Eco-Friendly Green Lifestyle

Scoop up a handful of your compost. It should feel loose and crumbly. The compost should be a dark brown color and smell earthy and pleasant. Look closely at the compost in your hand. Some of the organic materials have decomposed completely and turned to humus—the dark uniform-looking substance of the compost. You will be [...]

Special compost mixtures can be made to meet particular plant needs: Composts made of oak leaves, sawdust, kitchen garbage, and cottonseed meal can be used for plants which prefer an acid soil, like strawberries or blueberries. Tomato plants grow especially well in compost made from their own residues.

Chopping and shredding increase the surface area of the compost materials. The smaller the size of the materials, the more surface area exposed to the bacteria and other compost organisms. Compost materials decompose more rapidly when they are chopped or shredded. Chopping and shredding of the materials results in better insulation, less loss of heat [...]

PHOSPHATE ROCK
Phosphate rock is a good source of phosphorus for the compost heap. It also contains minerals such as iron, copper, zinc, and magnesium. If you have tested your soil and found that it is rather low in phosphorus, add phosphate rock to the compost heap. When the compost is added to the soil, phosphorus [...]

HAIR
Hair and feathers are high in nitrogen content. Hair is easily gathered at barber or hair-styling shops. To prevent matting, the hair should be cut in short pieces and combined with other materials.

KITCHEN, GROCERY, AND RESTAURANT WASTE
The various vegetable and fruit trimmings available in households, groceries, and restaurants are rich in nitrogen and other nutrients, including trace elements. If you decide to build your compost heap gradually, kitchen waste can be put in a tight-lidded container until enough has been accumulated for a layer. Sawdust placed in [...]

Larger compost heaps can be made without an enclosure. It is preferable to build an open compost heap all at once, rather than accumulating small amounts of materials over a long period of time. If your supply of compost materials is limited, build a smaller heap. When you have accumulated more materials, build another complete [...]

Composting methods vary. Your circumstances will determine how you choose to compost. If you live in the city or its suburbs, you can compost in a bin or pit. A compost bin will neatly contain your compost in a small space. If you live on a farm or have a large space in which to [...]

Wherever you live, it is possible for you to find a suitable place to compost nearly all your household and garden “waste.” As you look around for a place, keep in mind that it is important to find a good home for the organisms which do all the work of decomposing the organic materials for [...]

Compost is a fine soil conditioner. Compost plays a vital role in making the physical environment of soils suitable for the growth of healthy crops. With the help of microorganisms, the particles of the soil are grouped and held together, furnishing the soil with a good structure. This increases the capacity of the soil to [...]