It’s no wonder that some of the world’s most beautiful natural gardens are found in the most remote places. After all, Mother Nature is the world’s best gardener. If you want to create a garden that’s naturally lush and vibrant, without using harsh chemicals, use nature’s perfect fertilizer: garden compost.

Compost provides natural fertilization for all types of plants, from leafy shrubs and trees to exotic flowers. Consider the rainforest, with a thick carpet of naturally-occurring compost. This rich rainforest floor gives continues food, support and shelter for all types of plant life.

Creating your own perfect compost is easy. All you need to do is save your food scraps and yard waste. You’ll save money on garden center supplies, reduce waste and feed the environment. It’s a win-win-win situation! With a little effort, you’ll have a dark, crumbly and nutritious mixture of decomposed organic matter.

Garden compost is so easy to create, and it benefits your blooms in so many ways:

* Provides essential nutrients to plants

* Reduces the need for harsh fertilizers

* Improves the quality of heavy clay or sandy soil

* Reduce the amount of water required

* Help control pesky weeds

Creating Your Own Garden Compost

There is a very basic recipe for creating garden compost. Just remember the gardener’s rule of thumb: two parts brown to one part green.

Your successful compost pile will be a bustling community of microorganisms. These are tiny creatures that exist by breaking down organic matter. They’ll work hard to turn your yard debris and organic scraps into compost and you’ll need to take an active role in encouraging the growth of these microorganisms.

Dried leaves and other natural flower fertilizers can be used as the two parts carbon-rich “brown” materials. Mix this with one-part nitrogen-rich “green” materials, like fresh grass clippings. This all-natural fertilizer provides the ideal fuel for those hungry microorganisms. They’ll soon kick in to high gear and heat up your yard debris, producing valuable garden compost.

Ingredients for Your Garden Compost

The “two parts brown” may contain any combination of these materials:

* Dry grass clippings and leaves

* Small sticks and twigs

* Newspaper (shredded)

* Straw or hay

* Wood chips, wood shavings or sawdust

* Used potting soil

The “one part green” can include any or all of these healthy materials:

* Fresh grass clippings

* Newly fallen leaves

* Plant stalks and stems

* Hedge clippings

* Annual weeds (without the heads!)

* Fruit and vegetable scraps

* Tea bags, coffee grounds and filters

* Eggshells

These materials should NEVER be used in your compost:

* Diseased plants

* Seed heads from weeds

* Invasive weeds (quack grass, morning glory)

* Bread and cereal grains

* Meat, fish or bones

* Any dairy products

* Cooking oil or grease, or oily foods

* Pet droppings

* Dead animals

Size Matters

The smaller your composting components are, the faster you will achieve rich, usable compost. Obviously, large pieces of vegetables will take longer to break down than smaller pieces. Chop your leftover fruits and vegetables into small pieces. Garden debris should be cut up using garden shears or a machete. Use a garden chipper/shredder or a lawnmower mulching attachment to break up sticks and twigs.

If your compost pile is no less than three feet in diameter, you’ll see even faster garden compost action. This is where size really matters, because the actual composting occurs when those millions of microorganisms living in your soil begin to generate heat. As the microorganisms process the raw materials, they release energy to help activate the decomposition. A compost pile that’s at least three square feet in diameter is the optimum size for the hottest and fastest composting.

Air and Water

Compost is a living thing, and it needs water and air to survive. The microorganisms in your garden compost can’t do their jobs if they don’t receive an ample supply of water and air. Regularly sprinkle water over your compost, but don’t drown it. Make it about as wet as a damp sponge.

You can incorporate air into the mixture by turning the compost once a week with a pitchfork. Turning the compost will also help to distribute the efforts of the microorganisms. Without turning, you’ll have a layer of rich compost at the bottom of the pile with a pile of dry garden waste on top.

The best gardening advice comes right from the source: Mother Nature herself. Natural garden compost is so easy to make, and your bright, beautiful plants will be more than enough payment for your efforts.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Bookmark to:
         

If you're new here, you may first want to get a copy of my information and resources jam packed handbook on your right. Thanks for visiting!