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Compost Pile Manufactures Nutrients For Your Garden
By Frank | April 29, 2008
Pretty much any type of organic matter will eventually decompose if it has sufficient time and the right conditions. But, even with that said, you don’t want to toss any old organic materials on your compost pile. The main components that make up a good compost heap will come right from your yard and can included grass clippings and leaves. Small twigs and wood products that have been ground up into sawdust are acceptable as well.
composting
Branches, twigs, and small logs that are larger than one-quarter inch in diameter need to be run through a chipping or shredding machine before being added to the compost pile.Alternately, they can be cut up into tiny pieces with a corn knife to make them small enough for the composting process.
Many types of kitchen waste items are also appropriate to be included in a compost pile. Fruit rinds, vegetable peelings and scraps, coffee grounds and eggshells that have been crushed are all perfectly acceptable to use in composting and this is a very effective way to recycle these kinds of materials.
organic waste
There are some organic materials that need to be avoided and which should not be added because of potential health hazards or nuisances that can be created. No type of pet feces should be included in a compost heap because of potential diseases that can be transmitted. Any kind of meat, whole eggs, dairy products and grease should also be excluded because they will attract rodents and other vermin.
In most instances, diseased organisms that are common to plants and weed seeds are destroyed through the process of composting, as long as these components are in the center of the heap and the temperature in the center reaches at least 140 degree F. But, experts caution that it is difficult to assure that such waste will be brought to the center during the composting process. As a result, putting large amounts of diseased plants or weeds with seeds into your compost heap could end up causing problems and should be avoided.
yard waste
A good waste recycling needs a balance of materials that will enhance the decomposition process. In general, keeping the mix to a ration of about one-to-one of brown material with green material works well. Brown material includes items such as manure, decaying leaves, and newspaper and cardboard. Green material would include the hedge and grass clippings, coffee grounds, and fruit and vegetable peelings.
It is a good idea to keep the compost pile contained in a structure of some kind. This not only helps speed up the decomposition process, but it also minimizes the space needed. In addition, this also helps to make better use of space and minimizes the amount of area needed for your project, backyard composting is a good way to start and they provide the structure to manage the compost and also helps to keep the appearance neat and clean.
Topics: Gardening |
