Recipes
Main Dishes
|
COMPOSTING!
Composting Tips from friend and garden expert, Ron Wilson.
Composting is a practical and convenient way to handle yard trimmings
such as leaves, excess grass, chipped brush, plant cuttings, etc. And
the results of your composting efforts will one of the best soil amendments
that no money can buy! (And it's a better option than sending this yard
waste to the landfills!) The compost equation: Carbon + Nitrogen + Water
+ Air = COMPOST! By combining your yard trimmings and other clean yard
or vegetable wastes with soil or garden fertilizer, keeping the pile
properly moistened and turned, the compost pile begins to heat and cook
as the bacteria and fungi break down the ingredients.
What can I compost? -Leaves, grass clippings, plant refuse, wood chips,
sod, livestock manure, vegetative kitchen scrapes, weeds, straw, pine
needles, dead plants, aquarium water / algae and plants, some newspapers,
wood ash, egg shells, coffee grounds and lot's more. Stay away from
meat, bones, dairy products, cat / dog feces, cooking oils, things sprayed
with pesticides, even insect and diseased plants. NOTE: Although grass
clippings can be added to the compost pile, they are best returned back
to the turf where they belong. Clippings returned to the turf will generate
25% of your lawn's total fertilizer needs. So don't bag it; return those
clippings back to the turf!
Where should my compost pile be located? - Find an out of sight area
that is well drained, away from tree roots, not in the shade, and accessible
with a garden hose. Remove any sod underneath so the pile will be in
direct contact with the soil.
Building the compost pile - Composting does not require a bin, but they
do help to keep the pile neat and easier to handle. Bins need to be
at least 3x3x3' to heat properly. A 5x5x5' is a much nicer size to work
with. Ready made bins are available, or can be made with concrete blocks,
chicken wire, fencing, wooden slats, etc. The sides must be designed
to allow proper air flow to the pile. You may even consider the compost
tumblers for ease of turning the pile.
Creating the compost pile - Layer the materials you'll be using in your
compost pile. 6-8 inches of materials, a little fertilizer, some garden
soil, moisten, layer again, and again until reaching the 3-5' height.
Now it's up to you to help monitor proper moisture levels as the composting
begins. Turning the pile will begin about one week after the initial
pile is made. Move the inside of the pile to the outside. When your
pile is really cooking, it will heat to 140-160 degrees in the middle!
Your finished compost will be dark in color, crumbly in nature, and
have an 'earthy' smell. The pile should be reduce to 1/3 to ½
its original size.
Composting Tips - If the compost has a bad smell, turn it to provide
more air. If the center is dry, moisten and turn the pile. If the compost
is damp and warm only in the middle, the pile is too small. If the pile
is damp and sweet smelling but still won't heat up, add nitrogen. And
remember, yard waste will compost quicker, when finely ground. Good
luck!
For more information, visit ohioline.osu.edu / Composting at Home.
Great Composting Tips.
Composting
©2007 Rita Heikenfeld and AboutEating.com
|
|
|
|
