Composting is not only one of the best things you can do for your garden, it is also one of the best things you can do for our environment. Knowing how to create and use compost is in our interest due to the tremendous problem of waste disposal. Landfills are becoming more and more difficult to find, so some municipalities are dealing with waste by refusing to pick up leaves and grass clippings.. About one-third of the space in our landfills is taken up with organic wastes from our yards and kitchens, which are ideal materials to be used in compost.

The end product from your compost bin it will be a wonderful pile of black, crumbly humus which makes an ideal soil conditioner. Compost added regularly to your soil will benefit the soil by improving it’s texture such as loosening up clay soils and will create moisture holding capacity in sandy soils.

Composting, is the controlled decomposition of biodegradable organic matter. Instead of allowing nature to take its slow course, a compost pile or bin provides the optimal environment in which decomposition can thrive. To encourage the best results, the compost pile needs the correct mix of the following ingredients:

* Carbon
* Nitrogen
* Oxygen

With enough time, all biodegradable materials will eventually decompose, although some materials are not appropriate for backyard composting. Most backyard systems will not reach high enough temperatures to kill pathogens and vermin, so certain items such as meat scraps, dairy products and pet droppings are discouraged from use. A well balanced compost pile will not have an offensive smell

High carbon materials (browns), which convert to heat include:

* Dry straw and hay
* Autumn leaves
* Newspaper

High nitrogen materials (greens) which will allow the compost bacteria to thrive include:

* Green plant material such as garden residue, fresh hay, grass clippings, and weeds
* Animal manure; such as horse, cow, chicken, or guano
* Fruit and vegetable waste
* Seaweed (rinse well to remove salt)
* Coffee grounds and filters

A few leaf species such as live oak, southern magnolia and holly trees are too tough and leathery for easy composting, also avoid all parts of the black walnut tree as they contain a plant poison that survives composting. It is also common sense to avoid using poison oak, poison ivy, and poison sumac in your compost.

The proportions of these materials will make a difference in the rate of decomposition. The best ratio is about 25 or 30 parts of browns to one part of greens. Too much carbon slows the composting process and too much nitrogen will cause odors.

As a convenience, keep a small compost pail in the kitchen to bring your scraps to the pile every few days. Keep a lid on the container to discourage insects and odors.

A well chosen site will speed up the composting process. Find a level, well drained sunny area preferably over dirt or grass. If you plan to be using kitchen scraps, keep it close to the back door and also close to the garden so that it will be used on a regular basis and not forgotten.

Home composting uses a variety of techniques, running from passive composting (throw everything into a pile in the corner and leave it alone) to active, which consists of monitoring temperature, turning the pile on a regular basis and adjusting the materials on a regular schedule. A well managed system may produce a finished product in as little as three to four weeks, but this involves some participation, ranging from turning the pile on a regular basis to a major commitment of time and energy.

Is very helpful to have a compost bin enclosed in a structure either homemade or purchased. The bin should measure at least about 3 ft. by 3 ft. and should have air spaces so air circulation can occur. Materials such as used freight pallets, chicken wire, builders’ hardware cloth or concrete blocks can all be utilized to create a three sided structure. You may find it desirable to have two bins, one for fresh material while the composting process is happening in the other bin. Leave one side open for access or create a gate that can be opened for access. A tarpaulin may be used to cover the top of the bin in rainy weather to prevent the compost from getting too wet.

Start your compost pile with a 3 in. layer of course plant material such as small twigs or straw. Next place your first layer of plant and kitchen refuse. The next layer should be a nitrogen rich material such as fresh manure if it is available, fresh grass clippings, fresh hay, or succulent green weeds. If the waste materials are fairly free of soil, a small amount of soil, a compost starter, a layer of old compost or good gardening soil added to each layer will introduce necessary microorganisms.

Water the pile just enough to keep the contents moist but not soaking wet. In a week or two, the pile should heat up to approximately to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature many of the weed seeds and harmful organisms will be killed. Approximately a month after this point the pile should be forked over to thoroughly mix the materials in the pile. Repeat this step in another five to six weeks. If the pile is decreasing in size after this time, you will know that it is composting properly.

