Enjoy Better Flowers, Ferns and Veggies With Organic Gardening Compost

Lawns luxuriant in greenery, abounding with flowers and ferns of immense beauty, need no more be only a picture in that gardening journal, which you subscribe to every month. Nor are they limited to the prerogative of the rich and the famous, if you take the initiative of switching over to organic gardening compost to feed that green gold growing in your backyard.

Do you want your roses and dahlias to be as plush and healthy as those growing in the garden of the celebrities? Do you want your kitchen garden to produce nothing but healthy eatables free of chemicals and pesticides? You most certainly do. Then treat your plants with organic compost.

With environmental concerns gaining precedence with each passing day, the health of your plants has become as important as your own well-being. Just like you, your plants too require a good diet of nutrients to help them stay fit and last long. This can only be supplied by administering a good dose of organically prepared compost.

Compost is, in other words, the complete planned food for plants as it carries all the nutrients that the plants need in just the right measure. Phosphorous, Potassium and Nitrogen are the key nutrients that plants derive from it. It is free from those harmful chemicals that may cause damage to the health of your plants and at some point of time to your own health if you eat veggies laced with chemicals.

It comprises organic matter which decomposes gradually, thereby imparting nourishment and health to the soil. Organically produced compost replenishes the soil with all the vital nutrients that may be missing, but which a plant requires to grow in a healthy manner, preparing it for good gardening.

Next, it helps the soil lock in adequate moisture, which again, is quite important for good growth of the plants. It gives the soil nutrients that plants can ingest with great ease. If you are an environment buff, it is advisable for you to prepare compost on your own. This can be done easily by collecting materials at hand.

Organic Gardening Compost can be prepared with anything that has the capacity to decompose organically including left over food, decaying veggies and animal droppings (excluding that of cats and dogs as it can spread diseases), but care should be taken to avoid those elements that have the capacity to germinate again. The material should be put into a composting bin in layers and kept covered to protect it from rain, mixing it regularly to see that the layers decompose properly and completely.

Clint Sidney is a gardening enthusiast and recommends this excellent Organic Gardening Compost. You can learn more about gardening at GreatGardener.eHelpshome.com.

Compost - Building the Pile Big - Collection for Gold

Organic gardeners consider compost to be black gold, the ingredient above all for healthy soil and healthy soil means healthy plants. It is fairly simple to acquire the materials for a good sized backyard composting system, but what if you are preparing a new, large garden in poor to nominal soil? In such cases a layer of compost 3"" thick is desired and in some cases 4".

Consider a 25 foot by 50 foot garden plot. A 3" layer of compost can be considered one quarter foot and 25 times 50 times one quarter gives us a volume of 312.5cubic feet or 11.57 cubic yards of compost. Call it 12 for simplicity. Assuming we lose a third of the volume of compost material in its manufacture as carbon dioxide gas and moisture are released, that means we need 18 cubic yards of compost material or a pile 3 feet by 3 feet 54 feet long. Perhaps we would like to compost half the plot the first year and green manure the rest. Still we need 9 yards of compost material, half in green and half in brown matter.

Starting in the fall of the year before, begin to collect brown matter. The easiest to find is leaves in most areas. You may have a few oaks or maples and all those leaves are great. In fact, any leaves you rake up are good. Some may avoid walnut leaves because of the juglone in them which inhibits plant growth, but a hot compost pile should take care of that.

Your neighbors will likely help you in your quest for leaves. Just drive around on the evening before garbage pick up for compostable materials and you will likely see lots of bags of leaves waiting for you. Any of them on the curb are fair game. Leave them in the bags and stack them for the winter. They will start to break down for leaf mold. In fact, you can do yourself a favor and get lots extra to make leaf mold for the garden.

The next spring start to do the same thing on collection day for compostables by looking for bags of grass clippings. People actually gather clippings, some in bags on the mowers, and throw them away. This is lawn fertilizer at its best but these same folks will apply commercial fertilizers at a high cost after the work of collecting all those clippings for you. Ignore the strange looks and grab the bags. Try to avoid any from lawns that have applied chemical weed killers in the last couple of weeks but you should have seen the required warning signs on the lawns around you.

