Start To Compost Now

Compost to turn waste into excellent food and feed your garden. In a hurry? A waste-activator can aid in the process.If you do not already put your household waste to use, there is no time like the Spring to start. So much effort has gone into your garden, why not improve the chances for survival? Plants have to eat too you know! It's the best plant food going.

Seriously, your household garbage will be cut down tremendously. Your municipality will thank you for that. Composting reduces pollution. It takes little effort to maintain, and is practically free to do.

You can purchase bins usually through your Town Office or any department or hardware store to get started. You can start a garden-mulch pile in the far corner of your yard. Or, it is fairly easy to construct a box made of pallets simply nailed together.

These boxes are approximately 4 feet high. The top flips up to let it air and get a little sun from time to time. As the mulch is forming, the open slits in the side provide air circulation as well.

I have one of these pallet boxes. The front panel slides up and down at the front. This allows you to retrieve your composted soil from the bottom as the pile builds. Another idea you can try is to build an enclosure surrounded by chicken wire.

I think it's a good idea to contain your heap somehow. Afterall, it is garbage, and depending what is in there, can attract flies, or rodents. It could give off a smell. And if it does, give it a turn. There should actually be no smell at all. At least that is what I have been always told. Good compost is odorless.

Anyway, an enclosed area just makes your property look much more attractive.

So, you now have a pallet box, or bin, or enclosed area ready.

General rule? If it rots, just throw it in.

This can be any number of things. Kitchen waste like coffee grounds, vegetable cuttings, egg shells, and tea bags are wonderful items for the mulch.

Any plant cuttings of course like grass clippings, raked leaves, old flowers that are pulled in the Fall are perfect. Hay, straw and wood shavings are great too. Throw them all in.

There are exceptions though. DO NOT put in things like dog or cat feces, cat litter, diapers, meat or fish leftovers in there. Don't put glossy paper in there. But you can put in an egg carton.

The list of what to compost or not is more complex, but this is an excellent start, and we don't have to get too technical about it.

And it's all about the heat. This is what will start to happen. The heap will begin to literally heat up. This is good. It means that things are decomposing. The worms love leaves by the way, and the more of those, the better. Find some worms and put them in. They will go to work right away.

Alternate the items. Mix the compost up a bit and then leave the pile alone for a few weeks. If the mulch seems too dry, throw some water on it. Not too much, but give it a good drink like you would a houseplant. Lift the lid and let the sun beat down on the pile for a day.

Keep the pile evened out in the bottom. Gently press the heap down and spread from side to side. The occasional stir gives it air circulation and in turn, gives that boost to start the heat process up again.

Mother Nature will take over and reduce this garbage to beautiful food for your garden.

Whether its in a pallet box, a bin or a pile.....just get started.

It will take at least 8 weeks to a number of months or one year to get some compost from the bottom of the pile. But once you start this and become accustomed to the routine, you will truly appreciate your own efforts in the long run. You will have good nutritious food to spread in your garden.

The plants will thank you too very much for your efforts, and you will see that by how they look and produce from one season to the next.

Make mulching your leaves simpler, and mow them. See this site for some great pointers.

You don't have to literally break down EVERYTHING. Know what makes the best garden-mulch?

When you rake your leaves during the Fall season, put them into garbage bags. The darker ones are the best.

Add a little bit of dirt (a few shovel fulls) to each bag. If you have room somewhere, store the bags over the winter. In the Spring, open them up and spread these bags of "muck" over flower beds, around bushes and shrubs and at the base trees.

This is great stuff to hold future moisture and another way to keep weeds down as well. Best of all, it is FREE!!

Coffee Grounds are Very Useful - Starbucks Knows Too


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Tip: If you don't have alot of patience, there is a compost- activator that can be used, which basically is a bacterial product that gives your heap a quicker start to the breaking down process.

If you would like to know more about "How to Grow A Succesful Vegetable Garden", Garden Planting Tips is an informative and interesting site, especially for "Beginner Gardeners."

These black bins are wonderful for starting your scrap pile. They are sturdy, can handle all types of weather, and can hold so much.

Off the ground, well contained and easier to handle? This container could be another alternative to consider as well.

All composting methods get the job done in the end. If looking for quick, clean, efficient and easier on the back, then there are choices available. The important thing is, is that you have at least started.

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