Composting 'How to' Guide
Kitchen
Composting For The Organic
Gardener 
Making and using your own compost is one
of the simplest and most important aspects
of
the organic garden. It
is easily made from recycled kitchen and garden waste and is
an essential element of growing your own healthy organic
food.
Kitchen composting is not only beneficial
to the soil you use it on but as it uses all of the kitchen
and garden waste you would normally throw out
it cuts down the amount
you send to landfill and so is kinder to the environment .
It is estimated that 40% of household waste is compostable
material. It is used to enrich the soil in your garden and
promotes healthy and vigorous growth. Since it is a
completely natural process and free of
any chemicals it is the
perfect solution to the fertiliser requirements in your
organic vegetable garden.
Find
Out How You Can Make Your Own Organic
Compost
Making your compost couldn’t be more
straightforward. Just provide the necessary ingredients and
let nature do the rest. A
simple compost bin can
be purchased from your local garden centre or hardware
store, you can make your own simple wooden compost box or
you can simply use a corner of your garden to form a compost
heap.
A simple bin or wooden box is by far the
most convenient option as it keeps your garden tidy and
ensures the perfect conditions for making compost are
maintained.
The compost bin or box should ideally be
located in a sunny position in the garden and be placed
directly on the soil i.e without a base so that the compost
is in direct contact with the soil.
It should have a close fitting lid on the
top and ideally a small opening on the bottom part of the
box to remove the compost as needed when it’s
ready.
Among the many things you can add to your
compost heap are waste items from the kitchen such
as:
-
Vegetable
waste, particularly greens
-
Tea bags and
coffee grounds
-
Crushed egg
shells
From the garden:
-
Grass cuttings
and prunings
-
Young weed
growth
-
Fallen
leaves
-
Plant
thinnings
From around the house:
-
Cardboard
-
Newspaper and
magazines
-
Sawdust and
wood shavings
If you keep free range chickens you can
also use the manure and bedding from the chicken coop to add
to you compost heap. Waste from other household pets must
only be used if the animal is a herbivore. Waste hay and
straw from a rabbit hutch or a stable is ideal. Do not add
dog or cat faeces to the compost heap.
Once you have added all the right
ingredients just let nature take its course. It is not
unusual to have compost ready for use in as little as six
weeks however it may take a little longer to get your
compost bin established at the start.
Once established, just keep adding waste
to the bin as it becomes available. You will soon figure out
the natural cycle of your bin and make use of the compost
accordingly.
There are various methods used to improve
the quality of the compost according to the materials you
have at your disposal and the way in which you plan to used
it in the garden. Making compost is an integral part of
living a sustainable lifestyle and maintaining your organic
garden. Do a little research and see what works best for you
and you’ll soon be reaping the benefits!
Ready to try it out for
yourself?
Check out Rod Turners guide for
making the worlds best compost!
Download Your Copy Of Rod Turners
Composting Guide
Today!
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