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Posts Tagged ‘compost’

Getting started in composting is an important thing that everyone should do and it has definitely become a hot topic today. Composting is a completely safe and natural process that anyone can get involved in, and the compost can be used in gardens to nourish plants and help them strive. It is unbelievably easy to do and there are only a few things that you will need to do so that you can get started right away. This is not a costly process and there are only a few pieces of equipment you will need.

Get started by purchasing a compost container or even using an old container that you find around the house, one that is large enough to hold a fair bit of compost mixture with a bit of room leftover. Besides that you will also want to get yourself a compost turner. This stuff may be natural and come with a healthy share of benefits but let’s face it, mixing this rotting waste around with your hands is not something most people would be interested in doing. That is where a compost turner comes into play, as this is a specially designed tool used for keeping your compost properly aerated.

When you turn the compost mixture regularly it will aid in the rapid decomposition process so your compost will be ready to use sooner. A compost fork is another piece of composting equipment, one that is quite similar but when the two tools are used alongside each other you will get the best results with your compost. You will also want to pick up a compost thermometer.  You will use this thermometer to keep track of the overall temperature of your compost mixture and make sure that it is not too hot or too cold.

This will be especially important if you plan on keeping your compost outdoors. Keeping track of the temperature of your compost pile is more important than a lot of people realize. You should aim to always keep your compost at a temperature of anywhere from 104-150F. By keeping an eye on the temperature of your compost you can prevent it from melting or freezing, both which could damage the compost mixture.

For composting equipment you will want to get a moisture meter to top everything off. You would use a moisture meter in your compost to let you know how dry or wet your pile is. Compost does need to be watered so you can use the moisture meter to let you know when it is time to add a bit more water to the mix. As soon as you are set up with these basic tools you can get started composting and have great success with it. The article was given by one of the roofing contractors who used to be interested in composting as well as bathroom renovations. But now he becomes a mortgage broker.

There are many eco friendly businesses that can be found online today. One example of a great business interested in advancing sound environmental sanitation ideas and products is Envirolet®. They build some of the highest quality composting toilets that are used in many homes today.

What are composting toilets?

In contrast to septic systems which utilize anaerobic decomposition, a compost toilet is aerobic. This means that the system depends on oxygen alone for the decomposition of the waste material. In general, the technologically advanced toilets are low flush if they use water at all. Some are totally waterless which as you can imagine will save a lot of money long term. For the person who is into gardening and has a need for compost or fertilizer, this can be a really reliable and environmentally great option.

There are many benefits to utilizing the Envirolet® waterless toilet or some other brand of composting toilet system.

1. Many towns throughout the U.S. now offer rebates to homes that are using compost toilets for their waste management. It is wonderful to see communities coming together to fight the cause for the things that will ultimately help the environment or at least reduce the current trend of harm.

2. As noted above, the use of such a low flush or waterless system can greatly reduce your household water costs. In today’s economy, every dime in our budget counts, so this savings can be very noticeable especially to bigger households.

3. Using such a system will definitely promote a positive impact on the world around us. If more people would get on board with this idea, it would greatly reduce water contamination and water usage in general. This is a great thing to be aware of when we think about how our current actions affect our children and grandchildren years down the road. We must consider the implications of everything that we do right now that does affect the world of which we live.

4. Many of these toilet systems allow for anything that is organic in nature to be disposed of. This means that you could completely get rid of the compost bin that you’ve been using for kitchen food material and put everything into the one solution. If you practice an natural lifestyle that includes your own garden, this would be a great system for you to consider for the household. Your toilet will now be creating the compost that you can use to fertilize your garden, thus saving money on gardening costs as well as utility bills.

Last year, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a few months in Dublin, Ireland. I was amazed at the wonderful system that is in place there for making it easy for homes to be environmentally conscious. Many households keep a small green bin for organic waste in their kitchens. The meal time clean-up includes making use of this can and almost nothing food related goes into the actual trash can. The community then collects the material from these small bins and households on a regular basis. I loved this and hope that more cities and particularly places in the U.S. would be quick to get on board with this idea.

For the serious composter, the Envirolet® composting toilet is a common progression in the enironmental friendly lifestyle that you are already living. Consider this choice now or in the future as something that can help to align you on your path as you fight for health and a clean environment.

Getting started in composting is an important thing that everyone should do and it has definitely become a hot topic today. Composting is a completely safe and natural process that anyone can get involved in, and the compost can be used in gardens to nourish plants and help them strive. It is unbelievably easy to do and there are only a few things that you will need to do so that you can get started right away. This is not a costly process and there are only a few pieces of equipment you will need.

Get started by purchasing a compost container or even using an old container that you find around the house, one that is large enough to hold a fair bit of compost mixture with a bit of room leftover. Besides that you will also want to get yourself a compost turner. This stuff may be natural and come with a healthy share of benefits but let’s face it, mixing this rotting waste around with your hands is not something most people would be interested in doing. That is where a compost turner comes into play, as this is a specially designed tool used for keeping your compost properly aerated.

When you turn the compost mixture regularly it will aid in the rapid decomposition process so your compost will be ready to use sooner. A compost fork is another piece of composting equipment, one that is quite similar but when the two tools are used alongside each other you will get the best results with your compost. You will also want to pick up a compost thermometer.  You will use this thermometer to keep track of the overall temperature of your compost mixture and make sure that it is not too hot or too cold.

This will be especially important if you plan on keeping your compost outdoors. Keeping track of the temperature of your compost pile is more important than a lot of people realize. You should aim to always keep your compost at a temperature of anywhere from 104-150F. By keeping an eye on the temperature of your compost you can prevent it from melting or freezing, both which could damage the compost mixture.

For composting equipment you will want to get a moisture meter to top everything off. You would use a moisture meter in your compost to let you know how dry or wet your pile is. Compost does need to be watered so you can use the moisture meter to let you know when it is time to add a bit more water to the mix. As soon as you are set up with these basic tools you can get started composting and have great success with it. The article was given by one of the roofing contractors who used to be interested in composting as well as bathroom renovations. But now he becomes a mortgage broker.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

1. Reducing

We  need to find ways that aim at reducing our wasteful habits and trying to reuse items we use everyday rather than discarding them into the trash, for the times ahead are troubling for our economy and have a huge impact on the environment in which we live on our planet. Greenhouse gases are being released into the atmosphere that are destroying our planet and heating it up.. Here are a few green solutions:

2. Reuse

Find uses for items that are broken or misplaced around the home before you discard the item. Plastic utensils that you may not use in the kitchen anymore that are not broken and safe to use may be just what your child is looking for to use in their play-dough set or play kitchen.

3. Recycling

Recycle your oldtennis shoes. Large companies like Nike can recycle your old sneakers to use in their program that use them to pave new playgrounds for children, making them a safer area for kids to play in. A quick search online will point you in the direction of ways to participate.

4. Composting

Invest in a compost bin – You can make your own inexpensive and safefertilizer for your garden, rather than throwing your vegetable scraps Fertilizer that is homemade will make your gardens grow abundantly, and because you have used a natural substance that is free from chemicals, your homegrown fruits and vegetables will be muchhealthier and tastier.

5. Old Clothing

A wonderful thing to do is to get together with your friends and your family for a clothing swap meet, or go on an excursion to your local thrift store. By shopping at “thrift” stores you will be helping their organization and you never know what kind of deals you will find stashed. There seems to be no shortage of clothing items, in fact it would be a lifetime enough!  Additionally, you could use old clothes that are unable to be donated as rags around the house for cleaning jobs, or donate them to an animal shelter, where the clothing will be used for .

6. Trading Old Goods

There are a number of programs that are online now for the sole use of trading old and unwanted household items, sometimes these can be a real score if you know where to find them. Look for ways to trade unwanted items. One way is to post a classified ad in your local newspaper or even an online publication like Craigslist, and trade your unwanted items that you may not want or need anymore with an item that you do require and save money at the same time.

7. Shopping Bags

When you are going shopping, any kind of shopping, clothes or grocery shopping, take your reusable shopping bags with you. This will be a great way to preserve resources and to save the planet. Paper bags and plastic bags are very environmentally unfriendly, and they contribute to the unnecessary filling of our shrinking landfills and can take a lifetime to breakdown. Although most content in paper bags are recycled, a better solution would be to not have to use them at all.

If you find yourself still using these types of bags, make certain that you do your part and recycle BOTH you plastic and paper, as they are accepted in most recycling programs nowadays.

Save The Earth Today For The Future Tomorrow!

6 Must-Know Composting Tips to Get You Started
By Henry Allpas

Managing an efficient compost pile is an art. You will run into problems sooner or later on your road to becoming a composting extraordinaire. The following is a list of 6 tips that every good composter should know.

1. Keep a close eye on the temperature of your compost pile; it should be warm, but not hot. Try to maintain the temperature between 40 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. On the rare occasion a compost pile can become so hot that it can spontaneously combust. On the other hand, if the compost pile is too cold it will take forever for your compost to mature.
2. The moisture level of the is important. It should feel about as moist as a wrung-out sponge. If the compost is too dry add water and if it is too wet try to physically raise it (this should have been a consideration when you first built your compost pile) so that the excess liquid can drain out of the bottom
3. Cut up or shred anything you put into your pile for composting. This will increase the surface area of the fresh organic matter helping it to decompose more quickly
4. Aerate your compost pile 4 to 5 times each season. This prevents anaerobic decomposition which can produce toxic byproducts. You will know it is time to aerate when your composter starts to smell of ammonia
5. Keep the ratio of Greens to Browns at about 25:1. Greens are carbon-based organic matter and Browns are nitrogen-based organic matter.
6. Do not dump your fresh lawn clippings onto your compost pile. Instead spread the clippings over the pile and mix them under or spread the grass clippings on the lawn and let them dry before you add them to pile. If you do not do either of these the fresh, wet clippings will clump together and remove oxygen from the compost pile possibly leading to anaerobic decomposition which leads to toxic byproducts

If you want to learn more about composting toilets or just composting in general visit my website and join the movement to reduce, reuse and compost! http://www.bigsteamypile.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Henry_Allpas
http://EzineArticles.com/?6-Must-Know-Composting-Tips-to-Get-You-Started&id=1715797

Herbal Compost Activators
By Henry Allpas

You may have heard about herbal compost activators or perhaps you have not. Either way, they help your compost pile rapidly produce compost for you to use in your garden. If you find that your compost is taking forever to mature you can add some of the following to give it a jolt.

1. Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is rich in calcium, potassium, nitrogen and phosphates. Its leaves are hairy and they break down quickly. This provides a nutrient influx for the inhabitants of your compost heap.
2. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) has the ability to attracts earthworms. Why? Who knows? But having earthworms in your compost pile helps your compost mature more quickly. After Earthworms eat the organic matter in your compost pile they leave their nutrient-rich castings which are great for your garden. The leaves of Valerian are also very nutrient rich.
3. Dandelions (Taraxacum sp) are rich in iron, copper and potash. All three of which are excellent for keeping your compost pile healthy. Not only that, but now you have a place to put those pesky dandelions when you pull them out of your lawn.
4. Yarrow (Achillea sp) has a big impact on your compost pile, even if you only add it in small amounts. It provides nitrates, phosphates, potash and copper.
5. Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) concentrates the potassium from the soil where it grows. When you add Tansy to your compost pile you are adding loads of potassium, which is great for your hard working worms and bacteria.

The great thing about herbal compost activators is that they are an all natural way of getting your compost pile steaming along at high efficiency. However, these plants cannot save your compost from everything. For example, if your compost pile is too cold then no matter how many herbal compost activators you add, it will not increase production until the temperature increases.

Composting is an art and there are lots of things you need to know to compost successfully, but once you have it it becomes a piece of cake. Learn more about composting, worm composting and the like on my website: http://www.bigsteamypile.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Henry_Allpas
http://EzineArticles.com/?Herbal-Compost-Activators&id=1722479

Little Known Ways to Kitchen Compost
By S W Allen

When starting a compost program you will not have to look very far to find an abundant source of material. The good thing about composting is there is a wide variety of items that you can use from the entire household. The best way is to categorize the entire household into composting material candidates. This will help you sort out which part of your home has the best resource for your composting project.

Vegetables that have been burned by the freezer can still be put to good use in your kitchen compost program. food that has been in the freezer is also easier for worms to digest. Worms are a very important part of composting. They will eat most of the material that you will put in a compost pile and produce worm casting, a very beneficial product for plants.

Paper napkins, paper towels, old newspaper all good for the compost pile. Make sure they use a soy based ink as lead based ink is not good for a compost pile. Tear up the paper into strips as this will help in the break down process. If you have a way to shred paper that will help also.

The backyard garden is also a very rich place to find composting material. Organic material such as pine needles, leaves, herbs, chicken manure the list goes on and on. All you have to do is acquire some observant eye and a huge bag with which you can store the various discoveries you can find in your garden or backyard.

For more information visit my blog

S W Allen

Kitchen Compost Blog

http://www.kitchencompost.info/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=S_W_Allen
http://EzineArticles.com/?Little-Known-Ways-to-Kitchen-Compost&id=1740255

How to Make Liquid Fertilizer From Your Compost
By John Yazo

There is something better than compost, compost tea. It is a nutrient rich liquid fertilizer made from compost that can be applied either as a foliar spray or soil drench method. There are several benefits that compost tea have over the traditional method of adding compost to the soil. When compost tea is sprayed to the foliage of plants it helps to suppress foliage disease and it increases the available nutrients to the plant. The use of compost tea as a soil drench enhances the existing microbes in the soil. These microbes are very important in improving the soils structure by enhancing the decomposition of organic matter in the soil. This is where plants get the nutrients they need to survive.

A basic way to make compost tea is by placing a cloth bag filled with compost into a pail of water and letting it soak for a couple days.The water solution is then applied to the plants as a foliage spray or used to water there root system. There is another method of making compost tea by the use of aeration and water. This process keeps the oxygen levels in the compost tea from depleting which in return enhances the aerobic microorganisms that are the ones that are the most beneficial.

Compost tea can also be made for a specific use. It can be made to be dominated by either bacteria or fungi. Which way you want to dominate it depends on the plants you are growing or the soil condition you are improving. Compost tea can be a highly sophisticated method depending on how much you want to work at it.The benefits that you can get from the use of compost tea are extremely rewarding.

Any way you choose to apply it you will have a nutrient rich water solution that can be use to feed your plants and help defend insect and disease problems in your garden.

A environment friendly and healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy and productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you and the environment.

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Yazo
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Make-Liquid-Fertilizer-From-Your-Compost&id=1743933