The finished compost will be black and crumbly, like good loam, with a pleasant, earthy smell. The compost is now ready to use.

Another system of composting is called sheet composting. A layer of organic material, about 3 to 4 in thick is spread over your garden, and then covered with a 2 in. layer of soil. The organic material is allowed to decay at least three months prior to cultivating. This can be done over the winter when your garden is fallow and will provide you with a good start for your spring crops.

A different concept of composting that is rapidly gaining in popularity is worm farming, or vermiculture. Small scale vermin-composting is well-suited to turn kitchen waste into high-quality soil, where space is limited. There are suppliers of worm-farming equipment on the internet to help you get started.
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Each year in the spring people venture outdoors to begin planting their gardens and flower beds. The allure of warm, gentle days seems to call out the winter hermits in an act of reseeding the world with beauty and divine scents.

One thing that does not make sense is the amount of money spent on commercial fertilizers and compost. Composting yourself is free and makes some of the best fertilizer in the world. Sure, it does take some time but if you start work on it early you can have rich, dark soil by the time planting season comes around.

Composting is environmentally friendly and once you know what can be composted and what cannot, you will be on your way to being eco-friendly. In this article the basics of composting will be covered such as what it actually is technically and how you can begin your own compost heap in your own backyard.

What is composting?

Composting is the process of taking organic material and breaking it down through a variety of chemical and animal processes to achieve fertilizer and plant building material that is both cheap and highly effective. It is very environmentally friendly and is a great way to avoid paying those high costs of bags of fertilizer.

You can utilize those leftover food wastes, animal wastes, grass clippings, branches and other organic materials to create a loamy material that will help your plants grow to their maximum potential like no other commercial grade fertilizer possibly can. The best part is that it is free!

What can I use to help the material break down?

If you want your compost heap and material to break down faster you are going to need to keep it aerated, moist and broken into smaller pieces. You can also help break down the material by adding worms and other small insects into the pile that will help eat the organic material.

Their waste products are filled with great nutrients for the soil and before long you will have a compost heap that is ready to hit the garden to begin the cycle all over again. It is a circle of life that is a great example of Mother Nature at her finest and shows what recycling can do for the environment.

How does compost improve the soil?

Composting adds valuable nutrients back into the soil such as Carbon, Nitrogen and Oxygen. There are other essential elements that are added that will all work together to add the depleted minerals from the growth cycle back into the soil after a plant has used them. Consider it a natural cycle that is essential for plants, grasses, trees and flowers to grow and thrive.

How do I prepare the materials for composting?

Start preparing your compost pile by breaking up the materials into manageable pieces. The object is to help the materials break down or decompose faster. Larger pieces will hinder the process. A shredder works wonders for yard trimmings.

If you are using manure you will want to take a pitch fork and break up the clumps before adding them into the pile. Try to keep the pieces to sizes around the shape of a leaf if it is at all possible.

If you can keep them even smaller to help speed up the process that much faster and before long you will have a mound of fertilizer to use however you see fit.

There are many instances when homeowners choose not to get started with backyard composting because of the perception that it is hard to do correctly. In reality, you just need to collect the basic organic materials, find a place for the compost heap and then allow nature to take over the task. But, there are some basic guidelines to keep in mind that can help make the whole process move forward without a hitch.

There are a number of different types of compost bins on the market that you can use to help manage and contain your compost. But, a special bin is not a requirement that is needed to accomplish successful composting, but more of a convenience. It is easy enough to build your own bin for your pile and simply cover it over with a sheet of polythene or chunk of cardboard.

Some people, however, prefer to have their compost heap more contained and neat in appearance and to have it easier to manage as well. If that is the case, then compost bins can be a good solution.

These special bins are easy enough to find online or at local stores that sell organic gardening tools and supplies. Some local municipalities also have compost bins available at a reduced cost to encourage people to recycle their organic waste.

Making a compost is as simple as adding your organic items that are compostable on a regular basis. Any waste product that was at one time a living thing will compost, or decompose, but some items are not recommended to be thrown into your pile. Meats, dairy foods and cooked foods will end up attracting pests and vermin so these should not be used in your home composting efforts.

