Archive for the ‘Composting’ Category

PostHeaderIcon Compost Smells: This and Other Composting Myths

The following article lists some simple, informative tips that will help you have a better experience with Composting.

Composting is a natural and simple process and yet it has been complicated by machines, fallacies, misinformation, myths, and misunderstandings that came out due to erroneous publications and aggressive commercial marketing approaches. Some of these misinformed facts have been passed around so many times that the general perception has become truth. An example would be the seemingly accepted fact that all compost smells. But before we go into that, let’s discuss some other composting myths first.

Myth: Composting requires a lot of work

Truth: Composting is a natural process which involves basically the elements of nature doing the job for you. All you need is to gather all the materials, lay it on, and let nature do her job. Composting is a low maintenance activity as well. You only need to turn the compost file every once in a while to keep the air flowing to quicken the decomposition process and that’s it. You practically sit and wait for the the compost to finish.

Myth: Composting is limited to farms and wide open spaces
Truth: On the contrary, people living in urban areas who have no luxury for space can create their own composting bin from a trash can. How much space would that take up? Also, there is another technique which you can use, the so-called vermicomposting which involves the use of red worms in a contained bin where you feed them table scraps.

Myth: Composting needs precise measurements

Truth: Even though composting ideally would be best achieved with the right combination of greens and browns elements, having the exact measurements is not that necessary. Estimates work just fine. And those neatly piled up layers of composting piles you see in commercials, books, pamphlets and brochures of composting products, those are all for show. You don’t need to copy those, composting works the same way as you pile them up haphazardly.

Myth: You need specially formulated chemicals as starters or activators

It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of Composting is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about Composting.

Truth: Well, despite the claims of commercially available products that applying them to the compost pile will speed up the process of decomposition, buying them is not really necessary. It is often the practice to just throw in some finished compost into the newly formed compost pile and that itself will serve as the activator to get things started. There’s no need to buy those expensive stuff.

Myth: Adding yeast will boost the compost’s performance

Truth: This is not true at all. What you’re doing is just wasting your money by adding yeast to the compost pile. Yeast does not do anything to the compost pile and neither does it affect the performance quality of the compost.

Myth: Animals are attracted to composting piles

Truth: Yes, this to some degree is true. Composting piles do attract the occasional cat, dog or raccoon. Small critters will likely go for open compost piles and for piles that have kitchen scraps like meat, fat, dairy products, bones and pet manure to the pile.

Myth: Compost smells

Truth: Compost should not smell. If you find bad smelling compost, then the maker did a poor job picking the materials for the compost pile.

Other composting myths exist and it would be best to do your research first before accepting them as truth.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson (Click on the link to learn more about me)

PostHeaderIcon Avoiding Composting Dangers

If you are engaged in any composting activity of sorts, you might find yourself encountering certain dangers. Composting is an activity that leads one closer to nature. But then, disasters can happen even on the road paved with good intentions. There are imminent dangers However, these dangers can be avoided by a few techniques from the pros.

Read up
The best way to prepare for composting dangers is to read up. That’s right. You need to read up on concepts and techniques and all the other factors pertaining to composting. Like in learning a new language, immersing yourself with available information on composting prior to the composting activity will ensure that you are to get the best deal of the composting activity. Also, it will show you how to do things the right way and keep you from doing things that can be detrimental to your safety.

Wash your hands frequently
After composting, you need to wash your hands. This may seem like a no-brainer, but mos enthusiasts who get too absorbed with their activities forget the dangers of poisoning. This may not concern you directly, but children and siblings who are not oriented to the dangers of composting chemicals may not really be privy to washing their hands after contact. This is also a good motivation for you to secure a close lid for your composting heap.

Inspect your active compost frequently
Frequent inspection will ensure that there are no weeds or unwelcome creatures inhabiting in your compost pile. Make sure that your compost pile remains a compost pile and not a breeding ground for harmful animals that can endanger you in your backyard. The active compost is quite dynamic in nature, so you can be ensured that you will not be bored to death or forced to watch a dull pile of manure.

The information about Composting presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about Composting or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.

Orient your friends and family about your composting activities.
Getting your family and friends involved or at least amply oriented will help you be able to relay your activities to them effectively. It will also help them become aware of certain things or objects you are using in the backyard (in cases where you do your compost heaps in the backyard), and will not be inclined to hit themselves with it while taking a leisure stroll.

