Keep The Compost Going

It's pretty darn cold outside right now.  No matter what the temperature, it is mandatory to keep the most important thing you can do for your garden going!  If you keep up with my Facebook page at  Home Life Ideas you'll recognize my new composter.  I didn't go out and spend a bundle on this toy.  My husband, the ever thrifty picker, found it on the side of the road for me.  When he found it he knew I'd get a big kick out of it.  I'd never go out and buy something like this for myself.  We previously had a compost cooking up in some chicken wire fencing.  This thing even has appropriate ventilation.  Composting needs good airflow to help with the deterioration and transformation to an appropriate gardening tool.

It didn't take long before I began to find things all over to fill it with.  Clippings from the yard, coffee grounds, food scraps.  If you are looking for a detailed list of what is or is not appropriate for a compost check Compost Junkie.  He'll have the answer to just about any question you have when it comes to creating a nutritious boost for you garden.

 One of the biggest set backs of composting is avoiding the insects.    During the hotter summer months flies, ants and several ground critters will try to invade your work.  Rule #1-NEVER EVER pour insecticide inside your composter.  This would be a major draw back to your accomplishment. Those insecticides will transfer where ever the soil is placed. A good line of defense is to be sure you keep a balance between green and brown.  Maintain an equal portion of food scraps:plant trimmings.  This will also help avoid an over pungent compost. It's also a very good ideas to add moisture to the compost.  Ants are not fond of anything wet.  Be careful though.  You've got to hold on to those earth worms.  They help break down the compost and keep it fit.

Anther good defense against insects is to pay attention.  Do not simply leave the compost unattended hoping it will do the work on it's own.  One of the most important things to do for you compost, no matter where you do it, is keep it rotated.  When I peal back the top layer of my compost I can see (and smell) the rich, dark soil my garden craves developing beneath. When this packed mixture is added to my plants they grown healthy, and ready to produce.  To help keep the process going, and keep the insects in check, I like to stir the contents no less than once a week, more if the temperature is hotter.  Keeping the process going can actually speed up the transformation, cutting down the time it takes to produce a soil ready product.  A  development that can typically take anywhere from two to six months to complete.

It is undoubtedly one of the best things you can do to maintain a healthy garden.  That's just the greatest benefit.  If you are conscious about what goes into the compost you will find up to 30% of your household trash stays out of the landfill.  You could actually purchase compost from a supplier, but don't you think you deserve all of the benefits without paying for them?  Don't think of composting as a chore, think of it as a fun and beneficial way to feed your garden, and promote the environment.