Composting

Here’s a quiz. What is one thing you can do to reduce waste in landfills, conserve water, improve your soil and nourish your plants? Oh and here’s another hint - it doesn’t cost anything.

The answer is composting. It takes a little time, and maybe some getting use to, but beginning to value your kitchen scraps, grass clippings and raked leaves instead of throwing them away can save you time and money in the long run. And your gardens will be healthier and more beautiful.

Composting provides a great mulch and fertilizer for all kinds of plants and trees. In addition to improving soil fertility, it loosens clay soil and helps sandy soils retain water. Composting feeds microorganisms which keep soil in a healthy, balanced condition, and it stimulates healthy root development in plants.

To make a compost pile, layer leaves with kitchen scraps. Cover the pile with leaves and water the pile lightly. Most kitchen scraps can be composted. Coffee grounds, egg shells, fruit and vegetable peels and scraps all make good compost. To keep critters away, avoid putting meat or dairy products in the compost. Add cow manure or manure from chickens or turkeys when it’s available. Turn the compost with a spade fork to mix up contents and get oxygen in, and keep the compost pile from drying out.

Today, organic wastes takes up about one-third of the space in landfills. By composting, you can help reduce that load while creating a rich, dark earthy material that improves soil and creates a healthy environment for plants.