Homemade Compost

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Posted on 29th March 2010 by Composted in Related Information

Flies and compost
Creative Commons License photo credit: paperfacets

Making compost at home is easy and shouldn’t require much work at all.
One of the better methods of starting your compost pile is to do so in levels. You can start with leaves and your lawn cuttings, then add some soil and next your kitchen scraps. Then layer again as before and you can even decide to add manure.

Additional items to include in your compost pile could be coffee grounds, leaves, grass and manure. Don’t include any meat or dairy food in your pile as this may result in rotting instead of decomposing and will bring in rodents.

With just a little effort, you can have great compost made at home within just a few short months.

Wooden Compost Bins

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Posted on 28th March 2010 by Composted in Compost Bins |Composted

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Finding the right wooden compost bin is not always easy. You may decide that you would prefer to build your own as they are very easy to build and will cost a fraction of the price.

For some great wooden compost bin plans, check out the link on the top of this site.

Your specific composting time depends on your mix of materials, moisture of the compost, weather, etc. For the best results, we suggest using 75% dry ingredients (leaves, grass clippings, shredded newspaper) and 25% moist waste (vegetable scraps, dead flowers, etc). The composter will work with any blend of organic materials, but it may take longer to complete the process. The fact that this unit lacks a bottom only makes it easier for those helpful earthworms to access your compost.

Composting Tips

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Posted on 26th March 2010 by Composted in Related Information

Brewing : Pouring the beerOur Tip on Just How Humid Should Your Pile Be.
photo credit: tibchrisCreative Commons License

The simplest way to describe just how moist your pile needs to be is compared to a squeezed out sponge. For those who do not have much rain, then water on your pile every day or two. If the pile gets too waterlogged, you’ll want to take into consideration drainage or elevating it.

Super Tip

For a little indulgence now and then, add a little dark beer to your pile. The yeast will react positively with the microbes and will keep your pile balanced.

Compost Heap

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Posted on 25th March 2010 by Composted in Related Information

Things to consider when looking after your compost heap…

Turning and Maintaining Your Pile

As a way to have a balanced composting pile, you will need to maintain it a little. Based on your particular choice of pile, bin or container will minimize or increase how much care it will require. A pile calls for little maintenance, with just the periodic turning about once a week to enhance the air circulation. Airing your pile increases the decomposition process and is essential to the overall health of your compost. The bacteria and organisms that create humus have to have air to live. The simplest way to turn and air your pile is performed with a pitch fork.

Pitched
Creative Commons License photo credit: Clearly Ambiguous

Do You Know Your Compost is Ready.

After a couple of months, you’ll need to know if the compost is ready. Humus looks similar to very dark soil and smells like earth. Now you can certainly use it in your garden to feed your plants. There isn’t one single process to compost making so whatever route you take, you are able to and will produce compost for your garden. With so many distinct options, you are sure to choose the best one for you and your life and remember that at the end, you not only help in lowering landfill, but additionally create humus, known as garden gold.

Indoor Compost Bin

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Posted on 25th March 2010 by Composted in Composted |Indoor Compost Bins

Indoor compost bins require a little more planning to ensure that you don’t have any funny smells to deal with. The main reason that any compost bin will smell is because the cutting of fruit and veggies are not completely covered. They are the elements that create heat in your compost heap or bin, so in order to keep them from creating a smell, you need to keep them covered.

This is not difficult and for those looking to compost indoors, here are a few options to take a look at.

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Buy Compost Bin

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Posted on 25th March 2010 by Composted in Buying Compost Bins

If you are in the market to buy a compost bin there are a few things you will need to take into consideration before you get started.

1. Are you going to be storing your cuttings inside your house until the end of the day or will you want to throw them out after preparing food? – This will alter where you locate your compost bin. If you are storing before you compost, then it doesn’t have to be very close to the kitchen door, but if you plan to throw your peels into it every time you peel or prepare food, then you’ll definately want it close by.
6_MyrtleStreetCompostBin
Creative Commons License photo credit: Steven Parker
2. How much compost material are you going to produce. A larger family is going to need a bigger composter and if you only produce a small amount of peels and cuttings, then you won’t need a very big one. Remember to take into consideration all your garden cuttings too and lawn shavings.

3. What are you going to do with your compost. If you are going to use it for your garden and are active in your gardening, then you’ll want to produce your compost faster, so that you can make more and use more. Tumblers and worm farming might be worth a consideration and knowing alittle about temperature to optimize your composting is a good idea.