Dead and decaying leaves, lawn clippings, manure, and kitchen waste such as rinds, peelings, coffee grounds and even eggshells can be added to it. Older, thicker and tougher plant materials are slower to decompose but they benefit the compost by providing more substance, or body, to the finished product. These heavier materials usually comprise most of a compost pile.

Wood items take a long time to decompose. Whenever possible it is best to shred, chip or chop wood materials to help accelerate the rotting process. However, as long as they are mixed in with other materials that decompose faster they will still provide some benefit to the process overall.

In general it is best to have fairly equal amounts of what is called brown material and green material in it. Brown materials are the manures, dead leaves, small twigs and cardboard and newspapers. Green materials include hedge and grass clippings, coffee grounds, fruit rinds and uncooked vegetables.

You only need to have about one foot of organic material to get your compost heap started. In most instances, just mowing the yard and weeding your flowerbeds and vegetable garden will give you enough to begin. If needed, then you can also add organic kitchen waste and newspaper, and even a little straw if you are coming up short of the one foot level.

Once things get piled up, nature will take over and the decomposition process will start. It is good to turn the heap about every two weeks and within four to six months you will have a nice compost of waste materials that will give a boost to your soil.

Composting has become a popular means of recycling organic materials so that they can be used in beneficial ways instead of adding them to a landfill. In addition to being a great way to participate in recycling efforts, composting is also a great way to generate rich organic materials that can be added to soil for organic garden projects. Compost bins provide a simple and easy way to help people get started composting and are particularly good solutions for people who have limited living space.

There are a number of different types of composters on the market to meet a variety of needs and situations. Bins for composting can be built from materials that you already have around the backyard, or they can be purchased from garden supply stores, especially those that specialize in organic gardening. In some municipalities, the recycling centers provide bins free or at a reduced cost to encourage people to recycle their organic materials themselves.

One variety of compost bins are called holding units. These bins are very low maintenance and are probably the best solution when the amount of space for the home composting project is very limited. With holding units, the compost pile is not turned and therefore not aerated, so the overall process of decomposing will take anywhere from six months up to two full years.

Portable bins are another common type of bins and they are very similar to the holding units but they are able to be taken apart, moved and rebuilt. Different types of materials can by used and mixed with this kind of bin. Many types of plastic portable units are available on the market to purchase or they can be constructed out of wood and wire fencing.

One of the best types of bins is the variety called turning unit composters. These are specifically designed to facilitate easy turning of the compost pile which helps to aerate the heap. Turning units will produce fully decomposed material in a shorter amount of time because the composting process is accelerated by the improved aeration, allowing the bacteria to better do its job in the decomposition process. In addition, people like turning units because there are less odor problems because of the improved ventilation.

Turning unit composting bins can either be a set of bins or they can be a device that easily rotates or tumbles such as a barrel or a ball-type of unit. The drawback is that turning units generally cost most, are harder to build and require more space. The organic materials to be composted also need to be collected separately until enough has been gathered to fill the unit to the correct level and once it is full and the composting process begins, new materials cannot be added.

Simple heaps are an alternative for people who do not want o purchase or build composter bins. Turning a compost heap is always optional, but it should be kept in mind that the process of composting is accelerated when the waste material is turned at least a couple times a month.

You will want to locate your compost bins according to the functional needs of your family and also taking into consideration the aesthetics of the area. You should not place your compost pile near an area that you frequently use for entertaining, even if you have it screened with fencing or plants. It should be located where it gets plenty of air circulation, in a partially shady spot and near the garden area if possible.

Biodegradable waste is a type of compost that has elements which breakdown more easily. Bioplastics are plastics that come from plants sources like hemp and soy beans as well as corn starch, as opposed to traditional plastics which are derived from petroleum. Biodegradable waste is cheap and good for our environment. These types of plastics degrade when they’re exposed to oxygen or light however it is not a microbial degradation and this does not happen in a commercial compost bin or unit.

Bioplastics are seeing a lot of popularity in Europe. They have been reported as accounting for up to 60% of the market for biodegradable materials market. The most common end use market is for packaging which is a continually growing market segment and upon which many entrepreneurs have capitalized.

