If you are thinking about making your own compost you need to know what to expect. There are a few basics that need to be followed to successfully have the compost develop correctly. Once you know what to do and how long it takes then making compost is easy.
Depending on how you are curing the compost it may take anywhere from 14 days to a year. The less nitrogen that is in a pile of compost has, the longer it will take to build up enough to heat to break down properly. Weather can also have somewhat of an affect on the compost too, the hotter the weather the better. So be aware of this when expecting your compost to break down fast.
Many different types of organic substances can be used in your pile of composting materials. Here are some things you can begin your pile with: egg shells that have been rinsed off, plants and the pruning scraps from your garden, vegetable scraps including peels, and the grounds of coffee. You can also use the following items: many types of food scraps, clippings of grass from cutting the lawn, a moderate amount of newspaper (be careful with this though due to the ink), ashes from burning wood, leaves especially in the fall, hulls off of peanuts, and dead flower buds and stems.
There are some substances that should not be put into compost though. They are things such as paint, household-type chemicals, human feces and other animal feces, and wood that has been treated. These can be dangerous for your health and will poison your garden. Anything that takes a long time to decompose should not put in there either, things like metal ceramics, glass, and plastics. In fact certain plastics can be quite toxic as they decompose. Oil and grease products can slow down decomposition. Ashes from burned coal also can harm your compost pile. And to keep from attracting rats and other vermin.
If you live out in the country you can have a compost bin where you have to turn the pile every so often. This helps to ensure that the materials break down evenly. It also adds oxygen to the process. You can add some nitrogen to get the composting process started.
But if you live in the city you may think about getting an Urban Compost Tumbler. This is great for small spaces because they are more aesthetically pleasing than a regular compost bin. They also do not take up as much space as the bins do. Also because the tumbler creates even heat any organic materials break down quickly. And this tumbler aids in the materials breakup into smaller pieces through the tumbling action. Doesn’t this device sound easier to use than having to turn a heavy compost pile on a regular basis? These tumblers also come in various sizes for your convenience.
Now that you know the basics on making compost you may consider doing your own. It will save you money over buying the compost offered for sale at the garden centers. Then when your garden blooms bountifully and beautifully, you truly can take all the credit.
Fred Myers shares his 20 years of experience about vegetable and herb gardens, greenhouses, lawns and landscaping at GardenersGardening.com. More tips on organic gardening and composting can be found on his web site.
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