Secrets To Making The Best Compost
Making your own compost is a lot easier than many people think. Compost can be very valuable as it can improve soil quality by releasing valuable nutrients from recycled household and garden waste, it helps you reduce the use of artificial fertilisers and in turn saves you money. For other money saving hints and tips, visit gardening info.
Compost is especially valuable on vegetable gardens. Composting is an integral part of the whole food production system.
By composting the waste we can keep the nutrients within our property where we can capitalize on them. Composting is a vehicle to create a nutrient cycle within our property.
To create rich, nutrient field soil in your garden, and especially for a high yielding vegetable garden you need to have a soil conditioning plan. The best thing you can do for your garden is ad a generous layer of good compost few times per year. What is even better is if you turn the compost into the soil by using a pitchfork.
Composting is very easy! A small container on your kitchen bench and a large container in your garden is all you need. A large wooden box, or an old rubbish bin works well. The composting system confines the organic material and controls the conditions so the breakdown is accelerated.
The best thing to do with compost is to layer different materials such us your daily kitchen scraps, grass cuttings, leaves, newspaper, manure and soft plants. You have to make sure that your compost bin is covered so it doesn’t attract pests and also so the mixture doesn’t get too wet. Keep your compost well aerated to prevent foul odours or methane. Turn your compost with a garden fork on a weekly basis. Otherwise place garden stakes or pipes through the heap to allow air in.
Depending on the ingredients of your mix, you can achieve rich soil anywhere between six weeks and six months. If your compost is slow to mature it may be due to not having the right balance between hot and cold materials. To speed up the breakdown process it helps to occasionally water the compost to ensure it is moist and add nitrogen rich material.
There are some items you should never add to your compost mix as they do not break down or because they carry dangerous bacteria such as meat and dairy products, metals, plastic, glass, oils, cat/dog droppings, sawdust from treated timber and weeds.
Applying compost to your garden will have a very positive effect on your soil structure and fertility. With good soil structure and plenty of organic material, you will be able to release nutrients that have been locked up and unavailable to your plants. Your soil will become alive and healthy with micro-organisms and soil bacteria that are beneficial to creating the conditions for proper plant growth. Your vegetables will contain all the essential nutrients in the correct proportions, giving your body the vitamins and minerals it needs to function at its best.
If you make composting part of you daily routine, you can create healthy soil, reduce waste and save money!