Composting: Expert Guides and Resources

The best and most refined of organic matters is compost, which is organic matter and/or manures that have decomposed until they resemble loamy soil.Thoroughly decomposed compost contains lots of humus — the beneficial, soil-improving material your plants need. Whether the original source was grass clippings, sawdust, animal manure, or vegetable scraps from your kitchen, all organic matter eventually becomes compost.

By composting food scraps, yard waste, and other ingredients, you create nutrient-rich compost to add to your garden and landscape, and you minimize the waste sent to landfills. Home composting is a great way to be greener and do something good for the environment while seeing major benefits right at home.The benefits of adding compost to your gardenComposting provides you with rich organic matter that does wonders to improve the quality of your garden soil.

Wood shipping pallets are a great option for creating highly effective composting systems, especially when you have a lot of organic matter to process. You can build a compost bin from wood pallets in a few easy steps. The whole process is described here, but first take a look at the pros and cons of using pallets to make your bins: Advantages: They're free and the perfect size!

Composting provides you with rich organic matter that does wonders to improve the quality of your garden soil. Whether you sprinkle compost on the surface of the soil or work it in, your garden plants and landscape will grow healthier and stronger thanks to the addition. Your garden benefits from compost in t

Organic matter high in carbon — what composters commonly call browns — provides energy for decomposer organisms as they consume and break down the contents of your compost pile. Organic matter high in nitrogen — called greens — supplies the decomposers with protein. Maintain well-fed composting organisms with these varied ingredients.

A great thing about composting is that it can take as much or as little time as you want or need it to. If your time is limited and you want to speed up the process to get compost fast, follow these tips: Increase the surface area of your ingredients. Before adding it to your compost, chop, shred, crack, whack, and smack organic matter into small pieces.

Your compost pile isn’t a trash can. Some materials definitely don’t qualify as compost ingredients because they contain pathogens, attract pests, or cause other problems. You must take care to add only the right organic ingredients to feed the decomposition process. Leave out the following items: Ashes from charcoal barbecues: Dispose of this residue in the trash, not your compost pile or bin.

You need very little equipment to start composting. Before you buy, visit garden centers or home improvement and hardware stores and try out some hand tools. Their length and weight should be comfortable for you to wield over extended periods of turning or shoveling organic matter. The basic tools to get you started composting are Compost fork or pitchfork: Long, thin tines allow you to hoist and toss large loads of organic matter efficiently.

Because there are so many types of composters on the market, finding the right one for you can be tricky. Compost containers (despite some of the marketing materials that accompany them) aren't magical devices whereby you drop in straw, wave your wand-like compost thermometer, and presto — out spills black gold!