Composting for Beginners
Composting is one of the most natural ways you can make your garden grow better. People may worry about composting because they think it’s hard to do, too complicated, will smell funny or take a long time, which is all true if you do it the wrong way. The right way is actually a very simple approach. Learn about composting for beginners in this video by Better Homes and Gardens:
Start by using some of the things from your refrigerator and kitchen and your yard that would normally go into the landfill (these items can take up to a quarter of the landfill mass on a yearly basis). Composting is a great way to use things in your refrigerator that have turned bad or are starting to turn bad. Anytime you are peeling anything, you can also use those fruit and vegetable peels. Avoid using onions and garlics as they repel earthworms that are a vital part of the composting process. Beginners should also avoid eggshells as they don’t break down as easily in a new compost.
Composting is all about the microbila action of your compost pile. You can either make a 3′ x 3′ compost pile on the ground or use a black plastic compost maker. The black plastic helps heat the compost, which is vital as it helps the microbes break down the organic matter.
In addition to fruits and vegetables, you can also add herb tea, coffee grounds and unbleached filters to your compost. Combine your wet green items with your dry brown items. Start with the brown, add the green and layer them up. If your compost seems too wet and is starting to smell, add more brown items; If it seems too dry, add more green items and even some water to make it moist. You can also add leaves but not twigs as they will not decompose. Avoid adding meat, dairy products or cooked items like oatmeal as they tend to make the compost go bad and smell and make it more attractive to animals and pests.
Use a container like an earthenware pot in your kitchen to collect items for your compost. If you are starting your compost pile, there are several brands of compost starter that you can purchase online. Get an organic compost starter that is full of microbes and has some alfalfa and kelp meal and add that to your starter compost and put some water on it. You can do this several time a year or every other month.
After a few months in the compost bin, you’ll have a great compost which has the appearance of crumbled chocolate cake. You can apply it to your flower beds and in your potted plants; it is a gentle fertilizer that will help perk up your plants.
