Garden waste and composting
Composting is an excellent way for garden clearance. The process to build the compost post is easy with the resulting compost beneficial to your home garden. Home compost is also advantageous to the environment as it reduces the amount of yard waste sent for incineration or to the landfills.
For kitchen waste, compost bins are going for as little as $12. Garden waste, on the other hand, is bulky, and the best way to make compost out of it by digging a pit in the ground and using it for the composting purpose. Still sound complicated? Here is a brief guideline on home composting advice.
How composting works
Composting is the decomposition of materials from plants and animal. The process is natural and happen without a human assistant. However, in our case, we need the garden waste to decompose fast necessitating the improvement of the composting area.
From garden clearance, one gets vegetable cutting, plant and flower trimming, eggshells, dry leaves and papers. The result of compost is a dark, crumbly matter that is highly nutritious to plants.
Process of garden composting
Add the organic material into the compost pit or bin. Natural materials are any plant and animal material except tree branches and animal bones. With the assistant of fungi and bacteria, the materials are broken down to produce compost manure.
For the process to work at the optimum level, the compost needs heat of around 60 degrees which is the proper temperature for the microorganism to work at. The temperature will later fall to 30 degrees.
Small creatures such as insects and worms help in breaking down the tougher material. The process might last 4 to 6 months. To help speed the process ensure that the compost is well aerated and no water stagnate in the pit or bin.
How to build garden waste compost bin or pit
Purchase a compost bin at a local store and ensure that it is large enough to accommodate the garden waste. If not, you can build your compost pit. Dig a proportional pit and in a well-drained ground. The pit should be fenced to keep out rodents and bar from strong wind.
Add the material. Mix and sprinkle with water. Add decomposing catalyst if possible. Cover with soil.
What to put in compost pit
Any decomposable material is okay to add. Examples include shredded paper, straw and hay, grass and plant cutting, horse manure, leaves, crushed egg shells, etc.
What to avoid
Meat or fish, used nappies, cooked food, diseased plants, dairy products, coal ash, plastic, etc.
The reason to avoid meat and fish is that after rotting, the material will produce odour which is not comfortable especially if the area is highly populated. Avoid diseased plant as the chances are that the manure will carry the diseases to fertilised plants. The same goes to persistent weed.
With the above guidelines, the process looks simple. Give it a try and see how things unfold. Remember to regularly visit the bin or pit to observe the decomposition progress.