Nature puts a bit of effort into decomposing organic matter, and when you compost you help speed that process along. Your pile will get warm, as decomposition is quick between 110 and 160 degrees. Turn your heap when it seems to be cooling, and add water as needed. This helps speed up ...
A Heap of Treasure; How to Cook Up Great CompostAdrienne Cook
Making Compost To start making compost, you need to first choose a site and then start adding your ingredients. Yifei Fang/Getty Images Making compost is pretty simple, once you get started: Choose a site for the compost pile. Choose a structure. Add the compost materials. Care for and...
Find out how to build your own compost bin using old pallets, in this simple step-by-step project. From the experts at BBC Gardeners' World Magazine.
To kickstart compost, balance ‘green’ materials (like kitchen scraps and grass clippings) with ‘brown’ materials (such as dry leaves and cardboard). Introduce a compost starter or activator, like well-rotted manure or garden soil, to supply beneficial microbes. Regularly turn the pile to ...
If you decide to start a compost bin, you can get these red wigglers from any of a number of places. Like night crawlers, they make a tasty meal for fish, and bait shops often carry them. These usually come packaged in small containers and at a relatively high price. It's better to...
Step 1 of the composting process is to collect compostable materials. Start with fruit and vegetable scraps from the kitchen. Yard waste is another great source of organic matter for the compost heap. Good compost piles have a mixture of carbon-rich “brown” ingredients and nitrogen-rich “gre...
cutting all the weeds off from their roots at ground level. They can be collected and put on a compost heap. Annual weeds won’t regrow from portions of root left in the ground, but they do self-seed liberally, so it’s important to remove them before they have a chance to set seed...
With home composting, very thick and heavy waste matter (wood chips, cardboard, office paper, etc.) is also not a good idea in a compost heap unless you plan to allow a lot of time (possibly years) for it to break down into soil through the decomposition process. ...
a long handle. Hoeing is best done in the morning when the soil is dry. The weeds will cut cleanly from the soil, creating a “dust mulch,” which inhibits the germination of new weeds. You can let the weeds dry in the sun during the day and then take them to the compost heap. ...