Starting and Maintaining Compost Pile at Home for Healthier Garden Soil

Compost piles are great assets for healthier and more remarkable garden soils however the process of starting and maintaining it is totally a time consuming and demanding matter. Hence, before jump starting on this green project, you must make sure that you have enough resources to do the job.

Choosing the Composting System

In selecting what type of composting system to use, there are four main types you can choose from. First system is the most expensive of all which is using a tumbler but this however is amenable for long-term use. The next is through improvising your own cylinder from chicken wire materials. It is messier however the process is a cheaper one from tumbler system. Next is the three-bin system which requires three adjacent wooden bins allocated for the new materials, half decomposed and the finished compost. Finally the freestanding pile is a system you can use which is the cheapest yet the most amenable to rodents and pets.

Collecting the Compost Materials

First and foremost, make sure that you never use dairy products, cats and dog manure, meats, bones and diseased weeds and plants. The two main compositions of the materials include the brown and green matters. This includes sawdust, dead leaves, wood chips and hay for the former and coffee grounds, fruit and veggie scraps, manure, grass clippings, eggshells and tea bags for the former.

Building the Compost Pile

In building the compost heap, you must first make sure that you have shredded and chopped the materials until they become a couple of inches small. The size of the materials you used is basically important in the quicker process of decomposition. Start the pile through making an eight inch layer of the brown materials followed by the green layers and the last with the brown matters of the same layer size.

Make sure you dampen the pile through using a garden hose and careful not to soak the pile. Mix the layers using a shovel until everything is used and ideally stand three feet in height and three feet in width.

Maintaining the Compost Pile

In a weekly basis, turn the compost pile in order to facilitate and hasten the process of decomposition. Regular turning and shifting of the materials allow the air flow and even decomposing. You can also use a little water to dampen the heap if necessary making sure it is not soaked. Cover the pile if there are any pests like rodents scavenging the compost heap and turn the pile so that the veggie and fruit scraps are buried in the bottom. Add dried leaves and sawdust if the compost is wet in order to avoid bad and foul smell. Regularly turn the heap in order to allow good flow of air and hasten the decomposition process.

Composting is definitely a useful and surefire way of turning common scraps and debris into functional and handy materials. This will give you the bragging rights in doing your share in the preservation of the environment through the reduction of carbon footprint in your home.

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