Synthetic fibers and green waste are two other forms of popular biodegradable waste. There s a large variety of synthetic fibers that are used in place of those natural fibers. These fibers, polypropylene and polyethylene, may be incorporated into paper as a way of imparting desirable physical properties. These elements usually come from living organisms such as animals and plants.

Green waste is waste which can biodegrade, it ’s usually made up of grass cuttings, old flowers, bushes or tree trimmings as well. Generally any type of cuttings from either a park or a garden. Green waste is often collected in municipal curbside collection schemes Biodegradable waste is good.

Nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus will be produced naturally by the feeding of microorganisms, so few if any soil amendments will need to be added. When we begin composting humus is our goal. The organic matter provided in compost provides food for microorganisms, which keeps the soil in a healthy, balanced condition Humus is our goal when we start composting.

When plant matter dies, what ever is left is consumed by microorganisms from the soil and eventually it is turned into humus. Natural decomposition occurs anywhere there are plants. Some organic materials are broken down more easily than others Decomposition occurs naturally.

If the area in a compost heap turns toxic to a particular type of decomposer, it will die, or become dormant, sometimes they shift to other parts of the compost heap. Decomposition occurs anywhere plants grow. The elements vital to a healthy compost heap need oxygen and water in order to decompose the material correctly. Plants are subject to natural decomposition. The changing conditions inside the compost bin create a consistently evolving environment inside the pile. Decomposition occurs naturally anywhere plants grow.

The greatest compost mix is produced by balancing green and brown materials. The greatest compost mix is produced from a balance of green materials like fruit and brown materials like paper. The best type of compost is made up of three parts fibrous loam, one part peat, one part leaf mold and one part coarse sand or grit. Compost that has great success rates is generally at the BOTTOM of the pile.

The best compost is achieved using the anaerobic preparation instead of the aerobic preparation. The best type of compost is produced when the correct amount of air is present. The greatest compost mix is made In Tennessee. Compost that has great success rates is probably that which you make yourself. The local garden center produces compost simply by adding items to a compost heap when you feel like it. I produce compost in 21 days using the landfill method.

Anyway you do it, there is a complex process in play when biodegradation takes place.

The most important part of organic gardening is to nourish the soil. Your plants will take their nourishment from the soil, and will only be as healthy as the soil is. The healthier your plants, the fewer of them will fall victim to garden pests. The soil, therefore, is the most important part of organic farming or gardening. Feed the soil, and the soil will feed the plants. Fee the soil compost tea, and you will have healthy, productive plants.

Compost tea for organic farming or gardening is easily made. You won’t need a teapot or hot, boiling water, but you will need the best compost you can purchase or make.

Compost is organic material produced when bacteria in the soil cause garbage and biodegradable trash to decompose. It is an organic fertilizer. Making compost requires regular turning of the pile, mixing the materials in it, and exposing them to air. It is an ongoing process, and is a good way to recycle kitchen scraps and other vegetable matter.

Compost tea for organic farming or gardening will only be as good as the compost you use to make it.

Reasons for Making Compost Tea

There are a number of organic fertilizers you can use on your organic garden or farm. Why would you want to get involved in brewing, straining, and spraying compost tea? Why not just work fresh compost directly into the soil?

The main reason for making compost tea for organic farming or gardening is that it helps you increase compost ’s benefits. Compost tea can be sprayed on your plants’ leaves to reduce leaf disease. Sprayed compost tea can give your plants additional nutrients besides what they absorb through their roots.

Studies have shown that compost tea can increase the nutritional value of the vegetables that come to your table. It can also improve their flavor.

Compost Tea Recipe

Compost tea for organic farming or gardening can be mixed in large or small quantities, as needed. Our compost tea recipe is for a small quantity – about 2.5 gallons.

You will need these “aquarium” items from a pet store:

* 8 to 10 feet of air tubing
* 1 gang valve
* 3 bubblers, i.e. air stones
* 1 pump, large enough to run the 3 bubblers
* 2 5-gallon plastic buckets
* 1 stirring tool or stick
* 1 small bottle of organic unsulfured molasses
* 1 Tablespoon measure
* 1 old pillowcase or half of pantyhose for straining

Water: Well water may be used as is for compost tea, but water from a municipal supply contains chlorine, which will kill the beneficial organisms you need in your compost tea. Run the bubblers in municipal supply water for at least an hour before using it for compost tea.

