In The
Garden:
The Wonderful World of Compost
Compost. Some
call it "Black Gold." That rich, dark garden elixir that plants love.
We consider it the ultimate in recycling—left-over plant
material, either from your kitchen or yard waste, turned into perfect
fertilizer for your lawn and garden. Making compost is easy and
provides many benefits.
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Compost is
simply decomposed organic matter. It is nature's recycling plan. Left
to the elements, all organic matter decays and returns to the earth to
be used as nutrients for plants. Home composting simply harnesses this
natural process.
Compost is
beneficial in many ways:
- Improves soil tilth, making it more "loamy."
- Compost won't "burn" plants like some artificial
fertilizers will.
- Soil improved with compost retains and disburses water
better, making it more drought-resistant.
- Encourages the development of beneficial microorganisms found
in the soil that contribute to plant health.
- Improves plants' disease resistance.
- Improves soil pH.
Some
people worry that a compost bin or pile in their yard will smell bad.
This is not true. A properly tended compost bin or pile should not
smell at all. And it's very easy to care for compost. The most
important thing is to know what should and should not be included in
your compost.
Do include:
- Vegetable and fruit scraps
- Grass clippings
- Leaves
- Small garden clippings
and dead stalks
Do Not Include:
- Meat and Dairy Products
- Fats/Oils
- Bones
- Beans
- Synthetic fibers
- Sawdust from treated wood
- Charcaol ashes (contains unhealthy chemicals)
- Domestic animal waste
Your compost
should be kept slightly moist. Too much moisture can produce odors. If
this is the case, turn your compost over with a shovel to mix in more
air (you should do this periodicaly in any case) and add some dry
material such as lawn clippings or leaves. Conversely, ants in your
compost are a sign that it is too dry.
Many people say
that there are optimum "recipes" for compost. Like two parts brown (dry
leaves, hay or other dry matter) to one part green (grass clippings and
kitchen scraps). However, while this type of ratio may be optimum, any
combination of the above listed ingredients should produce fine compost.
There are all
kinds of (usually expensive) compost bins on the market, but you don't
need to spend a lot of (or even any) money to make compost. It's
possible to simply pile your composting material in a corner of your
yard and turn it with a shovel from time to time. But most people
prefer some sort of container. One of the simplest bins is made from
chicken wire. Just take several feet of chicken wire and loop it around
several wooden stakes to make a circle.
Different types of compost bins
Here are some
good links for further information on composting, including some bin
designs:
Backyard
Composting
Mother
Earth's "Compost Made Easy
How
to Build a Compost Bin
Plans
for a Fancy Compost Bin
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