Composting is certainly one of the simplest and most environmentally friendly things you that can do, since food waste accounts for over 25% of the waste collected in the United States. Composting is as simple as collecting left over food and yard trimmings and allowing them to decompose. This decomposed matter, called compost or humus, is also a great amendment to your soil. It adds beneficial nutrients to your soil, helping you to grow healthier and more productive plants. You can even use compost as a potting medium.
Composting occurson it’s own, naturally, however if you residein a region with composting restrictions, or if you are looking to have your compost to mature more quickly, there are several things you can do to intervene. Below are three tips to help you compost more effectively.
1. Use a compost bin. Today numeroud locations require the use of a compost bin rather than just letting you pile up your food waste and yard trimmings. Food scraps attract rats and other animals; obviously, this is a problem. You can prevent animals from getting at your compost by using a compost bin. There are many different types available of compost bins for sale, but the most common is a black plastic bin with a lid on top for adding your organic matter, and a door at the bottom through which you can retrieve your compost.
2. Do not add meat or fat to your compost pile. When we talk of food waste to be composted, that means the waste from fruits or vegetables; i.e. apple peels, onion peel, carrot peels and leaves, etc. You can also include eggshells (wash them off first to prevent the risk of salmonella) and coffee grounds and tea leaves (remove the bag first). It is very important to never include any meat or waste that has been cooked in oil or butter.
3. Build your Compost Pile. After putting in your “green” scraps (food waste or yard trimmings) to your compost pile, you should add a “brown” layer to the bin. A brown layer can be some newspaper or leaves; sawdust or straw can also be used. Layering allows the bin to build nutrient-rich compost. It also helps to keep the bugs down.
Using these three steps, you can easily create healthy, nutrient-rich compost at home. This will eliminate the need for costly soil amendments and will help to save the environment. So composting helps lower your expenses by decreasing the amount of money that you are spending on gardening amendments; you know precisely what is going into your garden because the elements that go into the compost comes directly from your food; and you are assisting the environment. It sure sounds like a great choice to make.
It is easy to locate compost bins for sale on the Internet. What are you waiting for? Get out there are start composting!
RSS FEED