Directions for Making Your Compost Tea

1. Hang the gang valve on the rim of one empty bucket.

2. Arrange the 3 bubblers on the bucket ’s bottom. Cut 3 lengths of air tubing long enough to connect the bubblers to the gang valve. Leave an inch extra on each so they will not be dislodged when adding compost. Connect one end of each tube to a bubbler, the other end to the gang valve.

3. Add compost loosely on top of the bubblers (don’t pack) until the bucket is about one half full.

4. Cut a piece of tubing long enough to go from the gang valve to your pump. Attach both ends.

5. Add water to the bucket of compost until it is between 2 and 4 inches from the top.

6. Turn on the pump, and watch to be sure the bubblers are all activated.

7. When all 3 bubblers are working, add 2 Tablespoons of the molasses, and stir quickly. The molasses will feed the organisms you want to grow. After stirring, reposition the bubblers to be sure they are spaced evenly and sitting on the bottom.

8. Stir your compost tea several times each day. After each stirring, check the bubblers to be sure they are spaced evenly and sitting on the bottom.

9. Your compost tea will be done in 3 days. Turn off the pump, and remove the bubblers, etc. If you cannot use your compost tea immediately, continue aerating, but add 2 more Tablespoons of molasses to keep good organisms active.

Let the finished compost tea stand until the compost is well settled to the bottom. This should require 15 to 25 minutes. Strain the compost tea into your second bucket. Pour into a sprayer and apply.

One of the largest time consumers in the organic gardening arena is taking care of weeds. Most regular gardeners will go to the store and buy several containers of herbicides and pesticides and weedkiller in an attempt to thwart these evil intruders that will inevitably overtake your garden area and possibly kill off all of the plants that you are nurturing. If you decide to take the time every day to pull the weeds, depending upon the size of your garden area, this could take several hours a day. If you are a working person, this is probably not a good choice in that your time is limited but you do want your organic garden to grow and flourish. One of the easiest ways to combat weeds is with organic compost. Here are a few tips on how to use organic compost to help battle weeds that will pop up in your garden.

Every person has the ability to start their own mulch pile. Mulch is simply the result of your organic waste from your regular eating habits that you place into a pile with soil and other organic materials. Over time, this next year will begin to decompose as a natural process and will eventually lead to a dark brown material that you can place in your soil or on the topsoil as you are about to learn. Composting is the process that actually will create the organic compost that you will need. The mulch is actually the non-processed early configuration of your organic waste as it begins the decomposition process. Either one is fine to use as a way to cover your crop but you may decide on which is better for you based upon the amount of time that you have during the day.

If you are limited by time, one of the easiest ways to use organic compost to prevent weeds is to start a mulch pile several months before you are about to begin planting. Because it would be at the very least unsightly to throw your organic waste on top of your planted garden area, starting a mulch pile so that the composting process may begin, months later you will have, depending upon the size of your pile, enough mulch and compost to begin covering the topsoil in your garden.

There are various reasons that you would like to cover your crop. This could be due to weather or a need to retain water in your garden area, but for this particular purpose, you want to lay on a thick layer of compost on top of the soil on and around your plants in your garden area in order to stifle the growth of weeds.

Weeds are a very prolific plant which can grow in areas that most plants cannot. You might even see them growing out of the sides of walls or on the sides of buildings where it would not be logical for any kind of a plant to grow or have the ability to grow. Weeds, however, are not completely indestructible and do require the same basic needs that most plants require including sunlight, soil, air, and of course water.

By laying a very thick layer of compost on the topsoil of your garden, you will be eliminated in a very crucial element that is necessary for all weeds to grow and that is adequate sunlight. By removing their ability to quickly get to the sunlight, we needs will inevitably die because they cannot get above your thick organic compost layer.

In essence, not only will the mulch keep the weeds from the sunlight but at the same time we’ll provide protection for your crops as you grow them in the form of weather erosion protection and keeping the ground level at an even temperature so that the real crops can begin to grow. Likewise, essential nutrients in the ground that would be taken by the weeds will now be safe as the weeds again to die and only your organic plants begin to flourish.

