Home and Earth

Where We Live and Grow

A Tips and Information Site For Making Our Home and Earth A Better Place To Live

Compost

Compost is your soil’s food. It feeds the soils beneficial organisms which breaks down the compost into a more usable form for plants. This helps them to grow healthy and more disease resistant. Adding compost to the soil allows it to hold water, nutrients, helps improve drainage and makes the soil easier to work. Large quantities of compost can safely be applied to the soil at any time. Using compost to improve the soil, reduces the need to use organic fertilizers. Compost and worm castings, greatly improves any soil.

Composting will reduce yard and garden waste and produce a free organic nutrient rich soil conditioner.

Ways To Make Compost:

Pile - Basic Recipe for Compost

Making a compost pile directly on the ground will produce an environment perfect for beneficial organisms and earthworms. They will soon multiply and populate the pile, making rich healthy compost and castings. The basic rule for amounts of brown and green materials to mix together is about 3 parts brown to 1 part green or at least more brown than green and evenly moist for making good compost. For your compost pile to break down efficiently, you should try to put in the right balance of brown and green materials.

1. Pick a place near your garden and a water supply. Excess water should be able to drain away from your pile easily. Make your pile about 4ft by 4ft and 3ft high.

2. Start with a layer of small sticks or straw laid on the ground for good drainage and air circulation. Moisten this layer and the soil.

3. The next layers should be green and brown materials cut into small pieces so they will decompose better. Moisten each layer evenly as you build your compost pile.

4. The green layer can be green grass, green garden wastes and fruit and vegetable scraps and should be about three to four inches thick.

5. The brown layer can be dry leaves , dry grass, straw and shredded news paper (no colored or glossy paper) and should be about three to six inches thick.

6. It can take your pile up to a week to heat up with microbiological activity (start to decompose). In about one or two weeks, start turning the pile once a week until it looks brown and crumbly. Good compost smells earthy and doesn't look anything like what you started with in the beginning.

7. Your finished compost is not a fertilizer, but is an excellent soil amendment full of nutrients and beneficial organisms for a vegetable garden, potted plants, lawn and flower garden.

Pallets

Wooden palettes held together with wire or screws can make good compost bins. They are easy to find and build.

Wire Mesh or Hardware Cloth

Wire mesh and hardware cloth are also good materials to use to build a simple compost bin. They let air flow freely through the compost allowing organic matter to properly decompose. Tie or wire the ends together to make a round bin Then tie it to a fence post or t-post in the ground so it will stay upright.

Tumbler

More advanced composters are plastic or metal tumblers that make excellent compost. More attention is needed in adding the proper amounts of brown and green organic matter and moisture control. They are not for beginners unless you are willing to practice making compost with one.

Earthworms

Vermicomposting

Basic Worm Box

Vermicomposting kitchen left overs will reduce waste and produce a rich organic fertilizer. The kitchen left overs decompose and break down into smaller pieces. The worms swallow the organic matter and break it down even further leaving a rich organic plant food. Fresh worm manure or castings is populated with many microorganisms that benefit the soil and plants.

Redworms are used in a vermicomposting box. A good worm composting box can be as small as 6 inches deep and two feet by two feet wide. A plastic storage container can be used or it can be made of wood. There should be 1/4 inch holes in the bottom so excess water can drain out. This water is an excellent source of a liquid plant food. Put a piece of plastic window screen in the box over the holes so worms won't escape. Put the box on blocks or bricks. Allow plenty of air to circulate around the box.

Start with one or two pounds of redworms. Put a 3 to 4 inch layer of wet shredded cardboard, newspaper and peat moss on the bottom of the box as bedding. Add the worms and start adding kitchen left overs. Each time put only about one inch of food mixed with moist shredded newspaper and peat moss. Don't put any food around the edges so the worms can have a place to move and breath if needed. Cut fruits and vegetables into small pieces. Keep the bedding and food moist, NOT WET or SOGGY. Cover the top of the bedding and food with wet newspaper or a wet burlap sack to conserve moisture. A fluorescent light over the box will help to keep the worms from escaping. When the worms have eaten all of the food and the box is almost full, separate the worms and manure and start over. If the temperature is kept around 70 degrees, it can take about 4 months for the castings to be ready to use. Worm manure can be used in potted plants or in any garden.

In The Garden

Earthworms in a garden are good at loosening the soil, allowing oxygen, water and soil amendments to reach deep down into the root zone of plants. Earthworms spread beneficial microorganisms which are needed to break down organic matter and minerals, making them more available for plants to take in through their roots.

Environment

Clean Environment

Having a clean environment attracts beneficial insects and animals that help to control insect pests naturally.

Ecosystem

An ecosystem includes all of the living organisms in a specific area. It's growth depends on the conditions of that system. In a delicate balance, the plants and animals of an ecosystem depend on each other to survive. Disruptions in the balance can be disastrous to all organisms within the ecosystem. In recent years mankind has increasingly been negatively effecting the many ecosystems around the world.

The boundaries of an ecosystem could be underneath a big rock or the entire planet or it could be as small as a puddle or as large as the Pacific Ocean.

House Plants

Clean Air

House plants can be very beneficial to our indoor air. House plants are commonly grown for decoration and health reasons. They clean our indoor air by filtering out toxins, pollutants and the carbon dioxide we breath out and replace them with healthy purified oxygen. Plants used in this way are commonly tropical or semi-tropical.

Mulch

Beneficial

Mulch controls weed growth, maintains soil moisture, and stabilizes soil temperatures. Compost doubles as a mulch and an organic soil amendment. Organic mulches make the soil easier to cultivate, healthy and alive with beneficial organisms.

Organic Mulch

Bark chips

Wood chips

Leaves

Leaf mold

Pine needles

Grass clippings

Inorganic Mulch

Rocks, gravel or stones

Natural and Organic Fertilizer

Alfalfa meal is an excellent growth stimulator and soil conditioner. It supplies nitrogen for healthy green growth and feeds beneficial microorganisms in the soil.

Liquid fish emulsion is a good organic nitrogen rich fertilizer. In addition to nitrogen, it adds micronutrients to the soil.

Organic fertilizers can increase garden and potting soils fertility. Adding compost to garden soil regularly should be enough for healthy plants, but if plants are grown year round, they may need fertilizer amendments during active growth.

Fertilizer may be needed for potted plants during active growing periods.

Outdoor Plants

Native Plants

Native plants in a garden and landscape will use less water and some even require less maintenance.

Soil

Soil Condition

Loosening the soil will allow water and air to get to the roots of plants and to microorganisms. Roots need oxygen and microorganisms make the soil healthy.

Watering

Lawn

Water your lawn and garden in the morning to reduce the chance of mold and plant disease. Soak the soil slowly and deeply each time. Using drip irrigation or a soaker hose works very well and saves water.