Saturday, March 29, 2008

Composting Benefits Your Garden

Compost consists of decomposed organic material that comes from common organic waste, such as lawn and grass clippings, small twigs, leaves and compostable kitchen waste.

Many people get a great deal of satisfaction from composting because it is an effective way to recycle organic matter and make good use of it for gardening because the muck is an excellent additive for soil.

Composting results in an excellent material that can be added to any type of soil to prepare it for planting. Adding compost to sandy soils helps to improve the ability of the soil to retain moisture. Mixing compost with clay soils makes it much easier to work with and it is able to sustain a wider variety of plantings.

When the composting cycle has turned the organic waste matter into a muck that is rich in nutrients, you will be able to easily add it to your garden soil. While preparing your soil for a spring planting, simply cover the ground with about 3-4 inches of the compost and then till the soil to mix it in well.

In no time you will start to see a healthy and vibrant garden.

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Thursday, March 27, 2008

Starting A Compost Heap

Because of misunderstandings about the complexity of backyard composting, many people never get started with their own compost projects. But starting a compost heap for your family is actually a very simple thing and is mainly about gathering the right organic materials and then getting out of the way and letting nature take its course.

However, it is good to have some simple and basic guidelines that will help assure the success of your composting project.

However, if you prefer to have the compost heap looking neater and being easier to handle, then it is a good idea to look into compost bins. These bins are available at most garden centers, at online stores that feature organic gardening products and many local recycling departments will provide them for you free or at low cost.

You can start your compost heap with as little as a foot of compostable materials. When you are ready to get your composting project underway, simply mow the yard, weed the garden, empty out your organic kitchen waste and throw in a little newspaper or straw so that you have about a foot of material in the bottom of your compost bin.

Turn the pile occasionally and let nature takes its course and soon you will have some rich compost to add to your vegetable garden.

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Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Organic Waste Recycling Produces Better Compost

There is no longer any doubt that landfills are rapidly filling and nearing capacity and that the price of properly disposing of garbage and sewage is on the rise. In some areas, some relief has been brought about by organic waste recycling efforts.

In addition, this kind of recycling of organic material can also help reduce the dangers of ground water contamination and can help organic farmers prepare soil that is healthier for growing.

Instead of spending huge sums of money to handle, treat, transport and store such waste, many people say this money could be better used to set up ways to improve organic waste recycling. This has the potential to transform a major expense for most municipalities into a new source of income while also helping to cleanup the environment.

After an organic waste recycling program is put into place, the sewage and the animal waste is diverted into the system to produce compostable material that is safe to be used in organic farming and gardening operations.

Estimates state that this method of using waste could supply as much as fifteen percent of the needed nutrients for the treatment of soil that is currently provided through other fertilization sources.

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Sunday, March 23, 2008

Organic Gardening With Quality Soil

Building up sustainable soil for organic gardening starts right after the garden soil testing has been completed. The testing of the soil helps to identify the additional fertilizers and conditioners that can be added.

When attempting to garden organically, testing, maintaining and improving the soil is a constant process and one that is well worth the effort, according to those who advocate organic farming and gardening.

Creating sustainable soil for gardening organically means that you have to be able to replenish the topsoil of the garden.

One of the best substances to have for keeping the soil rich and healthy enough for an organic garden is a good supply of compost. In addition to compost, it is good to have enzymes, earthworms, and beneficial microbes available to add into the soil mixture as well.

If a quality organic garden plot has been established, then it should be properly maintained for ongoing organic gardening by adding a healthy amount of compost to the soil regularly. The easiest way to do this is to remove some of the garden topsoil at the end of a growing season, add a layer of compost on top, and then mix it into the dirt.

When preparing your compost pile in readiness for your organic gardening endeavors, build the compost heap to about four feet in height and about four feet across. Be sure the site is well-drained and surround the pile with chicken wire so that it will be contained but will still have great air circulation.

Allow the pile to sit for three to four months and then, in the spring, liberally mix the compost into your garden and prepare for the best harvest ever.

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