One of the best ways to ensure a bountiful harvest from your garden is to use plenty of organic compost. You can be sure that you’re using a safe way of growing your garden. The recycling of organic waste is one of the best things a gardener can do.
At the core of good compost is lots of carbon. This can be found in the brown waste from your yard such as straw, dead leaves, dried flowers and shredded newspaper. It’s important not to forget these essential materials as some folks do, they’re the beginning of your heap.
Next up your compost will need some nitrogen. One of the easiest places to find this is in your kitchen waste. Anything green should be used, like fruit and vegetable peelings or green leftovers… never use any meat! You can also use any green garden waste, such as lawn clippings and green plant clippings.
Then you need to top it off with some soil from your garden. It’s very important to remember to add some natural soil to your compost heap to get it started.
So, to recap, you start with a layer of brown material, then you add some green stuff and then a layer of garden soil. On top of this you add another layer of brown waste. Lastly you need to damp down your compost by adding some water. Just make it moist, don’t swamp it!
Keep adding alternate layers as above, trying to maintain a proportion of three parts brown waste to one part green for maximum effect. The most manageable size for your pile is abut 3 feet wide by 3 feet high.
Every one to two weeks you will get your garden fork (or pitchfork) and turn your compost heap. The object of this exercise is to take the material from the middle and move it to the outside and the outer stuff to the center.
To understand why the moisture level is so important, if your pile dries out it will stop decomposing. The easiest way to know if your compost is healthy is to watch for steam to rise as you’re turning your pile. This is a clear indication that your heap is decomposing correctly.
You can always go to your bait shop and buy worms to quicken the decomposition if you want. It’s not really necessary though, because the earthworms already in your garden will soon find your lovely compost and start doing their thing.
To keep your pile tidy you can build or buy a bin. This keeps your garden looking neat and stops your pile spreading out too much. To make the job of turning your compost heap over easier, you can buy a rotating bin that you simply turn to mix your compost.
You need to wait until your compost reaches an almost black color and smells fresh and sweet, this indicates that it’s ready. Now you can use it for potting up your favorite plants, you don’t need to add anything else to the soil. It’s also wise to gradually mix it through your entire garden because it contains all the essential nutrients your plants will need. Your garden will be the envy of all your neighbors.