thebestgardentips.comHandy Lawn Maintenance and Fine Gardening Tips

Compost is any plant matter that has been decomposed and put back to use as a fertilizer or an amendment for the soil. How does the composting process work?  Well, you could simply pile up your excess vegetation and wait for a year and voila you would have the perfect organic fertilizer.  However, the following tips will get you on your way to creating natural, organic rich fertilizer.

HOW TO COMPOST AND WHAT TO PUT IN YOUR PILE

Of course you can also do some things to speed up the fermentation of the vegetable matter. You can occasionally stir everything around so you let air into spots that were packed down.

By adding water you can speed up the decomposing of most trimmings. Of course different fungi and earthworms do the majority of the work for you.

Compost is a result of the accumulation of things we were throwing out to begin with. Peelings from all your vegetables like potatoes, cucumbers, carrots, onion skins and fruit skins. All of these things can be placed into your compost heap and turned into free fertilizer for your garden. You can add other rich ingredients such as tea bags and coffee grounds to your compost pile.

All your lawn trimmings and leaves can go right in that compost pile to become something useful to you. It gives you a little added reason for all that extra yard work each year.

BENEFITS OF USING COMPOST

The results of turning compost into your soil will be surprising. The compost replaces nutrients and vitamins that have been removed from the soil either by plants or erosion. It reduces the amount of commercial fertilizers you have to apply to your soil. This is good since some elements in commercial fertilizers are actually a potential threat to some animals and water sources.

BALANCE YOUR COMPOST MATERIALS FOR THE BEST RESULTS

For the best balance in your compost you need to add materials that are dry and brown like dead grasses and leaves. These things have a high carbon content to them The carbon is used for the energy source in your compost pile. You need to add materials that are brightly colored or a pretty green like your fresh grass clippings or your vegetable trimmings from your kitchen. These materials tend to be higher in nitrogen. The nitrogen content helps to increase the organisms that will oxidize your carbon content. Your compost pile must have oxygen to decompose correctly, and it must have moisture. Careful with the moisture you do not want to get things sloppy, just damp.

You can actually even add clean papers and cardboard containers to your compost pile. Each of these will break down and become a source of nourishment for your garden soil. Dried out egg shells also make a good addition to the heap.

COMPOSTING, A NATURAL SOLUTION THAT MAKES SENSE

If you think about it composting makes the most sense. We are using the natural resources we have to replace the natural resources we have taken out of our soil. The original nutrients in soil came from decaying plant life over the years. It is only right for us to protect the environment and put back what we are taking away.

You can easily start your own compost pile. Simply pick a place in your yard and provide it with a minimum amount of shelter so you can control the moisture. Then allow nature to do its job.  Or, if you want to go a bit fancier you can by composting barrels or compost bins at your local garden retailer.