Therefore, by taking the time to plan ahead and creating your own little system for taking your organic waste outside and placing it into a bin or a covered pile so that it can begin to decompose, you will create for yourself a natural and free layer of protection for your up and coming garden. You could also go to your local store and purchase humus or some kind of composting material in a bag which would also work in the same manner.

The bottom line is that either one will protect not only your plants that you are growing but also give you many more hours of free time that she would otherwise lose trying to protect your organic garden by stopping the inevitability of weed growth.

Creating a mulch pile for your garden is one of the more important things you can do when preparing for your organic planting. Mulch, which will inevitably become humus or compost will act as a natural barrier against the elements for your garden, provide water retention in the soil, will protect you against invasions of weeds, and at the very least provide an outward beauty that only this dark brown material can provide. However, all of this is great unless you have no idea how to start your very own mulch pile. This takes a little bit of planning but in the end you will have a fine source of composting material that you can use on your garden when the time comes to plant. Here are a few tips on how you can create a very large and easy to maintain mulch pile for your organic garden.

The amount of waste that everyone accrues on a daily basis is getting worse each and every year. People that eat out a lot probably do not have the same problems that most families face. Feeding four or more people can create quite a bit of waste and much of this might be organically based. Organic waste is the first step in determining whether or not you can have a successful mulch pile. Of course, you need to consider how much area you have to store the mulch, the size of the garden area that you will have to grow your plants in, and of course how much time you will have to use the mulch and tend to your garden. All of these factors weigh in as you determine whether a large or a small old pile is best for you.

The first thing you should do is order off an area of your property where you can begin to place your organic waste. Mulching is actually a very easy thing to do and it can even be helpful especially if you have a large area of upkeep on your property. You can begin by collecting the every day yard waste that most people have. Do you have a lawn that you know on a regular basis? Are you adjacent to a forest or do you have trees on your property that have leaves? If so, you have an ample and free natural supply of organic waste that you can begin to add to your compost pile right away.

Other things that you can use which are related to and or originate from plants are things like sawdust, vegetable and fruit waste from your daily eating, as well as the newspaper that you read every week. By taking this material and shredding it into smaller pieces, you can begin to create a mulch pile in no time at all.

Most people that create a compost pile will pile everything in a large mound and make sure that it has access to sunlight. They will cover this pile with a tarp that is dark in order to absorb as much heat as possible. Heat is a very necessary component in order to get the microorganisms and process is going for the mulching process to begin. Although it is possible to not use a pile and to simply throw this material on top of your existing garden, it would be unsightly and would not be as beneficial to the garden because the composting process will create nutrients that the soil needs to properly feed the plants. If the composting process will take a few weeks or months to occur while sitting on top of the garden, this is time wasted and the nutrients cannot go into the soil because the composting process has not occurred.

One other possibility is to partially compost your material opposed to waiting for the entire process to occur. This will work for people that have not had the time to set up their mulch pile but the process of setting this up is very easy as well. Simply take all of the materials aforementioned, mix the pile regularly in order to aerate the pile so that the microorganisms have ample supply of air. Then, this will inspire the process to occur much more quickly. Also, the larger the pile, the faster the composting process will occur because heat and pressure will be an increased factor.

Before adding the compost to your garden area, you probably do not want to wait for the sticks to decompose. Hard substances such as branches and twigs that are still in the composting material will be your sign as to when to remove the compost and place it on your garden. If you wait too long, waiting for the larger sticks to decompose as well, you may miss all of the benefits of the composting process and also wait too long in order to enrich the soil and protect your crops during the growing season.

If you are seeing this as a lot of work that you do not want to do, but you have access to all of the material mentioned, you can actually apply all of the uncomposted mulch material to the top of the garden and allow it to decompose there. However, this is not as effective as using a mulch pile that is properly prepared months in advance and therefore it is recommended for the benefit of your crops that you apply only composted mulch material.

