Garden Medley

The compost heap is more or less a staple of the home garden. It’s a great way to dispose of organic material in an ecologically friendly manner while making something that will help your garden grow.

All kinds of things can go in your compost heap - grass clippings, fruit and vegetable peels from your kitchen, leaves and so forth.

After some time in your compost heap, all these things make a marvelous fertilizer for your garden. You can save money on fertilizer by taking a little time to compost things you would otherwise be throwing away.

The basic compost heap is just a pile of things somewhere unobtrusive in the back yard. This works well enough, but there are ways to speed up the process. You’ll also keep it from stinking, which is one of the factors that keeps many people from doing their own composting. No one wants their back yard to stink.

You can stack up the materials you use to make your compost heap, so long as you don’t overdo it. Oxygen is required for proper composting, so if you make your pile too deep some of the materials won’t decompose. Also moisten the pile regularly, as this helps to move things along. If you really want to go at it, get a pitchfork or even a shovel and flip things over, so that everything has it’s best chance to decompose.

Compost heaps don’t have to be just a heap on the ground. You can buy equipment to help your compost heap decompose properly. These also make it easier to work with your pile.

Composting isn’t for everyone. You need a place to put it and you have to work it right to keep the smell down. But once you’re good at it, you’ll love what you’re doing for your garden and the planet, simply by not throwing away things you can compost.