your property, find someone who has a large yard and offer them some of your compost in return for use of their
space.
Tools you need: A good shovel, a pitchfork or two (one with long tines and one-pointed) is all you really need to turn the pile. You can also invest in a manure fork.
Water
Do not use chlorinated water. It will kill the microorganisms that are working in your compost pile breaking down your compost.
Types of Compost: "You can also add cow, horse, or chicken manure to the mix. If you have a garden already established with plants in it, then you'll want to make sure you don't use anything that has been chemically treated for pest control because this could harm them.
The frequency of turnings is up to personal preference, but most people tend to turn their piles once every few days. Composting is an excellent way to decrease the amount of waste in your garden. A compost pile will help soak up rainfall water, which reduces erosion and runoff into streams or rivers. The more organic material you add to your soil, the better it can
- It's not just any old pile of dirt that you're looking for, but rather a healthy ecosystem with nitrogen-producing bacteria and microbial activity to break down food scraps.
- When used as mulch or in containers it can cut back on watering needs by up to 50%!
- By composting your own yard clippings (leaves), grass clippings, kitchen waste & leaves, plants are able to grow healthier because there will be better nutrient levels available in the soil around them.
- The payoff? A healthier environment and a beautiful thriving garden!
If you have any questions about composting, feel free to comment below and we'll do our best to answer them. We hope this blog post helped demystify the process of turning your kitchen scraps into a nutrient-rich soil supplement that's great for gardens!
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