Build the pile by matching the number of bags. Lay down so many bags of leaves and put the same number of grass bags over them. Then repeat the layers until you run out of material. It should be three feet wide and high by as long as you can get. Immediately turn the pile, mixing it well. This is a lot of work but it will be worth it in the end. Turn every three to four days for two or three weeks. The pile should be finished and ready to use by then. Next year you will need a lot less and likely the home supply for compost material will be enough.

Darrell Feltmate is an avid gardener who has been composting and gardening for over 25 years with gardens up to 1/2 acre and compost piles for each. His composting site may be found at Compost Central. You can be a master composter in no time at all.

Much of his compost uses wood shavings from his wood turning hobby. The site for wood turning may be found at Around the Woods.

Organic Gardening and the Magic of Compost Tea

Imagine the taste of a fresh sugar snap pea right off the vine, cool and sweet. Or a fresh, ripe, sweet tomato or warm juicy strawberries that you know have not been treated with any chemicals. Yum! Every day, and sometimes several times a day, I stroll into my backyard garden and harvest something fresh and delicious to use in my breakfast, lunch or dinner. There is nothing like the taste of fresh wholesome fruits and vegetables that you grew yourself. It is amazing how much more flavor they have than most of what you can buy in the grocery store. And the feeling of having grown your produce yourself, knowing where it came from and providing food for yourself and your family is extremely rewarding. Surprisingly so. And fun!

If you want to have an organic garden, free of pesticides and chemical fertilizers one of the best things you can use in your garden is compost tea. Compost tea is exactly what it sounds like. A "tea" that has been "brewed" from compost. Composting is easy and a great way to recycle much of your kitchen waste and it is much easier on your plumbing than putting everything down the garbage disposal.

Using compost tea is a great way to utilize compost for several reasons:

1) It is a fabulous fertilizer and increases the amount of nutrients available to the plant.

2) Making compost into tea makes the benefits of using compost go farther.

3) When used as a spray, compost tea acts to help suppress foliar diseases.

4) Compost tea is a natural pesticide.

5) Compost tea has been shown to increase the nutritional quality and improve the flavor of fruits and vegetables.

If you want to use compost tea, find a detailed explanation of how to make it on the Internet. There are many fine sites that explain the process, but it is a bit complicated and has to be done correctly. Possibly an even better idea is to check around and see if any is available in your area. In my neighborhood the local hydroponic store gives it away every Saturday. What a great gift to the community! Call your local Master Gardener Hot line or County Extension. They should be able to let you know if anyone in your area gives away compost tea. But either way you should give it a try, your veggies your body and your taste buds will thank you for it!

I invite you to visit my websites today for more free information on natural and holistic health and everything you want to know about Aura Patch products.

http://AuraPatchInfo.com/ or http://www.naturalhealththerapies.org/

Kristine Clemenger, Holistic Health Practitioner

Compost - Why Make it Anyway?

As anyone who has composted will tell you, it can be a lot of work. Most commercial farm efforts have moved away from composting with animal manures, leaves and straws and have moved instead to the easier chemical fertilizers. However, these do not improve the soil and year after year plants remove materials that are never returned and the soil is less healthy each time.

Compost is one of the best mulches and soil amendments that nature has developed and it will do more than the commercial fertilizers it replaces because it also improves the soil. Best of all, compost is cheap. It can be made without investing anything but your time and energy. As you use compost it improves soil structure, texture, and aeration and increases the soil's water-holding capacity. Clay soils are made less sticky and sandy soils are better able to retain water. Adding compost improves soil fertility and stimulates healthy root development in plants. Certain microorganisms feed on the organic matter provided by the compost and keep the soil in a healthy, balanced condition. Nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, the big three of plant nutrition, will be produced naturally by the feeding of microorganisms, so few if any soil amendments will need to be added.

