How to compost for your garden
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Composting 101 for your garden made easy
Composting is the easiest and earth friendly way to keep left over veggies that normally go to land fills and back into your garden.
As you know the big buzz word is organic gardening. Organic is a way to provide natural nutrients back into your soil. By providing natural nutrients you allow your soil to gain back its natural growing power for your plants.
Composting helps amend poor soils for future planting weather it be vegetables or flowers little or no fertilizer is needed.
With all the talk about soil erosion its no wonder people are going from using synthetic fertilizers back to using compost. Best of all composting is free because its stuff you are already eating. If none of these convince you its worth composting what about saving you some money.
Below are tips and hints on how to start composting and how you can get started. If you notice towards the bottom I posted a video on composting with worms. If you live in a hot climate you will need your worm bin indoors to prevent them from cooking if you know what I mean.
Remember composting does not have to cost a lot of money to get started so below are some cheap alternatives if your not ready to make the compost bin investment.
As you know the big buzz word is organic gardening. Organic is a way to provide natural nutrients back into your soil. By providing natural nutrients you allow your soil to gain back its natural growing power for your plants.
Composting helps amend poor soils for future planting weather it be vegetables or flowers little or no fertilizer is needed.
With all the talk about soil erosion its no wonder people are going from using synthetic fertilizers back to using compost. Best of all composting is free because its stuff you are already eating. If none of these convince you its worth composting what about saving you some money.
Below are tips and hints on how to start composting and how you can get started. If you notice towards the bottom I posted a video on composting with worms. If you live in a hot climate you will need your worm bin indoors to prevent them from cooking if you know what I mean.
Remember composting does not have to cost a lot of money to get started so below are some cheap alternatives if your not ready to make the compost bin investment.
Compost Bins for those with little or no time to make one.
If you don't have the time to make your own bin check out my suggestions for a compost bin. As you can see above this is the model I have which is called the composting tumbler. I have had it for about 2 years and it works great.
What to put in your compost bin
Fruits, veggies, grass clippings, leaves, flower cuttings, coffee grounds, a little bit of soil, tea bags, or tea leafs.
My advice to speed up the composting is to chop up your veggies and fruits into small pieces. This way the decomposition is faster
and will give you compost sooner rather then later.
Save your leaves in trash bags and use when needed in your compost.
When you do use your leafs mow over them with your lawn mower and then place them in your compost bin.
Don't put to much leaves or it will take a little longer to compost. A rule of thumb is half green half brown material.
If you have any extra leaves use them for the next composting. So don't throw your leaves because they provide its good for the environment as well as your yard. Any veggies you want to chop up in small pieces as well if you want to get a faster compost. If not you can just put them in the bin and let nature take its course.
My advice to speed up the composting is to chop up your veggies and fruits into small pieces. This way the decomposition is faster
and will give you compost sooner rather then later.
Save your leaves in trash bags and use when needed in your compost.
When you do use your leafs mow over them with your lawn mower and then place them in your compost bin.
Don't put to much leaves or it will take a little longer to compost. A rule of thumb is half green half brown material.
If you have any extra leaves use them for the next composting. So don't throw your leaves because they provide its good for the environment as well as your yard. Any veggies you want to chop up in small pieces as well if you want to get a faster compost. If not you can just put them in the bin and let nature take its course.
What not to put in your compost bin.
Meats, human waste, bones, ash, dog waste, including human poo.
Meats and bones can make your compost bin have an unpleasant smell so
its best not to place these items in your bin. Also not the best if your using for growing veggies and can make you sick.
I have also read if your using compost for growing veggies not to place newspaper because
of the inks used in the newsprint. So if you do use newsprint in your compost keep it for your
flowers and your good to go and put newspaper in your bin if its not for consumables .
Books on Composting for your garden.
Check out some of these books which goes a little more into detail on composting. If your moving to the organic way of gardening these are must reads.
Other Resources you can use for composting
- How to build a compost bin
- This is a real simple way to create a compost bin.
- How to make different compost bins.
- Different compost bin methods.
- Compost bin Plans in pdf format
- This is a pdf format I found that provides different methods of composting.
- Backyard Composting:
- pdf file on 10 steps to composting.
Worm Factory Video how to for composting
Here is a how to video on using the worm factory composting.
Worm Bins and Worm Factory
The best natural fertilizer you can use for your garden is worm castings. Worm casting is basically worm poo from what they have eaten from your veggies. Their poo becomes a form of a liquid which can be use for fertilizer for your garden.
Below are are few worm bins you can keep at your home without looking unusual. Not recommended to put the worm factory under direct sunlight so if you have a patio or a tree or even your garage this is a good place to put it.
Below are are few worm bins you can keep at your home without looking unusual. Not recommended to put the worm factory under direct sunlight so if you have a patio or a tree or even your garage this is a good place to put it.
Why get Red Worms for worm composting
If your looking at getting a good organic fertilizer get your red worms. Red worms provide some of the best natural fertilizer because of their poop. Thats right you heard it worm poop
Unlike what you get at your bait store which are Canadian Night crawlers you don't want to go this route if your going to do worm composting. Canadian nigh crawlers do the same job at decomposing matter but it takes them a bit longer compared to red worms. So stick with the red worms. Red Worms eat a lot more then your traditional night crawler and this is why the red worm has been used for worm composting.
Unlike what you get at your bait store which are Canadian Night crawlers you don't want to go this route if your going to do worm composting. Canadian nigh crawlers do the same job at decomposing matter but it takes them a bit longer compared to red worms. So stick with the red worms. Red Worms eat a lot more then your traditional night crawler and this is why the red worm has been used for worm composting.
Can o Worms Composter Video
This video demonstrates how the can o worms composer is set up.
Can o Worms Composter
This is a smaller version of the Worm Factory for those with limited space.
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