Created by BigGirlBlue (contact me)
I have been composting since we moved into our house ten years ago. It came with a composter!
I've learned a lot since then. You can too. Happy compost...
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Who Should Compost
In this day and age, everyone who produces waste(and we all do) should be composting. There is no excuse.
Composting isn't just about making a pretty nutrient rich soil for your garden. It's about reducing the waste in our landfills (it doesn't break down there).
The average user, if diligent, can save at least 10 pounds of waste a week from going to a landfill.
This lens provides 10 composting tips to help you along as well as pointing you in the direction of some extraordinary composting lenses.
The Tips
Keep it simple..
There are so many things you can do to make your compost experience better for you and your family as well as produce a luscious end result.Here are ten important tips every composter should institute. In no particular order:
1. Aerate. Your compost needs oxygen if it is going to break down the materials you add. If it's a tumbler, turn it. If it's static then get a stick/pole/shovel and get in there and move it around.
2. Save the worms. If you find a worm while you're gardening carefully relocate it to your compost bin. And it will happily work on breaking down your wastes. The more help you have the better!
3. Go Big. Container wise that is. Bigger is better when composting but smaller is better than nothing at all.
4. Get cracking! Rinse and break up your egg shells before adding them to your compost pile. This gives them a head start and you will be less likely to find undigested shell later when you go to use your compost.
5. Add fluid to your compost. You don't want it too wet but you don't want it too dry either. Water-downed leftover fruit juices are a great treat for your compost instead of pouring them down the drain.
6. Sunshine is best! Composters work quicker in sunny locations but if you have to, partial sun will work too (it'll just take longer).
7. Cover it up. Keep a clear bag of leaves next to the composter so you always have brown material to cover new waste additions. This will also help keep the fly population down in the summer.
8. Double duty. If you have the room, two composters are better than one. While you are busy filling one composter the second one can be busy working in the sun. When it's time to empty one they can switch positions and start all over again.
9. Cupboard list. Keep a list posted on the inside of one of your cupboard doors so you can see at a glance what can and cannot be composted so there is no confusion (see handy .pdf below).
10. Kitchen Aid. You're more likely to compost if you don't have to run out to the composter a few times a day. Keep a lidded container in your kitchen for convenience and empty a few times a week.
What Goes In
To later come out as beautiful...
Here is a .pdf file you can print off and post on the inside of one of your kitchen cupboards for an easy at a glance look at what can go into the compost and what can not.What to Compost Poster
Happy Composting!
My Favorite Composters
Be sure to check with your local waste management facility for inexpensive composting containers.
Tumbleweed Composter Tumbling Compost Bin
Amazon Price: $188.00 (as of 05/11/2008)
You Grow Girl
From a crafty lady...
This is one of my favorite gardening sites and books. It was started by green gyrl Gayla Trail a writer, photographer, graphic designer and all around diva with a penchant for cultivating gardens of love.
In 2005 she published the book You Grow Girl: The Groundbreaking Guide to Gardening and it is still going strong, along with the online community of growing chics.
Here are the latest topics of discussion:
Fetching RSS feed... please stand by
Here's my favorite link:
Host Papa - 100% Powered by Certified Green Renewable Energy Sources
It All Starts in the Kitchen
Making it easier...
They are becoming more and more decorative to suit decor but they are small enough to be tucked under the counter. I keep my at the end of the counter by the back door for convenience. If someone is going out they can't miss it.
I found our plastic one in the garbage can section of the local hardware store (the same one the local waste management carried).
Kitchen Crock Replacement Filters (set of 6)
Amazon Price: $10.00 (as of 05/11/2008)
Kitchen Composter Hinged Top Filtered
Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 05/11/2008)
People are Talking about Greening it Up
If you have an organic, green or environmental blog then please add your url to the roster below.
Going Green
My conversion to a frugal and green lifestyle.1 point
The Way of the Future
The future is now...
Need More Information?
Here are some exceptional composting lenses on Squidoo that will support you on your road to composting.
Vote for your favorite ones!
Raise a Green Dog!
With nearly 62 million dogs in households througho more...1 point
How to Make Compost
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Lasagna Gardening ~ Raised Bed Lasagna Gardening ~ Lasagna Composting
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Composting with Worms
Composting your food scraps with worms is fast, ea more...1 point
Compost - How to Compost, Making Compost, Why Compost, Compost Ingredients
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Recycling Facts
Did you know that: * Up to 60% of the rubbish that more...1 point
How to Build a Compost Bin
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Making Compost Tea
Making compost tea is one of the best things that more...0 points
Say Poo-Poo to Pet Poo
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A Lazy Man's Guide to Compost
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Sustainability City
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My Quest For A Greener Life
The first thing I'd like to make clear is that I'm more...0 points
Composting Tips - Composting Made Easy
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Composting Toilets
This is a lense about composting toilets. Yep, com more...0 points
Red Worm Composting
Thanks for stopping by the Red Worm Composting Squ more...0 points
Compost
The Natural Way...
Compost: The natural way to make food for your garden
Amazon Price: $12.24 (as of 05/11/2008)
Do You Compost?
Share one or two of your composting tips. We would love to hear what works and doesn't work for you.
Happy Composting!
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mulberry
Excellent information and well organized as well! Posted April 26, 2008 |
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BigGirlBlue
Hi Winter! Thanks for sharing your experience. There's a rumor that our town will be instituting curb side composting. I hope it does, my back yard can only do so much. We waste so much as a society. Every little bit helps. Posted April 25, 2008 |
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Winter52
Our town promotes composting and they pick it up weekly. It's amazing how much DOESN'T go in landfill if you put it into a bin. In a week, we have collected several bags of kitchen/garden scraps. Between the green bin and the blue bin, we are down to about 1/2 bag of garbage a week. Posted April 25, 2008 |
