Compost: A Gardener's Delight

Isn't it amazing that all that waste food that we can't or don't want in the kitchen is such a good food source for the plants in our garden? What makes it even better is the fact that we can grow vegetables in our gardens, cook and eat them, and whatever we don't use goes back into the garden to make the next lot of vegetables grow better and healthier than ever! It's a perfect demonstration of the life cycle, and also a great teaching opportunity for your kids.

A closed plastic compost for garden waste. Suomi: (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Compost not only helps to feed your plants by improving the quality of the soil but it can also control diseases in the garden, as plants that are well nourished with all of the nutrients they need are less susceptible to all kinds of disease.

You can create compost simply by throwing all your waste on a pile and waiting for it to rot, however this can take quite a long time if the compost pile is quite large. The rotting process is aided by keeping the heap moist and this might require watering in hot climates. Having the compost in an enclosed container can help to retain the heat and moisture, which will speed up the process.

It is possible to buy specific containers that are made for fast composting and apart from the fact that they will keep your yard looking a lot tidier, you will get the benefits of using the compost sooner and there will be less 'bad smells' in your garden.

Contained composts are also a lot better at keeping vermin out which can sometimes become a problem with uncovered waste on your property.

Many containers will spin or "tumble" to help with keeping the contents aerated and uniformly moist. Some of the premium compost containers have separate bins which can be rotated, thereby giving you access to the compost at the bottom of the container, which is ready for use without having to dig through the fresh waste at the top.

This convenience will ensure you have quality compost that you can use as soon as it is ready rather than waiting months for the contents to rot.

Good Compost Bins & Tumblers: