Who Can Benefit From Composting?

As there are many uses for compost, you will find people with different interests and occupations utilizing this environmentally friendly resource.

A homeowner can create a compost bin or pile to reduce the amount of trash they are throwing away.  As an added benefit they are creating a fertilizer for their house plants or garden plot.  Since compost bins require green food (kitchen scraps, grass clippings) and brown food (leaves, straw, shredded brown paper, etc.) you can collect your grass clippings and add them to your bin too.

Home-made compost pile. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On a farm, crops can produce a lot of waste.  A farmer can use crops that are not consumable (ground cover, etc.) and add them to a compost bin along with manure from any livestock they may keep.  Once the compost matures and is ready, the farmer can use the material for added nutrients in the soil, to build up low spots in his field, and to keep the soil healthy. You can even use mature compost as mulch to help the soil retain water and prevent weeds.

A professional landscaper can create compost material for clients that want only natural or organic materials used on their lawn or flower beds.  This can be a low-cost material for a landscaper to utilize providing his clients with Earth-friendly options with a low overhead cost.

If you like the idea of composting but do not have the space or time to create a compost pile of your own, check with your city or municipality’s recycling center.  Some will accept your yard waste and clippings for a city compost heap.  This material will then be used throughout the city’s parks and gardens.  In certain centers they may let the residents utilize the mature compost for their own needs too.

Schools may also utilize compost to teach the students the process of decomposition and to teach children what we can do to help our planet.  This is in addition to the cost savings for the school in up keeping the grounds and gardens. Some schools also plant community gardens as a learning tool for the students, and also to create green spaces and support the local community.

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:
   

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.

Top 10 Reasons for Composting

Some of us may at first be hesitant in making and using compost. Some find the task of making a compost troublesome and time consuming. Or they might have false perceptions of smelly compost piles and having such a messy process right in their backyards. While others would prefer buying their fertilizers, soil amendments or conditioners, and mulch from their garden stores to avoid all the hassle of reading about compost and actually making one. Before you give up on composting, read this article and hopefully it will lay some of your fears and reservations to rest.

Here are my 10 top personal reasons for composting. I only hope that you move your butt out of that chair and begin your own compost pile before you reach number eight!

Turning a compost pile for viticulture (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

#1. The first reason I find composting highly worthwhile is the fact that the materials used are absolutely free and are readily available. Compare that with the ever rising costs of commercial fertilizers and other gardening products in the market today. All you need is a little extra effort to find the best materials for your compost pile, but otherwise, everything’s for free - or you already have it on hand anyway.

#2. The second one is that compost provides more nutrients and minerals needed by my plants than commercial organic or synthetic fertilizers - it is usually a more balanced and holistic form of fertilizer. The overall effect of compost is also longer than commercially available fertilizers. It’s free and it works better - who wouldn’t want that? Plus, if you organize your ingredients just right, you can provide an even wider range of nutrients.

#3. Another good reason would be the benefits of compost to the soil structure. When applied to the soil, compost can help the soil be more resistant to erosion, improve its retention of water, and in some types of soil (like clay) it can reduce the chance of the soil becoming compacted. This is also important for farmers since compost can make the soil easier to till, conserving time and fuel needed to operate the machines.

#4. With the right composting technique, the process can kill those troublesome weeds as well as pests and disease-causing organisms present in the materials being composted. High temperature (or hot) composting is the technique I am talking about. Although, this technique is not always the backyard variety, it can be done with the right materials.

#5. There have been studies which indicate that using compost can suppress the growth of diseases in crops. Other studies also show that crops grown over compost rich soils are healthier and can better resist pest or insect attacks.

#6. Likewise, some observations in the field also show that crops grown using compost bear produce that can be stored longer. If that’s not reason enough, I don’t know what else you are looking for.

#7. For the environmentalists and conservationists, compost has something for you as well. Adding compost to the soil can build (sequester) soil carbon which can eventually reduce the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It may take a lot of compost to have a positive effect on the greenhouse gases but that fact is quite useful as well.

#8. It has also been found that compost works well as an antidote for soils that are toxic due to agricultural chemicals. Compost can balance the levels of soil acidity, and help farmers to go organic after years of using synthetic agricultural products.

compost scraps (Photo credit: morganthemoth)

#9. (Maybe most important....) It reduces waste. Throwing plant and vegetable matter into a landfill is just plain nonsensical in my mind. It's like dumping perfectly good fertilizer down the drain - it's a total waste of resources, and it could be doing so much good in my garden, rather than clogging up a landfill, where it can't even decompose properly or do any benefit to anyone!

#10. It's kind of fun! Seeing all those old food scraps, weeds, dead leaves, etc., turn into dark, rich compost before my eyes is so fulfilling and makes me feel like I'm doing something good for the planet, my garden, and myself.

So there you have it - my top 10 reasons for composting. Some of them may not directly benefit my personal needs, and some of mine may not be yours, but hopefully they'll motivate you to explore the use of compost for yourself in your own garden - and then you can come up with your own reasons!

Getting the Most Out of Your Compost

After a couple of months taking care of your compost pile, turning over the pile every now and then, warding off insects and pests, and keeping the pile damp, it is only natural to want to get the most out of your compost. And this means using the compost wisely and effectively.

Image by Chiot's Run via FlickrYou will know the right time to harvest the compost when you no longer recognize the original materials that you used to make the pile. The finished compost should look more soil-like or humus-like. It is dark, loose and smells earthy. When you harvest the compost from your pile, if it seems too damp to spread well it would be best to spread it out a little first and expose it to the air. This will further dry the compost and will make it easier to use.

If you find some bigger chunks still not fully decomposed, throw them back to the next compost pile you’re going to make. One way to get the not fully decomposed material is to use a screen or wire mesh large enough to let the compost through but small enough to screen the remaining big chunks. (Or you can just rake them out, or pick them out by hand if there aren't that many.)

As you probably know by know, compost has a lot of benefits for gardeners. For starters, compost helps improve the overall soil structure. This means the density and porosity of the soil is improved, allowing plants’ roots to grab ahold of the soil better. Deeper penetration of roots means the soil also becomes more resistant to erosion and runoff. Likewise, adding compost to the soil allows better water retention.

Aside from the soil structure, the macro and micronutrients in compost contains provide plants with the needed minerals and nutrients to grow large and healthy. The soil holds in the nutrients better when compost is added to the soil. Not to mention, compost improves and stabilizes the soil’s acidity levels as well. These are but a few reasons why compost should be used by gardeners.

Let’s go back to your newly harvested compost. After removing the pieces that did not fully decompose and after curing the finished compost, the next steps would be using what you have been brewing these past few months.

Among the most common usages of compost is as soil amendment. This simply means you add the compost to your soil and to replenish the nutrients and other essential minerals for your plants to absorb. You can also spread the compost over the soil before the planting season.

Image via WikipediaAnother usage of compost is as potting mix. Mix the compost with sand and soil and voila! You’ll have a great quality potting mix which you can use for your plants. A mix of 1 part sand, 2 parts compost, and 1 to 2 parts soil seems to be the general agreement for using compost as potting mix.

You can also use your compost as mulch (also called "top-dressing" when used in this way). Mulch is a protective layer spread over the soil to help counter the effects of the climate. You might need an ample supply of compost if you use it as mulch though. To use it as mulch, you need two to six inches of compost covering the soil surfaces around plants, trees, shrubs, and exposed slopes. As mulch, the compost will help lessen weed growth, prevent erosion, attract earthworms, and help retain water.

Getting the most out of your compost is important. You worked hard creating your compost and now is the time to reap the benefits!

10 Benefits of Composting

Besides a free and nutrient rich fertilizer for your soil and plants there are many other benefits to starting a compost in your yard - some of which you may never have thought of.  A few of the benefits of composting are listed below.

Image via Wikipedia
1. You can reduce or eliminate weeds in your garden by using compost as it prevents weed seeds from sprouting and prospering.  This is a natural alternative to toxic herbicides and weed killers, which can be very dangerous to both you and your pets.
2. Mature compost material has been used to stop or prevent erosion in certain areas. The binding capability in the compost can keep the soil in place and prevent loss of valuable topsoil.
3. Reducing the amount of organic material that goes to a dump unnecessarily – in turn this reduces the amount of methane gas a dump creates during decomposition.
4. In wetlands areas that are in trouble, compost has been used to revitalize the soil and surrounding plant life.
5. Healthier plants. Keeping your plants well fed with compost material keeps them strong and healthy, and can prevent your plants from contracting diseases that kill or spread to the rest of the crop or garden.
6. Can create a stable and healthier pH balance in your soil.
7. If your soil is overly dry (sandy), adding compost to the soil and thoroughly mixing can help the sandy dirt retain more water, keeping it moist for your plants.
8. If your soil is hard and clay-like, you can make the dirt easier to work with and less dense by adding mature compost.
9. Provides important nutrients and micronutrients to the soil and plants.
10. Increases the temperature of the soil creating a conducive environment for plant growth and health.

These are just a few of the important benefits that can be derived from using compost.  It helps the environment, your garden, your plants and the planet - and it's so easy! The small amount of time that it takes to set-up and maintain a compost bin or pile is well worth the time and effort.

A Few Composting Resources: