Turn landscaping and landscaping into useful fertilizers. Incorporate this soil improvement in vegetable soils to improve drainage in clay soils and increase water retention capacity in sandy soils. It also protects healthy plant growth from pests and diseases and protects plant-based kitchen debris and vegetable waste from landfills.
Reinforcement is as easy as putting sick and insect-free plant waste into a pile and decomposing it. Do not add rats or weeds, invasive plants, or meat, milk, or fats that may survive the fertilization process and return to the garden.
You can attach your lid to the tub to make the process neat, tidy, and out of sight. Some gardeners choose tumbler composters for added convenience when loading, unloading, and twisting. It allows you to store the raw materials in one container while actively developing two bin trays.
Always check with your municipality. Some have restrictions on the type of pools that are acceptable, while others may offer discounts.
Start your pile in an accessible area hidden by nearby plants, fences, or jewelry. Move more rotten material inside the center and rotate the pile several times to prevent rot.
Accelerate things by mixing nitrogen and carbon-rich plant debris, filling it with soil or fertilizer, and adding a little fertilizer. Nitrogen-enriched (green) materials such as plant-free grass clippings, fruit wastes, vegetable cuttings and manure, carbon-rich corn husks, continuous needles, straw, and autumn leaves accelerate the process. But don’t let this recipe stop you from fertilizing. As the weather, insects, and microorganisms merge over time, all plant waste eventually matures.
Start with an 8- to 10-inch cutting pruning layer. Cover one inch of soil or fertilizer to speed things up and sprinkle with fertilizer. Repeat until the pile is at least three feet tall and wide. Turn the pile into a wet sponge consistency.
Rotate the pile with time or frequency for quick results. Move more rotten material from the center to the outside of the pile. It is a very good job and speeds up the decay.
The more you try to fertilize, the more organic matter you will have for your garden. But even ordinary composters end up with a wonderful improvement for the garden.
It is ready when the rot is brown and rotten. Mix the finished compost into pot mixes, work in garden beds, or spread one inch of pest every year.
Start placing your landscape trim in a pile and watch the magic happen.
Melinda Myers is the author of more than 20 gardening books, including a Middle West Gardener’s Handbook and a Small Garden. She hosts great courses on the “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the national Melinda Garden TV and Radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributor to the Birds and Flowers magazine. Her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.