Composting - aka: The Circle of Life!

Article by: Judy Williams

Composting is where the gardening , A Modern Day Glove Affair thing comes full circle. You've created your garden , Rugged Outdoor Elegance: All Weather Indoor / Outdoor Rugs bed, you've nurtured your plants. , Bonsai trees Mastery - Different styles in Bonsai Gardening

The results have been eaten by the family...and now the plants , Landscaping, An American Pass Time and refuse from the garden , Tuscan Design can be recycled into next year's compost. It is the closed loop of nature. , High Intensity Discharge Grow Light (Generic)

This is so simple and so obvious a thing to do, I'm still staggered that people will send this sort of rubbish to the tip. , Terrace Gardening And Landscaping Ideas

When I was totally intimidated about cooking and convinced I couldn't do it, a friend of mine said 'It's just chemistry. If you add X to Y under these conditions, this MUST happen'. I think this applies big time to composting.

So what does your compost , Rugged Outdoor Elegance: All Weather Indoor / Outdoor Rugs need to work?

It needs moisture , Winterberry Holly 'Winter Red' (but not too much).

It needs heat , Testing Your Soil (and will generate a good deal on it's own)

It needs air. , Cheap Pond Liners

It needs bugs, bacteria, fungi and other micro-organisms (pretty much under the 'Build it and they will come' principle)

There are a few ways to work the compost. , Caring for Your Garden Furniture If you have a bit of room, , Moss on Lawns build a couple of 3 sided enclosures (about 1M square) out of wood, , Rugged Outdoor Elegance: All Weather Indoor / Outdoor Rugs wire, tin, whatever is laying about the place. , Mosquito Farms? Is That What Water Gardens Are? If you're in a place , 9-11 Changed Everything for the Garden Tractor Business that gets a lot of rain, think about keeping a tarp handy so the compost , How To Bring An Old Lawn Back to Life heap doesn't get too soggy. It should be in a shady corner of your garden. , The Rich History of Wild Roses

Composting doesn't work if you continually feed just one pile. The composting is never finished in those circumstances. So start with one pile by adding waste plant , A Teak Bench: The Perfect Complement To Any Outdoor Space and kitchen , A Modern Day Glove Affair refuse. This can include grass , How Bat Houses Can Improve Your Backyard Experience clippings, spent plants, , Feng Shui in the Garden fruit , Moss on Lawns peelings, egg shells and non fatty kitchen , Creating A Balcony Garden Oasis scraps.

NEVER use fat, oil or meat in your compost. , How To Bring An Old Lawn Back to Life They will attract vermin. Other things that will slow down your compost , Rugged Outdoor Elegance: All Weather Indoor / Outdoor Rugs include paper, rice hulls, wood , Gardening Supplies shavings, woody cuttings and tough or oily leaves (like those from evergreens). Diseased plants , Landscaping, An American Pass Time and weeds , How Bat Houses Can Improve Your Backyard Experience should also be kept out of your compost. , Landscaping, An American Pass Time

Fill the compost , Bonsai Trees For Sale: What Are Your Options? enclosure to 6-8 inches (15-20cm) with your refuse. Then spread a couple of scoops of agricultural lime and a handful of complete fertilizer. Continue layering to a height of about 3 feet over time. Every few weeks, turn the compost , Landscaping, An American Pass Time to encourage decomposition. If the compost , Cheap Pond Liners material is dry, give it a light , Gardening Supplies watering after turning.

Start your second pile while this one is 'cooking'.

Your compost , Terrace Gardening And Landscaping Ideas should be ready for the garden , Moss on Lawns in 6-8 weeks. By continuing to alternate between the two piles, you will have a continuous supply of fresh garden , Moss on Lawns compost for your garden , Finding the Best Pond Pumps beds while recycling your kitchen , African Violet Care refuse.

Judy Williams (http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com) splits her time between being a media executive and an earth , Guaranteed Gladioli, Summer Colour that Returns mother goddess. No Dig Vegetable Gardens , Making a New Lawn From Seed or Sod represents a clean, green , Gardening on a Budget way to grow , Are Robotic Lawn Mowers Safe? your own food. , A Teak Bench: The Perfect Complement To Any Outdoor Space The site covers all aspects of growing, , Gardening on a Budget cooking and preserving your harvest.

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Composting - aka: The Circle of Life!

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