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Are You A Nature Helper? Try Composting!By Jimmy Woodall Composting is the natural breakdown by microbes of organic material to a dark, loose and 'earth-like' substance. Composting is a simple, natural, and nearly effortless method for recycling yard trimmings, such as leaves and grass, into a wonderful soil conditioner for lawns and gardens. Composting Myths It is a tribute to composting that humans have taken such a simple, natural process and elevated it through myth and misunderstanding into a form of new age alchemy. Objectives To provide an understanding of medium and large scale composting Explore problems associated with the composting process Examine appropriate organic materials suitable for composting Exchange information and foster relationships. Be sure to do your homework to make the most of your composting. A composting system can be started in old garbage bins, wooden boxes, or in a simple heap. Worm composting does not generate temperatures high enough to kill pathogens. Due to the efficient composting process utilized, the period between emptying rounds is long. In addition, composting can, but not always, contain a good range of plant nutrients. Plastic bag composting is perhaps the simplest of all composting methods requiring no structure other than a black plastic garbage bag. PATIENCE, PATIENCE Plastic bag composting is convenient, but, like pit composting, the process occurs mainly under anaerobic conditions and much slower than composting in well-ventilated structures. In order to keep composting simple and inexpensive, let's put to rest some of the more popular myths. Backyard Composting, Backyard composting is an easy way to recycle yard and food waste into valuable soil amendment. Many people think that composting is difficult and messy, not at all. So the green waste you leave outside your house for collection could soon be back on your garden as compost. Food wastes could comprise another 10% of the total waste volume. Worm composting is a process that uses red earthworms, also commonly called redworms, to consume organic waste, producing castings (an odor-free compost product for use as mulch), soil conditioner, and topsoil additive. For great growing conditions, mix compost with soil into a raised bed such as these in our seen in demonstration gardens. Anything done to improve the yard or garden which does not consider the needs of the soil is a waste of time, and potentially damaging both to the soil and to the community of plants it supports. Improving your soil is the first step toward improving plant health. By leaving your clippings on the lawn and allowing them to work their way back into soil, you will improve soil health and reduce pesticide and fertilizer use. Organic matter includes plant materials and some animal manures. Organic materials used for compost should include a mixture of brown organic material (dead leaves, twigs, manure) and green organic material (lawn clippings, fruit rinds, etc. Unprocessed materials can be used in vermin composting, but the time required for complete degradation of the organic waste is generally six months or longer. COMPOST is Mother Nature's way of recycling plant material into a substance that is beneficial to our soil. A simple recipe for backyard composting is to alternate layers of nitrogen-rich 'green' materials with carbon-rich 'brown' materials. Turn the pile occasionally to move materials to the middle. Make sure you use equal amounts of green and brown materials to make good compost Mixing the contents now and again with a fork or broom handle will also add air and help the rotting process. Cut down on your trips to the garden by keeping a kitchen caddy (a small kitchen bin with a lid) to collect your kitchen waste. Too many leaves in a compost bin will slow the process. Its nutrient content depends to a large extent on the raw materials which have gone into the heap. Setting up an empty bin nearby, and forking the material into the now empty bin. Home-built units can be constructed from pallets, lumber, hardware cloth, tires, and metal barrels, among other materials. When organic materials are turned and mixed on a regular basis (every five to ten days), compost can be made in two months or less (assuming a good carbon/nitrogen mix and proper moisture content). The materials are then tilled in with a hoe, spade, garden fork, or rotary tiller. At the same time it helps your garden, it also helps your environment by reducing the amount of organic material that literally goes to waste (and becomes waste) in your local landfill. Composting is a wonderful teaching tool which can introduce and explain far reaching concepts like life cycle, the importance of death and decomposition, soil recycling, resource management, garbage and landfills. Composting is the decomposition of materials that originated from animals and plants. Composting is an excellent method for farmers and gardeners to recycle material from farmlands and gardens to enrich soils and simultaneously reduce the amount of material sent to local landfills. Composting is the process by which these organic materials decompose into a nutrient-rich soil conditioner; so that flowers, vegetables, and fruit trees can thrive in a nutrient-rich environment. About the author Jim Woodall has 49Years business Exp, does Internet and Affiliate Mktg. A must visit is his Composting website, lots good info at http://jwoodl.com/composting Also claim your three free Ebooks NO Obligation at http://freegiveaways.jwoodl.com/index.html |
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