Make Your Own Compost



Posted: Friday, June 19, 2009

by Timothy Samuel

If you aren't already making compost at home, you need to get started today!

The soil in your yard and garden will thank you, your plants will thank you, and so will the environment. Compost is a finely divided, loose material consisting of decomposed organic matter.

Although many people associate compost production with small garden compost piles that are tended with a shovel, most compost is produced in large municipal, industrial, or agricultural facilities using mechanized equipment.

Nature has been producing compost for millions of years as part of the cycle of life and death on Earth. Rain kept the piles wet and aided the decomposition process, producing a rich compost. The Greeks and Romans knew the value of compost to boost crop production and even used the warmth of decomposing compost to produce summer vegetables in winter. Today, most compost is processed in large facilities designed to handle a specific type of raw material. Agricultural compost is usually produced and used on the same farm that generated the raw materials. Industrial compost may be bagged and sold to individual buyers, or the raw materials may be sold in bulk to other composting facilities it also requires a source of nitrogen, oxygen, and water, plus small amounts of a variety of elements usually found in organic material, including phosphorus, copper, potassium, calcium, and others. In order for the organic materials to combine with the other materials and decompose into compost, several living organisms and microorganisms are needed. This cylinder shaped compost bin works fast to break down leaves, grass clippings and vegetable scraps into rich compost.

Most home garden compost piles and municipal compost facilities use yard wastes exclusively because of the large volume of materials available. For example, sugar beet pulp is mixed with other materials to make compost in an area where sugar refineries operate. Some of the more unusual raw materials used to make compost include seaweed, chicken feathers, peanut shells, and hair clippings. The production of compost is both a mechanical and a biological process. Harmful Materials made from yard wastes, such as leaves and grass clippings, rarely contains any harmful materials.

While you can compost successfully in a pile on the ground, a bin will keep the process a bit neater and help to discourage animals if you are composting food scraps. If you live in a colder climate that has a shorter composting season, be careful of adding slow rotting items such as tough branches, twigs and hedge clippings; wood ash; wood shavings and wood pruning. Try to avoid composting bread, pasta, nuts, cooked food, and newspaper. From beginners to experts this page provides composting information and tips for successful home composting. This is the single most important supplement you can give your garden soil also is a simple way to add nutrient-rich humus which fuels plant growth and restores vitality to depleted soil. Good for the environment Composting offers a natural alternative to chemical fertilizers. A layer of soil will help to mask any odors, and micro-organisms in the soil will accelerate the composting process. With yard and garden wastes, different composting materials will decompose at different rates but they will all break down eventually. If you want to speed up the process, chop the larger material into smaller pieces, fresh nitrogen-rich material, which can release odors if exposed to open air, with carbon-rich material, which often exudes a fresh, wonderful smell. The biggest chore with composting is turning the pile from time to time. You can always make or buy and tumbler to turn your compost. I have another article on making your own tumbler composter. I hope you enjoy reading this article to get more information on gardening go to www.Teegoes.org
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