What Makes Composting Worthwhile?

If you’re into organic gardening you probably know by now about compost and how it works wonders for your garden patch. But for the first timers, creating a compost pile might not really be on the top of their to-do-list. The question of is composting worthwhile usually comes up, and without knowing much about the process, it's easy to choose the first answer - and that’s a nope, I don’t have time for making my own compost. I will settle for the commercially available organic fertilizers and related products.

Compost (Photo credit: Joe Hoover)

First things first, composting is the process of decomposing organic wastes, which can be household wastes or plant remains or a mixture of both, and making them into a dark, earthy, and loose or crumbly substance. Because compost is rich in minerals which most plants need, compost can be made to enhance or even replace your garden soil.

Most often, gardeners use compost to enrich their garden soil. When compost is added the soil, the overall structure of the soil is improved allowing it to hold more water and letting air circulate better within the soil, as well as helping plants absorb nutrients more easily.

Contrary to some of your perceptions, compost is quite easy to make and is especially easy to use. There are several methods that may be used when creating compost.

I would suggest using some kind of compost bin to keep everything confined to one place. You will avoid making a mess in your backyard if you do so. Plus, temperature and moisture can also be regulated if you construct a compost bin but allow the organic materials to be composted to touch the soil. You need to allow your earthworm buddies and other organic microbes to help out in the decomposing process.

Although almost all organic materials could go into your compost pile, a good combination of “greens” and “browns” is best. The “greens” refer to nitrogen-rich organic matter like fresh grass, leaves, and vegetable scraps from your kitchen. The “browns”, on the other hand refer to organic matter that contains a lot of carbon such as dried leaves, straw and, of course, wood chips or shavings.

A homeowner sifts soil from his compost bin. Composting is an excellent way to recycle household and yard wastes. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A good combination of “greens” and “browns” can dictate how fast you will have a finished compost. Admittedly, you will have an edge in this area if you have some experience in compost making. Why? Well, for starters you may already know how fast the final compost is created from the different proportions of “greens” and “browns”.

Some would suggest that the best proportion is when 25 percent of your compost pile is made of “browns” and 1 percent is made of “greens.” Take note that if you have a large part made up of “browns” the compost pile will decompose more slowly. On the other hand, having too much “greens” on the pile can cause some serious smell.

Other elements that you should always consider when making compost are the air and the amount of water your pile will need. It is best to keep your compost pile damp. This will help in the decomposing process. Air is also needed so make sure your pile is properly aerated. Air can be incorporated if needed by turning over your pile. Observe and periodically aerate your pile until you can “harvest” the fruits of your labor - great compost to feed your growing plants.

It may take a little bit of effort to create great compost, but the results of composting are really worthwhile - for both you and your garden.

A Basic Guide to Composting

If you're a sustainable gardener who cares about the environment, you know that the composting process is an important part of the life cycle. This concept is all about giving back to the land what it has given you. It is  about recycling, and the cycle that living things go through in order to grow.

It is an interesting cycle. If you just take a moment to take a deeper look into a pile of decaying things, you will see that some things that are slowly becoming part of the land. And you also see some beneficial results of the process.

Composting materials. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

That's life, especially for those practicing holistic living. If you are in touch with nature, you will see such cycles as miracles, and something to be joyful about.

As you will come to realize, compost is so much more than just a using fertilizer on soil. This process is actually practiced by many farmers in all parts of the world. But ordinary gardeners or people who love nature and are passionate about protecting it can also easily benefit from this.

The organic residue that you collect when you gather different materials from the land and garden is converted into something black, somewhat fragrant, and crumbly (decomposing) - aka compost. The idea here is to arrange the materials so that the soil bacteria and fungi can survive and also multiply as the materials break down. The bacteria act as the converters of all raw materials so that they must be in a workable environment with proper moisture, food and air.

If you haven't made one yet, but are interested in starting a compost, you can begin by gathering both green and dry elements that you can see around your garden. You must think what you can feed the bacteria for it to thrive. Great examples include grass clippings, green weeds (before they flower), as well as the vines of pea and leaves and roots of old lettuce and other plants. What do they have in common? They contain sugar elements as well as proteins and they all can decompose fast.

Face cut of compost pile showing decomposition stages, 3 weeks bottom to top. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dry leaves and other small twigs must be mixed with the greens when decomposing. These materials take a lot of time in order to decompose because they contain little nitrogen. That is why they need to be combined with green materials in the process.

You can also build a rich compost pile by adding manure and garden soil between every layer of your gathered waste material.

You need not be a pro to be able to come up with your own version of this. Most things will compost well given the right conditions. What you have to remember is that you are doing the environment (and your garden) a great favor by being involved in such a process.

Practice makes perfect. This is also true with the idea of composting. Through time, you will be able to develop your own techniques, and your garden will thrive in the rich, nutritious environment you create through adding compost back to the soil.