Most gardeners have long understood the value of this rich, dark, earthy material in improving the soil and creating a healthful environment for plants. Plus the understanding of how to make and use compost is in the public interest. Waste disposal is at crisis levels in parts of the world and is becoming worse in others. Landfills are overflowing and new sites are difficult to find. Legislation over their use is rising to prevent material from entering the landfill when it could be disposed of or recycled elsewhere. While many municipalities have begun programs of organic waste composting and recycling, every pound kept out of the program is a saving to the taxpayer. Even though many of those municipalities allow pick up of a limited amount of compost, it is easier to move it from the back yard. There is no need to throw away materials when you can use them to improve your lawn and garden. Start composting instead.

Darrell Feltmate is an avid gardener who has been composting and gardening for over 25 years with gardens up to 1/2 acre and compost piles for each. His composting site may be found at Compost Central. You can be a master composter in no time at all.

Much of his compost uses wood shavings from his wood turning hobby. The site for wood turning may be found at Around the Woods.

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How to Make Compost

How to make compost is a central part of good gardening. Compost acts as a soil amendment loosening clay soil and allowing sandy soil to hold moisture while increasing fertility. It seems to have an influence on plant growth that is more intense than would be expected from its nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium balance. So the question is not if compost is good but rather how to make good compost.

Compost should be made to have as great a nutrient concentration as possible and in sufficient quantities for the garden concerned. Obviously a small container requires less than a full sized, raised bed, organic garden.

There are three basic methods for making compost. The pile it and forget it method, and hot compost and cold compost methods. All depend on the simple maxim that organic material rots when left alone. Microorganisms move in and digest it making compost along the way.

Pile it and forget it means just that. Organic material is allowed to accumulate in a pile and left for a couple of years. Depending on the carbon/nitrogen balance of the materials along with adequate moisture the pile will compost in its own time. Usually after a couple of years the top six inches or so can be removed to reveal usable compost below. There is some concern that the exposure to the elements over the time will have depleted some of the nutrients but it is still a great mulch and soil amendment.

Cold composting is the next step along the way. Basically it varies from pile it and forget it by way of planning. A source of dry material is piled for later use. For example it may be damaged straw, fall leaves or wood shavings. As green material such as kitchen trimmings and garden waste is accumulated it is added to a pile along with an equal amount of th brown. Once the pile reaches at least three feet wide, high and deep it is turned once to mix all the materials and to ensure that it has a moisture content about equal to that of a damp sponge. After about a year it will be composted in the manner of the first method.

Hot composting is the fastest method and thus leaves the most nutrients. It also uses the natural heat of the microorganisms bodily processes to pasteurize the pile and kill most of the weed seeds. There is some doubt as to how much this matters since it will be placed and soil that tends to have millions of weed seeds per cubic foot, but for mulch it will certainly help. To make hot compost basically one follows the building method of the cold pile and then turns the pile every three days or so. In warm weather it will be ready to use in about three weeks although some claim finished compost in two weeks.

Regardless of the method, stuff rots and making compost is a natural process that can be helped along with a little effort.

Darrell Feltmate is a juried wood turner whose web site, Around the Woods , contains detailed information about wood turning for the novice or experienced turner as well as a collection of turnings for your viewing pleasure. You too can learn to turn wood, here is the place to start. Wondering what it looks like? Follow the page links for a free video.

You can easily ask your questions about wood turning at his blog at Round Opinions as well as comment on any thing related to the web site, this article or other aspects of wood turning, art and craft.

A Guide on the Compost Bin Types to Recycle

Composting has become a popular means of recycling organic materials so that they can be used in beneficial ways instead of adding them to a landfill. In addition to being a great way to participate in recycling efforts, composting is also a great way to generate rich organic materials that can be added to soil for organic garden projects. Compost bins provide a simple and easy way to help people get started composting and are particularly good solutions for people who have limited living space.

There are a number of different types of composters on the market to meet a variety of needs and situations. Bins for composting can be built from materials that you already have around the backyard, or they can be purchased from garden supply stores, especially those that specialize in organic gardening. In some municipalities, the recycling centers provide bins free or at a reduced cost to encourage people to recycle their organic materials themselves.

One variety of compost bins are called holding units. These bins are very low maintenance and are probably the best solution when the amount of space for the home composting project is very limited. With holding units, the compost pile is not turned and therefore not aerated, so the overall process of decomposing will take anywhere from six months up to two full years.

Portable bins are another common type of bins and they are very similar to the holding units but they are able to be taken apart, moved and rebuilt. Different types of materials can by used and mixed with this kind of bin. Many types of plastic portable units are available on the market to purchase or they can be constructed out of wood and wire fencing.

One of the best types of bins is the variety called turning unit composters. These are specifically designed to facilitate easy turning of the compost pile which helps to aerate the heap. Turning units will produce fully decomposed material in a shorter amount of time because the composting process is accelerated by the improved aeration, allowing the bacteria to better do its job in the decomposition process. In addition, people like turning units because there are less odor problems because of the improved ventilation.

Turning unit composting bins can either be a set of bins or they can be a device that easily rotates or tumbles such as a barrel or a ball-type of unit. The drawback is that turning units generally cost most, are harder to build and require more space. The organic materials to be composted also need to be collected separately until enough has been gathered to fill the unit to the correct level and once it is full and the composting process begins, new materials cannot be added.

Simple heaps are an alternative for people who do not want o purchase or build composter bins. Turning a compost heap is always optional, but it should be kept in mind that the process of composting is accelerated when the waste material is turned at least a couple times a month.

You will want to locate your compost bins according to the functional needs of your family and also taking into consideration the aesthetics of the area. You should not place your compost pile near an area that you frequently use for entertaining, even if you have it screened with fencing or plants. It should be located where it gets plenty of air circulation, in a partially shady spot and near the garden area if possible.

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The Right Ways to Compute Compost Coverage

Compost is undoubtedly one of the most important garden components available and can improve almost every kind of garden. Aside from the nutritional value it adds to the soil, less the chemical use, compost also aids in loosening the soil, avoids compaction of soil, prevents drying up during warm and winter seasons, and provides protection for delicate plants. Compost also lessens the amount of effort required to keep a garden healthy, lawn or flower bed by decreasing or eliminating the growth of weeds. With the proper amount of compost, all your garden plants will surely become healthier. So what are the ways to compute compost coverage?

First step is to determine the width and the length of garden where compost is planned to be spread.

Second, to get the total area of the lot where compost is desired to be applied, multiply the width by the length.

Third, you have to determine as well how much or how deep would you want the compost to be spread. Most solid waste and gardening institutes recommend that the right amount for composting vegetable gardens is between one to three inches. For covering plants and crops during the winter season, the recommendation is between one to three inches as well. For flowers inside containers and grass lawns, the ideal depth is a quarter to a half inch.

The fourth step is to multiply the area of the lot in square footage by the desired thickness of the compost spread in inches.

The resulting figure will be used to determine the cubic yard, as required in the fifth step. Multiply the resulting figure in the fourth step by.0031.

To wrap up the calculation, here is an example. If you have an area of 6 feet (width) by 6 feet (length), multiply both and you get 36 square feet. Multiply 36 square feet by the desired thickness, 2 inches, for example. And you get 72. Then multiply that by.0031. The final result is the cubic yards or the volume of compost needed.

Just a reminder, you do not have to be too detailed on the width or length. Just simply round off the figures, especially when you measure odd shaped lots. You can never go wrong with using compost, but then again, knowing how much to put will save you time, money and effort.

Randy Robertson is a composting expert and writes unbiased reviews on compost container and compost tumbler products.

Free Step-By-Step Guide - How To Build Your Own Compost

This is the topic of our new gardening blog poll. The choices range from: bird droppings, seaweed, horse manure and more. Please drop by and submit your vote. The poll and subsequent posts regarding composting, compost piles, compost tumblers, how to make a compost pile, starting a compost pile, how to make a compost bin, ect., will also be posted at mygardentips.net

They say that plants in Hawaii grow unbelievably in fast and furious. Is there a connection to the volcanic material in the soil?

Build your Own Compost or just Buy Compost?

