eremedies

Composting 101

If you're getting ready for a garden or just want to recycle your foodstuffs, a compost pile might be in order. It provides rich, fertile soil and makes good use of the things you'd throw away!

* First pick a shady well-drained spot in your yard. Remove grass so that bugs can climb in (they do all the composting work!)

* Get a compost bin, just a crate will do. Pick the size you'd like, or start small at first. You can put it in a plastic tray if you don't have a real yard and get some soil, bugs, worms in there to compost if you need to.

* Now, you have to collect all the composting things. This means food scraps, peels, grass clippings, dried leaves, twigs, eggs, bread, coffee grounds, tea leaves, wood ashes, wood chips, weeds, shredded paper, and even vacuum cleaner bags! Don't use meat, oil, fat, colored paper, feces, bones, charcoal ashes, plastic, infected plants, chemicals, or dairy. Chop up the larger pieces into smaller bits. Build the pile up in layers starting with clippings, leaves, and then food scraps. Use 2 parts grass to 1 part brown leaves.

* Water each layer until it's damp like a sponge and bury the food scraps in the middle.

* Use a garden fork to turn the pile over every couple of weeks. Be patient, and it could take from 2 weeks to months. Take it from the bottom and use it to fertilize your yard and plants!