Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Build A Compost - Advice

Gardening is a great activity that is either a hobby or a way to provide fresh food to the table. The quality of your harvest will depend on the kind of soil you have in your garden. If it is not very good, then you will want to build a compost.

A compost will give your garden soil the nutrients it needs to make sure that what you grow there will be the best in can be. No garden is truly complete without having one. It is just what your soil needs. A compost will bring the nutrients and the fertilizer your garden needs, and all done from the area of your backyard. It will also make sure that there is a good moisture balance for your soil.

Decide where you are going to build your compost pile. Make sure it is out of sight so the neighbors don't complain, but put it close enough so that you have easy access to the garden and the kitchen. You will be adding organic material from your kitchen as well as your yard.

Chicken wire and a few stakes will build you a nice compost pile. It will hold enough organic material and also will be large enough for you to turn it over with a pitch fork or a shovel. You want enough stakes to hold it up so it won't sag under the weight of the contents.

Add grass clippings to your compost. Grass weighs a pretty good amount, so make sure that if your compost pile is large, it is staked up well. Make is at least a few feet in diameter.

You can even make an old bin from wood and pallets that won't be used anymore. Make it the size you need and, for easy access to the compost, add a lid with a hinge. It will keep the weather out too.

The main part of compost is grass clippings, dry leaves, and other material such as annuals that have passed one. Make sure they are mixed well in the compost. But, don't add too much green material since that will make a smell that is unpleasant.

Do not add meat or dairy into the compost. The bacteria and harmful other germs from fecal matter will potentially harm your garden and you. Take care when you build a compost for your garden.

Build a compost and get off of store bought fertilizers. The fertilizers themselves frequently contain chemicals but they also use energy to make and transport them to the store. Build a compost, the planet and your garden will love you for it.