Keep the compost aerated
The danger to compost is when it loses air and becomes more poisonous to the soil than helpful. Make sure that even when your compost heap is in a closed bin, there is still more than enough air for it to continue circulating. The aeration process helps enhance the composting process, and then it also prevents the organic materials from turning into an amorphous poisonous blob that you would not want to get your hands at.

Familiarize yourself with the machinery (for industrial scale compost heaps)

If you are dealing with composting on a larger scale and it may require some machineries, you must really exercise caution in using the machinery. Also, make sure that you are familiar with all commands, well-versed with worst-case scenarios and troubleshooting techniques for the equipment you are using.

This is more dangerous, since you are talking of a composting heap on a larger scale. So make sure that you are familiarized, as well as the people around you who will be assigned to work with you on the industrial composting process.

About the Author
Contact me here: Anders Eriksson. Here is one of my ebooks for you: free adsense ebook

PostHeaderIcon Common Materials for Composting from Your Own Home

Imagine the next time you join a discussion about Composting. When you start sharing the fascinating Composting facts below, your friends will be absolutely amazed.

In composting, you need not look too far to be able to obtain a viable set of materials to keep it up and functioning. the good thing about composting is that it completely transcends locations and resources because you can literally derive your composting materials from basically anything.

When you are at home, the best way to be able to get a hold of the best composting materials is by neatly categorizing the different parts of your home and sequestering all the possible candidates for composting. this will help you sort out which part of your home has the best resource for your composting and in cases where you need to activate your compost at the time that it grows more passive, you know exactly where to look.

Kitchen
Vegetables and fish that have been burned by the freezer can still be put to good use, as well as any container or bag made of burlap which you cannot find any good use for. even the ignorable lint that you find behind your refrigerator may be used for composting! Old condiments or spices may also be included, not for flavoring, but for organic purposes.

Dining Area
Paper napkins are the first thing that come to mind when you are trying to secure composting materials in the dining table. Leftovers at the dining table may also be classified as appropriate composting material.

It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of Composting is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about Composting.

Study Area
There is definitely a better way to make use of your Post it notes than putting them on a shredder after you have scribbled all over them. In your study area, all sorts of paper materials, including your colored and used Post it notes, are viable composting materials. In cases where you are unable to resist bringing food in your study area, you can also use the leftovers from your study area to help fill up the compost pit you have created.

Pet Kennels and Cages
Do you find pet hair irritating? The thing is, you can also use pet hair as part of the organic materials that you can use for your composting pursuits. Wood chips from your playful pets can also be collected and put in the compost bin. If you are dealing with a bird cage, even their used-to-be despicable droppings may be used to your advantage.

Backyard Garden
The backyard is one of the richest places with which you can find organic material like bee droppings, hay. Pine needles, match residues, leaves, herbs, chicken manure… the list just goes on and on. all you have to do is acquire some observant eye and a huge bag with which you can store the various discoveries you can find in your garden or backyard.

A Word of Caution
Despite the wide variety of items that can be considered for composting, there are still exceptions to organic materials. Never include diseased plants in your compost pit, as well as any form of weed. Also part of the list of things that you are not supposed to include as composting material include dead animals, feces of your pets, bread, meat parts, dairy products, grease, grains, cooking oil or any derivative of it.

Another thing to consider is the size of your compost and the ratios you need to be mindful of to make your compost alive and kicking all the time. This way, you will never have a dull moment in filling up your compost bin.

About the Author
Anders Eriksson hands out nice gifts on these topics to all visitors: free adsense ebook and free adsense sites

PostHeaderIcon The Dirt Paybacks: Advantages of Composting

The following article presents the very latest information on Composting. If you have a particular interest in Composting, then this informative article is required reading.

Composting may literally be viewed as a dirty job. Depending on the type of composting process that you undergo, you may find yourself immersed with dirt and other external elements that other people normally wouldn’t want to get involved with.

However, the dirt has its own paybacks, and here are just some of the advantages of composting that you may want to tell your friends if you are to convince them that composting is worth their time as well as yours.

It agrees with nature.

The very first advantage of composting is that it agrees with nature. It is all-natural and you will not be able to clash with the forces of nature to be able to do it. In fact, you are actually contributing to the natural scheme of things if you are constantly taking care of your composting pit.

It helps the people involved to be more meticulous and mindful.

People who are involved with composting tend to be more meticulous and mindful because composting requires rigorous monitoring. The ratio of Carbon to Nitrogen, the temperature of the compost materials, and also the activity in the compost as it develops need to be closely monitored to ensure that it will not go passive and yield less than its maximum potential. Being able to take good care of your compost not only helps nature but it also helps you become more mindful and meticulous.