Should we just give in and buy our compost from the local nursery, or build it yourself? I suppose the answer lies in whether or not you have place for a compost bin. If you do, I recommend making it yourself. If you don't, research your local market, in search of the perfect compost. Ask at your local farmer's market, as you'll have a better chance of finding affordable home-made compost. Let's assume you do have space in your garden for composting... the next question is: Should I build it myself or buy a ready-made compost tumbler?

Compost Tumbler or Compost Pile?

Ready-made has its advantages, but home-built is my choice personally, despite its disadvantages. There's just no substitute for this natural recycling experience. What are the basic steps in building your own compost pile? How does one go about starting a composting pile?

What to put in your Compost Pile?

Actually, the real question should be, what don't you put in it? The answer to that is simple: Don't put in cat or dog droppings, or any type of meat. That makes it pretty simple. Put in everything else, like grass clippings, manure, straw, leaves, fruit and vegetable refuse, coffee grounds, seaweed, even ripped up newspapers. How's that for recycling? The basic rule is 1 part green stuff to 20 parts inorganic stuff, like the leaves or newspaper. Remember to cover your live stuff with the dead stuff, so it doesn't stink too much, and this also aids in the aeration and decomposition. Once a week or so, mix up the compost pile so that air and dry materials gets mixed in. The easiest method is to remember to cover your mushy organic materials with enough shredded paper or dead leaves, each time you throw in your kitchen scraps. For more Spring Time Tips, visit the no-crank site or gardening tips blog.

Dan is a writer for Hydro Industries. To learn more vist: No-Crank.com

Composting Bin Or Compost Pile? How to Decide

When you begin composting at home for the first time, you'll be faced with the question of whether you should make compost in a simple pile, or use a compost bin.

There are pros and cons to each option.

Hard core gardeners will often swear by compost piles, because that's what they use.

A pile works best if it is relatively large: 3 feet by 3 feet, piled as high as you can go. You'll want to gather up all your materials in advance. Leaves, grass clippings, coffee grounds, garden debris or whatever you're going to compost.

Mix it all up into a great big pile, and it will start to heat up and break down into compost. A pile can work quickly too, within a matter of weeks if you have the right mix of materials, you keep it moist, and mix it up a couple of times per week for aeration.

But there are a few problems with this scenario.

1. Do you really have enough material to make a 3 foot by 3 foot compost pile? Most people don't, except for in the fall when they have large amounts of leaves.

2. Are you willing to do all the work of mixing up the material for this huge pile, and then keeping it stirred up a couple of times a week for several weeks?

If you're a serious gardener or composter, then you probably will because you enjoy it. But if you're a casual composter, it's starting to sound like a lot of work, isn't it?

Do you have room for a big, ugly pile of debris? And are your neighbors going to freak out if they see it?

4. What about pets or rodents getting into the pile? If you are composting kitchen scraps, they can be attracted to your pile.

A compost bin, on the other hand, neatly contains all of your materials inside of the bin. So it's often a lot nicer to look at, and it keeps pets and rodents away. Some cities require a composter and do not even allow uncovered piles.

So what are the disadvantages of using a bin?

1. The main disadvantage of using a composter is that it won't typically hold as much material as in a giant pile.

2. A manufactured bin can be expensive. Some compost tumblers cost hundreds of dollars. Even a basic bin that holds 80 or 90 gallons of material can cost $100 and up.

There are plenty of plans available online for building your own, if you're handy. But there's still the cost of materials, and the time involved with making it yourself.

If you have a lot of materials and you don't mind the work, then composting with a pile might be the way to go for you. After all, it's how the serious gardeners often do it.

But if you're just starting out and you want to start casually, a bin is probably the way to go.

Lars Handley is a Master Composter based in Dallas, Texas. Learn how you can make compost faster and more easily at his web site, Compostinstructions.com. You can ask your question about composting there, and get an answer directly from Lars.

Beginner Tips on Making Compost

In the world of gardening, compost is the star of the show. This does not come as a surprise since compost is the most cost-efficient and eco-friendly fertilizer and pesticide rolled into one. Plus, it certainly helps that compost and its tea are very easy to make, requiring only your household trash, simple equipment and a little manual labor.

With the following tips on making these organic materials, you are sure to get the most benefits out of them!

Measure by Volume

One of the secrets of successful compost making is to measure all the ingredients by volume. This way, you can achieve just the right temperature since your mass is just at the right volume. Usually, one cubic yard is the right volume when making compost.

Maintain Dampness

You can tell if a compost pile is too wet or too dry by taking a handful of compost and squeezing it as hard as you possibly can. If you only get one or two drops out of it, then it is just right. Any more or less than that amount means that it is too wet or too dry, respectively. Obviously, if it is too dry, add more water and if it too wet, let it dry out.

Add as Necessary

Balance is also the key to the success of the compost pile. You can either add in small amounts either green materials like shredded newspapers and kitchen leftovers or brown materials like wood shavings and dried lawn clippings. Why small additions only? Well, because these do not significantly affect the ratio between green and brown materials, thus, making it possible to adjust as necessary without making too many mistakes.

Let It Cook

And when we say cook, we mean maintaining the right temperature. Keep in mind that almost as soon as the pile is made, it will heat up and the microorganisms will start breaking down the green and brown materials.

The ideal temperature should be between 135° F where the human and plant pathogens are killed and 160° F where the beneficial organisms are also killed.


You can use either a long-stemmed thermometer or a turkey thermometer. Just make sure that you take several (2-3 will be good) readings from at least 3 points in the pile and that you stick the thermometer into the center.
You should turn the pile when the temperature reaches 155° F, which will mix the cooler materials on the outside of the pile to its center as well as introduce oxygen into it. You will need to do the turning every other day for the first week so as to maintain the 135° to 155° F range.
You will know when it is ready when the center of the pile is cool to the touch, which should be in about 6-8 weeks. However, you should be alert to any bad smells coming from the pile since it is bad business for you and your garden.

Your compost should have an earthy but pleasant smell to it instead of rotting flesh. You may need to introduce more aeration or more materials into the mix.With well-matured compost, you are assured that your vegetables and other plants will grow in abundance, all other things like weather being favorable. Plus, you saved on the cost commercial fertilizers, too.

Whitney is an expert gardener that owns a greenhouse manufacturing company and writes articles for his own article directory called the Garden of Articles.

RotoComposter Compost Tumbler

The EZ Composter will allow you to turn your scrap vegetables, grass clippings, and leaves into ready to use compost within just a couple of weeks. This composter allows you to easily turn and maintain an environment conducive to quickly breaking down the material that is contained in the barrel. The composting drum is created out of molded recycled polyethylene plastic which is positioned on the turning base and holds 12 cubic feet of material. This size drum is ideal for heat generation and quick material breakdown. In order to get the most out of your compost barrel, you need to turn the compost regularly. The large capacity compost drum rotates on a stable base providing quick and easy mixing. Just turn it about once a week to keep oxygen, nutrients, microorganisms and moisture evenly distributed throughout the developing batch. Glide posts on the base allows the composting drum to

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7 Factors Needed for a Compost Pile

Compost, made from decomposed grass clippings, leaves, twigs, and branches, becomes a dark, crumbly mixture of organic matter.

Learn how composting works. Even a newbie to composting can make good quality compost. It can be compared to cooking as art or part science. The following 7 factors will help you master the art of composting.

1. Materials

After a time anything that was once alive will naturally decompose. But, not all organic items should be composted for the home. To prepare compost, organic material, microorganisms, air, water, and a small amount of nitrogen are needed.

These items are safe to compost at home:

* grass clippings

* trimmings from hedges

* vegetable scraps

* leaves

* potting soil that has grown old

* twigs

* coffee filters with coffee grounds

* tea bags

* weeds that have not went to seed

* plant stalks

These items are Not safe to compost at home:

* weeds that have went to seed

* dead animals

* pet feces

* bread and grains

* meat

* grease

* cooking oil

* oily foods

*diseased plants

2. What To Do To Make It Work

There are small forms of plant and animal life which break down the organic material. This life is called microorganisms. From a minute amount of garden soil or manure comes plenty of microorganisms.

