Backyard Garden Tips - All about Compost:

What is compost?
Composting is the dmposition of organic mrial into humus. Backyard gardeners can use this natural phenomenon to their advantage to imve garden soils. Compost can be purchased or cred in a home garden by recycling kitchen and garden we.

Composted mrials m excellent mulches to cover or amend the soil. Using organic we to m compost ms sound logical sense. About thirty percent of the we that reaches the landfill could be composted, lengthening the time that the landfill is useful. In addition, it imves the soil by increasing tilth, fertility, wr holding capacity, and drainage.

Making compost
Composting can be a casual or scientific endeavor. Kitchen and yard wes can be piled up in the garden and allowed plenty of time to dmpose. More sophisticd systems use containers to turn and mix it to hen dmposition.

Organic wes naturally dmpose through microorganisms, insects and earthworm feeding which break it down. To function perly, the dmposing organisms need oxygen, wr, nitrogen and heat mixed into the organic matter. If the right amounts of oxygen and wr are incorpord, the dmposition ts place rapidly and the mixture heats enough to kill weed seeds and plant disease pathogens.

Do-it-yourself compost
Incorpor air into the mixture to hen the decay cess and keep it from developing foul odors. Compost should be turned frequently to keep oxygen levels high enough. The fer the cess ts place, the better the source of fertilizer it bmes.

When creating compost, you should add nitrogen fertilizer to the composting mix to hen the dmposition cess. A ratio of one part nitrogen per fifteen to thirty parts compost is about the right mix.

Using the easiest method of composting, m a pile of organic wes, turn it periodically to keep oxygen levels high and reduce foul odors, and let nature do the rest. The resulting compost will imve soil tilth, but will not be as high in fertilizer value as compost made using more sophisticd methods.

A compost bin ms the cess tidier and more efficient. M the bin about six feet high, and three to four feet square. Use building mrials that allow air to get into the composting mixture such as wire, or board slats with air spaces between slats. Add moisture and a few handfuls of lime each week to speed up the cess.

Other sophisticd bins and plans are available. Consult your local county agent for more detailed information.

Composting made easy
Over the years I've seen various ways to m great compost. My mother has a knack for finding just the right mix of everyday items to cre her own back yard compost pile. The mix includes kitchen we (carrot peel, banana peels, egg shells, potato skins, etc.) grass clippings, fallen leaves and twigs, and of course, any "nuggets" the neighborhood dogs happen to leave behind. Frequently mixing and turning pile helps vide enough air to the mixture to cre a quality compost and keeps the pile from emitting less than pleasant odors.