Garden Composting - More Bins Please!

   

Eddingtons Compost Pail, Stainless Steel

By Sammie Dejesus
The only trouble with garden composting is that you spend all that time researching the perfect garden composter only to find that that once you start you need another one. It really doesn't matter whether you're buying or making your garden compost bin - you will always eventually want another one to go with it!


Really two bins is the absolute minimum needed by any gardener. Oh, you can make do with one (I have, I just didn't like it), but you will need an 'organic matter storage area'. Lets face it if you're making a huge pile of stuff which will at some point go into a compost bin you may as well turn it into a compost heap of its own or (the easier solution) buy or make another garden compost bin to cut out the middle man.


Ideally we should be adding all our kitchen scraps and garden waste to a compost bin over a matter of a few months. Then when its full up we need to leave it alone for another few months to decompose into that lovely garden compost we're after. This leaves us with the conundrum of what to do with all the new waste we make during these few months:
Storage Ready for Hot Composting


If you store all your organic matter out in the open it will break down a little but not much. Then when your garden composter has been emptied of newly created hummus you can fill it up with your huge pile of barely rotted compost making ingredients. Because you're putting a lot of matter into the bin in one go you will find it gets hot really quickly and will decompose much more quickly than your first 'slow burn' approach to filling the compost bin.


Many people love this 'hot compost' approach to garden composting. It does create rich, well rotted compost very quickly. But add to that the hassle factor of an open pile of debris cluttering up the garden, attracting wildlife and you may find hot compost not worth the effort. 

Open Compost Heap
Of course while your snazzy new-fangled garden composter is doing its job of breaking down your organic waste you could opt for the lower tech approach. Simply create an open compost heap and use that whilst your compost bin is out of action.
But, this gives you much slower compost and it means you need to animal proof the heap or build yourself some kind of box.


Get Another Garden Compost Bin
This is the obvious answer. Get another bin to sit next to the first one. Then you should always have one being added to and one rotting down. But, once you go down this route you may find you don't have time to use the compost ready in the first bin, the second one is full and now you need a third to add your waste too. When this blog started I was the proud owner of three compost bins but now I have four, plus a storage area for clippings I don't want to add in one go!


Garden composting seems to take over the whole garden!
I have lots more articles on gardening. Please check out my page and go to my blog from there!


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Adventures in Home Composting

Kitchen Craft Compost Bin, Stainless Steel, 5 Litres 

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Anita_Koppens]

Anita Koppens Kitchen leavings such as banana peels, cantaloupe rinds and eggshells do not need to go into the trashcan. They can be recycled in compost bins to provide wonderful nutrients for succeeding generations of vegetation. With more people becoming devoted to the environment, composting is a simple procedure that can be implemented at home to reduce the negative impact on the eco-system. 

Composting is easy to start at home; simply keeping a small garbage pail dedicated to eco-friendly refuse in the kitchen can help you begin. At the end of each day, simply take the materials out to the area where you keep your compost bin. With very little effort and some assistance from the natural activities of bugs and warmth from the sun, you can cultivate nutrient rich soil for your garden, house plants or landscaping and feel good about being pro-active and reducing waste in landfills. For those who do not wish to purchase a ready-made compost bin, it's uncomplicated to make one from lumber.

 Anyone with little knowledge can build a compost bin in a brief period of time. There are many instructions available online, so you have the chance of picking a plan that appeals to your aesthetic taste. You will need materials and, if raccoons or other wild animals are troublesome in your area, you may want a hinged cover to keep animals out. Compost bins are generally affordable and simple to construct. One of the easiest ways involves taking sections of snow fence and making them into a square by attaching all corners to a strong post, and then staking it into the ground. Others have fashioned compost bins from used skids or simply by creating a circle from chicken wire.

 If you want a stronger compost bin, consider using two by fours to craft a square compost bin with gaps for airflow. Put the compost bin at a sufficient distance from your home so that you can't smell any waste, yet close enough for convenience. You should also keep in mind that the compost bin will naturally be warm because of the biological process occurring inside of it. In order to keep this heat, if you live in a colder climate you will need to place it in a sunny area.

 If you dwell in a very hot, dry climate, you will need to add water to it occasionally and perhaps put it in a sheltered area. It needs to sustain some warmth and moisture, but any severity in temperature will likely slow down the progression. When your compost pile is in full swing, it will be easy to maintain and reap the many benefits from your good intentions. 

Continuously add scraps from the kitchen like onion peels, lettuce, even whole fruits or vegetables that went bad before you had the opportunity to eat them. It is essential to turn the soil at least once per season to keep the soil oxygenated. The material at the bottom should be exposed to the top and vice versa for the bottom. Such simplicity with great rewards should provide encouragement to keep up with other environmentally friendly habits. 

Don't forget that children love the idea too. Go green in Southern California: [http://compactbins.blogspot.com]  Compost Bins & Storage http://compactbins.blogspot.com]Tierrasanta View Real Estate Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Adventures-in-Home-Composting&id=1472407] Adventures in Home Composting