Now that you know a little more, you’ll want to look at your budget and see what is available in your price-range

Compost Piles

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Posted on 23rd March 2010 by Composted in Composted |Make Compost

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Do You Need Composting Bins and Containers?

Would it be vital to have a bin or a container? Certainly they will avert your pile from dispersing as they all do and definitely will keep your composting contained. Should you choose to get a bin, you will need to also invest in a pitch fork so as to turn your compost. Some top composting barrels enable rotating by means of a winder, or you can purchase ones that have a motor, but that type of expenditure is only worthwhile if you are composting on a commercial level.

Creative Commons License photo credit: myrtle_avenue_brooklyn

Alternate options to a barrel or bin should include just fencing off a section of the yard utilizing chicken wire. Wood crates are also extremely popular because they permit air flow to circulate. Both of these methods are very easy to make, affordable and function very well.

Compost Process

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Posted on 22nd March 2010 by Composted in Composted |Related Information

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Cold and Hot Composting

Based on your circumstances, you may get out there and do either cold and hot composting. Cold composting is sometimes called ‘no turn’ composting because of you not having to work your pile. You only include organic material and allow it to do its thing. Cold composting will take a lot longer to rot.

Steaming compost
Creative Commons License photo credit: SuperFantasticWarm composting is way more popular because the decomposition happens considerably faster and enables more greens to be added. Green vegetables and cuttings will yield more heating in your composting pile. A warm, active compost pile can and definitely will produce good quality compost within three to four months.

A cold pile will take nearly a full year to generate the exact same. If you decide on a hot pile and care to know what temperature is recommended, you can purchase a composting thermometer from the local garden retail outlet. For beginners, this is an useless expense and if your aim is to lower your rubbish and composting isn’t about generating a large amount of compost quickly, then your compost pile will work fine at any temperature.

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    Backyard Composting

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    Posted on 22nd March 2010 by Composted in Related Information

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    Creative Commons License photo credit: Steven Parker

    Ready to get into your backyard and get composting.  You’ll want to think about location first of all.   The positioning of the compost pile ought to be:-

    1.In accordance with your local authority ordinances that control where you can locate your pile, if there are an.

    2.Convenient or at least fairly convenient with regards to the kitchen area. If you’re not going to keep your scraps in a container in the kitchen, then you’ll need to get to your composting pile effortlessly.

    3.Include very good drainage. You do not want your compost heap to be drenched, so it needs to have a little drainage. If you are going to build or purchase a composter which is off the ground, then this shouldn’t be a problem, but for compost heaps, drainage is essential.

    4.Direct sunlight could dry out your compost pile, but generally speaking this can very easily be prevented and the sun’s heat will help with keeping your compost heated and working well.

    5.Bear in mind your pile may attract tiny insects and ants, so keep that in mind when choosing your location.

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    Composting Troubleshooting – Composting Cures

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    Posted on 19th March 2010 by Composted in Compost Troubleshooting

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    Composting twins
    The main reason that so many people are buying the barrel composters is that they are convenient, but also because composting worries people.  They don’t want to have crawling critters, rodents and other pests wondering through their gardens and a lot of people assume that all composters produce unpleasant odors.

    If you maintain your pile properly, you won’t have to worry about any of these problems.  A healthy pile shouldn’t smell of anything other than soil.

    So what if you do have a problem, how do you fix it…

    Creative Commons License photo credit: dsa66503

    Problem 1. – Pongy And Smelly

    If your compost bin is smelling, it is usually caused by an excess of greens or the greens not being stirred into the mixture.  If your pile starts to smell, add some brown materials and see if it improves.

    Problem 2. – Flies

    The main reason for having flies is if your food scraps are not buried into the centre of the pile at least 6″ down.  If you are just throwing the food waste on top, then you aren’t going to get rid of your flies.

    Problem 3.  – Rats and Rodents

    If you land up with rodents, then it’s likely that some fatty food or some meat has made it’s way into your pile.  Turn your pile and see if the rodents leave it alone, if not, you may have to get some rodent repellant from your home center.

    Problem 4. -  Moisture

    Too little or too much both cause problems.  Too much moisture and the compost will rot, not decompose.  Too little moisture and absolutely nothing will happen.  If you have too much moisture, take a look at the drainage in the area, if too little, you may need some shade or just a regular watering.

    Problem 5. – Cold

    In winter there will always be a slowing down of the decomposing process.  You can make a much larger pile and cover it to keep the heat in and allow it to simmer during the cold winter months.

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