Nitrogen, air, and water will provide a favorable environment for the microorganisms to make the compost. Air circulation and water will keep the microorganisms healthy and working. The nitrogen feeds the tiny organisms. You may have to add a small amount of nitrogen to the pile.

Putting on too much nitrogen can kill microbes and too much water causes insufficient air in the pile. You just cannot add too much air.

3. Beneficial Microorganisms

Bacteria are the most effective compost makers in your compost pile. They are the first to break down plant tissue. Then comes the fungi and protozoans to help with the process. The arthropodes, like centipedes, beetles, millipedes and worms, bring in the finishing touches to complete the composting.

4. Smaller is Better

The materials will break down faster if the microorganisms have more surface area to eat. Chopping your garden materials with a chipper, shredder, or lawnmower will help them decompose faster.

5. Size of The Pile

The activity of millions of microorganisms generates heat in the compost pile but a minimum size 3-foot by 3-foot by 3-foot is needed for a hot, fast composting pile. Piles that are any larger may hamper the air supply needed in the pile for the microorganisms.

6. Moisture and Aeration

If you can imagine a wet squeezed out sponge with its many air pockets, then this would be the ideal enviroment for the microorganisms in the pile to function at their best. Pay attention while your pile is composting, to the amount of rain or a drought you may have. Water in a drought and maybe turn the pile in a lot of rainy days. The extremes of these two may upset the balance of the pile. The use of a pitchfork would come in handy at this time.

7. Temperature and Time

Keep your pile between 110F and 160F and the beneficial bacteria will love it. Not too cool nor too hot.

The temperature will rise over several days if you keep a good ratio of carbon and nitrogen, maintain lots of surface area within a large volume of material, and maintain adequate moisture and aeration.

-Importance of Compost-

+Compost has nutrients, but it is not a complete fertilizer.

+Compost provides nutrients in the soil until plants need to use them.

+ It loosens and aerates clay soils

+ Retains water in sandy soils.

-Using the Compost-

+ A soil amendment, mix 2 to 5 inches of compost into gardens each year before planting.

+ A potting mixture, add one part compost to two parts potting soil.

+ Make your own potting mixture by using equal parts of compost and sand or perlite.

+ A mulch, prodcast 2 to 4 inches of compost around annual flowers and vegetables, and up to 5 inches around your trees and shrubs.

+ A top dressing, mix finely sifted compost with sand and sprinkle evenly over lawns.

The final thing I would suggest once you have mastered the art of composting is to look very seriously at making your very own aerated compost tea. This elixir will give you results that are hard to believe.

James has been a gardening enthusiast for 40 years and has converted to organic gardening for 10 years. To learn more about organic gardening go to: http://www.basic-info-4-organic-fertilizers.com

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Advantages of a Compost Pile

A hot compost pile can be a lot of hard work, so what are the advantages of a compost pile? There must be quite a few or they must be important because most gardeners have at least one on the go all the time. In fact, gardeners consider compost to be "black gold."

Composting will save you money. In the spring the garden centers open with fertilizers and soil amendments. Commercial farmers use chemical fertilizers so much that the soil is depleted and then complain about the high cost of fertilizer. Composting makes the fertilizer that plants need and in a form that is food for soil as well as plants. Your cost is kitchen and garden waste plus a bit of time.
Composting aids in recycling the waste from kitchen and garden as well as some paper waste. Apple peels, stale bread, leftovers gone bad, and any other plant material from the kitchen goes into the compost pile along with extra grass clippings, leaves, spent plants and any other yard and garden debris.
Compost will change your soil for the better. Chemical fertilizers work with high concentrations of salts that boost plant growth but do nothing for soil. The compost advantage is it works in lower concentrations but more of it and is good for the soil. Sandy soil will hold more water and keep nutrients next to plant roots where they are needed. Clay soil will be broken up and not let water pool which can drown plant roots. Instead the compost will allow the plants the nutrients and moisture they need.
Your soil will be healthier. Healthy soil means healthy plants. Hot composting pasteurizes weed seeds and destroys many plant pathogens.
Healthy plants from a compost rich diet repel insects naturally. Insects seek out weak or diseased plants because these are the easiest to eat. Healthy plants stay healthy because disease carrying insects feed on the weaker plants.
Worms love the compost and will move into the soil in large numbers. These soil critters aerate the soil, leave passage ways for water to trickle down, and produce their own rich plant food in the form of worm castings.
Composted soil requires less water. The compost serves as a water holder under the ground and compost as a mulch prevents evaporation.

