Compost

Compost

Compost is the broken down remnants of organic material that is then used as fertilizer. Depending on your city’s ordinances, you may be able to simply designate a part of your yard as the composting area and put your materials to be composted there. Many cities have laws requiring that compost be in a sealed container to help keep away vermin. Many people prefer containers, or composters, either way for this very reason. Food remains, plants, and paper can all be composted. You simply pile them all together and they will break down on their own. Once they are broken down, they become compost. This is a black, nutrient rich, natural organic fertilizer and there are things you can do to speed up the composting process. If you have sticks or other larger items that will break down more slowly, put those at the bottom of the compost when you are starting out. Put smaller items on top and on the very top put leaves and grass clippings. Try to make this top layer thick. The leaves and grass clippings will create heat and weight, causing everything underneath to decompose more rapidly. Heat is essential to composting and you should check your compost every couple of weeks. Once the larger items seem like they’ve started breaking down nicely, start turning over and mixing the compost. You can at that point add things to the compost freely. Use the compost in your garden and houseplants as a beneficial and free fertilizer. Some people choose composters to not only keep vermin away, but also because many of them rotate, which mixes the compost without you having to get into it. Composters also tend to attract heat, especially when kept in sunny spots, which greatly increases the speed of decomposition. Composters come in all different sizes. Smaller ones may not be able to hold large amounts of grass clippings, leaves, and may not be able to accommodate larger items.

Worm Compost

Worm compost is a form of composting where worms eat your waste and then produce nutrient rich compost. Worm composting is done in a container, so it can be done inside as well as outside. A five to ten gallon box will work, and it shouldn’t be too deep since many worms stay close to the surface. Lining the box will help to lengthen the life of the box. The best foods to add are raw fruit and vegetable scraps, but worms can eat all manner of food.

Compost Thermometers

Compost thermometers are helpful in the making of compost. Compost that is too hot will kill microorganisms that are important for the richness of compost. Compost that is too cool will reduce the rate at which the compost is made. A thermometer can help you find when to add water and turn your compost.