Composting Made Simple
There’s a lot of information available online and offline about the technical and scientific aspects of composting - along with a variety of complicated ways to produce compost. But all of that information and technique can sometimes be confusing for a beginner so this article is designed to help simplify some of that information for you.
Having the technical and scientific details about how composting works and why it’s a wonderful process is important, but sometimes all of us need a basic and simplified explanation of things, along with easy ways to do them.
Compost is a natural soil enrichment product. It’s completely organic and natural, thus it works as a natural fertilizer to both feed and nuture the soil it’s added to. Compost also acts as a mulch and conditioner for the soil, which means it adds rich minerals, nutrients and vitamins your plants need to grow healthy and strong. By adding compost to any soil, you help it to retain water better, drain better, and in general be much healthier for any type of plant you may want to grow.
Creating compost is a process known as composting. There are many different ways to create compost, and each method has it’s own benefits. One popular composting method is known as the “no turn” method, and it’s popular because it’s quite easy to do. In fact you can essentially “set it and forget it” for most of your gardening needs.
Composting happens fastest when you turn and mix your compost pile regularly. Most people turn compost piles about once each week to ensure everything is breaking down and decomposing quickly. No turn composting is just as it sounds: You don’t turn or mix the compost pile. You simply let all of the organic material decompose at it’s own rate of speed.
When you choose to do the no turn method of composting, it’s a good idea to add plenty of coarse material such as straw, hay or other similar materials. Mixing in plenty of coarse material creates air pockets in the compost pile, which allows air to get to all areas inside. When you …