Simply, the advantage of a compost pile is it will allow you to recycle waste into something that gives healthier soil, healthier plants, less watering and saves money in the bargain. A compost pile just makes sense.

Darrell Feltmate is an avid gardener who has been composting and gardening for over 25 years with gardens up to 1/2 acre and compost piles for each. His composting site may be found at Compost Central. You can be a master composter in no time at all.

Much of his compost uses wood shavings from his wood turning hobby. The site for wood turning may be found at Around the Woods.

Compost Bins - Take Care When Handling Compost, Follow These Handy Compost Tips

Many gardeners already know the value of the rich, dark, earthy material created by composting. It is one of the best mulches and richest fertilizers - and it's cheap. In fact, you can make it for free.

It works by providing food for microorganisms and these microorganisms produce nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus naturally for the soil, improving soil fertility.

Apart from being good for the environment, composting is also economically sensible, helping to reduce the pressure on landfills which, once full, pose problems for local government. It is not easy finding new sites for landfills.

Did you know that almost half of the average rubbish bag can be composted and most is not?

Given our environmental pressures this does not make sense. Worse still, when it comes to landfills garden waste and kitchen scraps break down into methane, a potentially explosive greenhouse gas, and leachate which can pollute our water. This is why composting - and recycling in a garden compost bin - is such a good thing to do for our environment.

However, if you are handling compost, you need to take some basic health and safety precautions. Garden compost contains various living organisms. On rare occasions, these have been associated with illness and allergies in humans particularly people with compromised immune systems or respiratory illness. And because of this, it is important to always:

1. Wash your hands after handling compost. Compost contains bacteria and this can react with your skin.

2. Wear proper protective gloves at all times, and especially if your skin is broken or if the garden compost is hot).

3. Avoid working with compost in confined spaces.

4. Keep your compost moist to prevent spores and dust flying in your face. (And it helps keep the bacteria composting because bacteria stops when it gets too dry.)

5. Wear a face mask.

Alan Paterson is the Managing Director of Compost Oven Pty Ltd, Australia's leading supplier of hot composting solutions. Do the right thing by the environment and talk to us about compost bins today.

Norpro Grip EZ Stainless Steel Compost Keeper

The Grip-EZ Compost Pail is a stainless steel compost pail with a santoprene, comfort grip handle and knob. Attracively store your kitchen scraps in the Grip-EZ compost container until you have time to transfer them to your garden composter . The stainless steel compost pail can hold up to one gallon of food scraps and the tight fitting lid holds a charcoal filter for odor-free use.

Price: $49.99

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Exaco Trading ECO-2000 2.4 Gallon Kitchen Compost Waste Collector

Start making your own compost by collecting and using your organic Kitchen scraps. As much as 30% 0f household waste can be composted and should not be sent into a landfill -composting is the answer - and using the Kitchen Compost Collector is the most practical way to collect all your organic waste.

Price: $19.99

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Compost

Definition:

Compost is the poster child of organic matter. Compost is any kind of decayed organic matter. You can make your own or buy it by the bag or truckload. Finished compost looks like rich soil. It’s dark and crumbly with an earthy smell.

By the time the compost cooking process is complete, weed seeds, fungus spores and other undesirable elements that may have gone into your compost bin, should no longer be viable. Compost can be added to your gardens at anytime, either turned into the soil or used as a mulch or top dressing.

While it is advised that you keep perennial weeds, pesticide treated material and diseased plants out of your compost bin, most every other form of plant material is fair game. Grass clippings Leaves Garden Waster (from weeding, deadheading, pruning...) Vegetable Peels Sawdust Straw Paper

Creating a New Garden

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