| Some areas are becoming stricter about how | | | | steam!) this will be the nitrogen burning off and |
| much garbage they will collect as well as what is | | | | indicates that your garbage is turning from |
| in it (if they have a re-cycling program). To | | | | decayed matter into compost. This heating up |
| further add to the garbage problem, burning your | | | | process works better if it is in a bin, and not a |
| household waste outside can be banned in some | | | | sprawling pile. This need not be expensive, just roll |
| areas. | | | | up a piece of chicken wire into a tube and line it |
| The answer is to compost! This solution will even | | | | with two black bin liners, allow air to circulate |
| give you that smug feeling of helping the | | | | under the base. Protect it from animals and cover |
| environment (or it will at least mean that the | | | | the top against rain. |
| garbage man won't leave your trash in the | | | | Here are some healthy additions to nurture your |
| driveway!) According to the US National Soil | | | | compost pile: Finely ground limestone, a sprinkling |
| Survey, "A single spade full of rich garden soil can | | | | of top soil, liquid seaweed emulsion (like SM3 or |
| contain more species of organisms than can be | | | | Maxicrop), a sprinkling of ground rock powders. |
| found above ground in the entire Amazon rain | | | | Finally, many composting experts recommend |
| forest." | | | | that about 20% should be animal manure. |
| Two key rules with composting are: 1. do not use | | | | You can assemble your compost like this: First |
| too much water - if you have to err, then less is | | | | make a large spread out pile using 2 x five gallon |
| better than more. 2.Think in terms of greens and | | | | buckets of dry browns, followed by one five |
| browns. Greens are grass clippings, vegetable | | | | gallon bucket of greens. Repeat this once more, |
| waste and kitchen scraps (nitrogen). Browns are | | | | then sprinkle ground limestone thinly over the top. |
| fallen leaves, straw, newspaper and wood chips | | | | Add any of the listed extras, and sprinkle some |
| (carbons). | | | | soil, then one or two liters of water with a |
| Browns are usually dryer than greens, and need | | | | watering can (it must be sprayed not poured). Do |
| to be. So collect your leaves on a sunny day and | | | | this whole procedure a couple more times, then |
| keep them in bags in your back yard to add to | | | | mix it all up and fork it into your composting bin. |
| your compost as needed. Wet compost will | | | | This process has mixed it and so you can just |
| always be available, as you will always have | | | | leave it to 'do its thing'. Or, you can use Household |
| kitchen waste, so your (dry) leaves will be | | | | Compost Activator as your liquid. |
| necessary. If you run out of dry leaves, you can | | | | These are some of the foolproof ways of |
| shred newspaper, the print is almost always non | | | | composting. In the old days, the pioneers just |
| toxic these days. | | | | threw it all in an old (washed) oil drum, sprinkled |
| A compost pile is supposed to get hot (and even | | | | lime and left it - maybe that will still work too! |