Also remember to add very thick layers of the material from the mulch pile onto your soil. A little bit will have major effects on preventing weeds from appearing or maintaining even temperatures throughout the soil itself. Think of it as an installation of sorts that can only protect your planting efforts if you use enough to do so. You should also turn your mulch from time to time in order to aerate it even after it has been applied to the surface of the garden. This is to make sure that the composting process continues and will ensure an even distribution of nutrients into the soil as water is applied from about and percolates down under.

One caveat is to not use too many wood products in your mulch as the decomposition time is much longer than on things such as tomatoes or pairs that will decompose in a matter of days. Also consider adding more mulch about halfway through the season in order to make sure that nutrients and protection is consistent throughout the growing time. This is a little bit of extra effort and will require probably another mulch pile, but it ensures that your crops will be as healthy as possible and will not be subject to elemental disasters that may occur. These include the wind blowing away too much mulch, heavy rain storms that wash some of it away. These are all factors that need to be considered and maintained while growing your organic garden plants.

So it is time to get mulching! Gather all of your organic waste and create a schedule for yourself in order to begin your mulch pile. Continually add lawn clippings and old newspapers along with your organic waste from your kitchen and over a period of a couple of months you will have a fine mulch pile that you can begin to use on your organic garden in no time at all.

Compost is a collection of different organic matter, such as yard clippings, small twigs, leaves and organic kitchen waste that have gone through the process of decomposition. Numerous people do composting so that they can make good use of the available organic material that is around their property and even in their home. This gives composters a chance to make use of the nutrient rich muck that is produced and which is very beneficial to garden soil.

In fact, to avid gardeners, compost is highly regarded and considered the “black gold” of garden fertilizers. Material that has gone through the composting process ends up producing a wonderfully rich material that is filled with minerals and nutrients that are well suited to encouraging lush and healthy growth of new plants.

The end result of composting is a very rich organic substance that is able to mix with and improve virtually all types of soil. Clay soil is easier to work with when compost is added to it and a wider variety of plants can be supported. When dealing with sandy soil, the addition of compost helps the soil retain moisture much better.

The composting process involves four different components that are required to create a mixture that will deliver the sought-after benefits. These four key components are organic matter, correct moisture, sufficient oxygen and bacteria.

The organic materials suitable for composters include various plant materials, food scraps, and some varieties of animal manure. Good compost should include a mix of brown organic material and green organic material. The brown organic matter includes such as dead leaves, twigs, and manure. The green material will be comprised of things such as grass clippings, hedge trimmings, coffee grounds, fruit rinds and vegetable waste.

The brown materials provide carbon for the mixture, while the green materials bring in supplies of needed nitrogen. As much as possible, it is best to try to maintain a one to one ratio of brown material to green material to produce the best final compost. If you have a compost pile that contains more brown material than green, then you can add in a handful of 10-10-10 fertilizer. This will add nitrogen and will speed up the decomposition process.

Sometimes it is helpful to shred, chop or mow the available materials into smaller pieces. This will serve to speed up the composting process because the smaller the pieces of material are the greater the surface area.

The proper moisture levels are important to a successful composting process. It is said that the compost pile should have about the same amount of moisture as a sponge that has been wrung out by hand. If the compost pile is too dry, then the decomposition slows down. You can simply add some water to the pile during dry weather periods or any time when a lot of brown material has been added to help keep the process moving along.

Should the compost become too wet, simply dig in and turn the pile to mix the materials and spread the moisture. You can also add some brown organic materials that are very dry to help balance things out.

Sufficient oxygen is also a key element that is necessary for decomposition. Oxygen supports the breakdown of the organic materials by the bacteria. Supplying oxygen to the compost pile is as simple as turning the compost so the materials at the outer edges of the pile are moved to the center. This also helps to control odors that can develop. The pile should be turned about every two weeks for best results.

It is the bacteria, and other types of microorganisms, that do the real work involved in the composting process. With the other needed elements in place, the bacteria can go to work breaking down the organic components into the compost that will benefit the organic garden.

When the composting cycle has turned the organic waste matter into a muck that is rich in nutrients, you will be able to easily add it to your garden soil. While preparing your soil for a spring planting, simply cover the ground with about 3-4 inches of the compost and then till the soil to mix it in well. In no time you will start to see a healthy and vibrant garden.