How do I create a compost pile?
Question:I'm very curious how to create one and for what purpose does it serve. Thank you in advance.
Answers:
Compost is truly wonderful stuff. It adds nutrients and organic material to your garden while keeping lots of stuff out of the landfill.
Making compost isn't rocket science. Some folks like to just pile things up and let nature take it's course, while others like to do everything they can to speed thing along, It's all about what fits into your lifestyle. A properly constructed pile can reach temperatures of 150 degrees internally which will kill any weed seeds.
To properly construct a pile you should alternate layers of high nitrogen materials (fresh green plant material, animal manures, kitchen wastes) with materials containing carbon (dead leaves, straw, newspapers). Items you should never use are meats, bones, fats and dog or cat manure. The dog and cat manures can contain pathogens that are harmful to humans.
Using a containment system depends on how much room you have and how organized you want to be. I use recycled sections of fencing for my bins, but you can also use pallets, garbage cans with drainage holes in the bottom or anything else that will contain the compost and provide drainage. The only thing I advise against are the "compost tumblers." They are very expensive, and while the theory behind them sound appealing, they do not have tha capacity to have a large enough mass to heat up properly, in my humble opinion.
Check out our website for more composting ideas at-
http://www.gardening-at-the-crossroads.c...
Good Luck and Happy Gardening from Cathy and Neal!
build you a box out of 2x4s doesnt have to be more than 4 ft wide.
Buy some manure put that down first.then do a layer of newspaper, then a layer of leaves, then a layer of lawn clippings, then a layer of potting soil, then if youd like keep layering these repeating each thing. remember to water after each layer. Let like two months pass so that these things begin to detioriate into each other and blend. The benefits are the things that are composted together give nutrients and an organic touch to land that might instead be either red clay, sandy, or dry. Adding compost adds things that arent in a good soil mixture. Manure fertilizes, newspaper locks in moisture which helps you not have to water as much, same as leaves. You dont have to always use a compost but its so much cheaper than buying an already organic addative to soil.you can save so much more money making your own instead of 14 dollars a bag at lowes or home depot.
How? You start with dirt as much as you'd like the more the better, you can use anything that's left over from food preferably not used.(fruit,veggies,peels,shel... etc..)no liquids only water.mix it with the dirt.. eventually it will disintegrate .you can put it in a large storage container or in your back yard if you put it in your back yard be sure to keep it covered.me and most friends use it for potting soil or gardening.
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