It allows you to make best use of organic materials which would have otherwise been placed as trash.

Composting lessens the garbage in your home. since what you would otherwise put in your garbage bag may now be placed in the compost pit, it will also help you in your garbage management. On a larger scale, there will be less need for dumping site spaces and less probability for landslides on mounds of garbage being added to on a frequent basis.

The information about Composting presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about Composting or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.

It’s flexible: you can add or subtract materials as you go along

The flexibility of composting materials lie in the fact that most of the materials are readily available anywhere. You can add or subtract materials at any time you please and in any conceivable quantity just as long as it doesn’t interfere with the ratios you are maintaining for your compost.

There are numerous resources and support groups online and offline for this purpose.
Support groups are readily available for composting enthusiasts on a global scale. especially with the emergence of global warming issues, the need for environmental solutions are on the forefront and are highly promoted these days. The good way to expand one’s network and establish ties that last with other like-minded individuals lie in getting support groups and engaging in activities that are universal. Composting is one such activity.

For farmers, it brings in higher revenue.

Revenue can be obtained by farmers if they yield better crops from better soil. Better soil can be obtained by having a healthy compost to fertilize their land. This can actually increase their profits and keep the sources of the profits healthy and thriving for all seasons.

It costs virtually nothing.

Aside from the manual labor and the gathering of materials readily available virtually anywhere, composting costs nothing. The actual costs are inconsequential compared to the returns that composting can bring the people and Mother Nature.

The good thing is that it accelerates the positive processes beneficial for plants, animals and humans.

About the Author
Anders Eriksson always offer the best deals on domain name registration. Visit his site for cheap domain names

PostHeaderIcon Dynamic Composting Tips and Tricks

When you’re learning about something new, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relevant information available. This informative article should help you focus on the central points.

Unlike the aging body, you do not need the elixir of youth to be able to ensure that your compost heap is at its glorious best, thriving and able to function well on your soil. Few people are attracted with passivity of all forms, especially in compost, which is supposed to be a hot pot of activity for yielding greatest returns in the environment and farm land business people.

The good thing about composting is that you can easily keep it dynamic with consistency and a host of other techniques that are tried and tested by many a composting enthusiast or advocate.

Balance the ingredients

Primarily, the basic thing to keep or maintain for a compost heap to be active is balance of ingredients. If you have too much of a single component, your compost may eventually die down. Remember that a compost is inherently comprised of numerous organic matter, and to keep it in top condition means that you must also maintain the variety of materials you put in your compost heap.

Over time, some ingredients in the compost heap may dominate over the others, so make it a point to replenish your compost bin and have it checked frequently.

Select the right bin or container

The right bin will also lead you to the right lively nature of dynamic composting. If you put in your materials well but placed it in an unsuitable container, the compost will become passive over time. Find the right fit for your compost heap and then ensure that the container itself is well-maintained, free of holes or other infestations that may affect your compost heap’s growth.

Is everything making sense so far? If not, I’m sure that with just a little more reading, all the facts will fall into place.

Dampen and don’t soak

Soaking is primary evil to your compost. Have the right amount of moisture, but do not drown the compost heap to the point that it won’t be of any vital impact to your soil. Make sure that you are able to draw out more humus than water from your compost heap so that you will be paid back well for your hard labor in building your compost heap.

Bacteria needs air

Aeration is the other partner of ample moisture in your compost heap. If you provide your compost heap with enough air, the bacteria that produces humus will thrive and will help exceed your expectations of compost heap performance. If you are really hell-bent on keeping your compost heap dynamic, make sure that you have enough air, but not too much that it will over-expose the pile and defeat the purpose of creating a good compost heap.

Check the temperature

There is an ideal temperature for composting. Ensure that the compost heap maintains this temperature otherwise the whole reaction for composting will not be sustained or completed. Have a thermometer handy everyday when you inspect your composting heap. If possible, find thermometers that are created for composting purposes.

Have a fixed area for composting

It is not that recommended to have a mobile composting heap. Make sure you can fix it in a single place and increase its chances of growing and thriving. When you move around your composting heap too much, less reaction takes place. It requires a certain degree of permanence to produce optimum results, so make sure that you are ready and well-adjusted to this fact as well.

Now that wasn’t hard at all, was it? And you’ve earned a wealth of knowledge, just from taking some time to study an expert’s word on Composting.