Composting How To’s

Despite the wide variety of information available on composting these days, some people still find it a bit difficult to understand. Since the process is so natural and simple though, this article should help.

Essentially composting is a form of recycling. Instead of throwing away organic materials such as bannana peels, apple cores, and coffee grounds, you add these to a special “recycle bin” all their own: The composting bin. Since organic materials decompose, rot, and break down over time, they are transformed into another substance which is quite useful for a wide variety of things.

You may already know that aluminim cans can be melted down and remade into something new, as can plastic materials. Used clothing can be reused, or torn apart and made into other things such as a blanket. Organic materials are the exact same, it’s just nature which breaks them down and makes them into something new. There’s no specific man made machinery involved.

When composting however, the end result of new material isn’t always quite as obvious as other recycled materials are. If you cut apart old clothing to create a blanket for example, you see the obvious end result of those recycled cloths. When you recycle organic materials you also see an end result, but it’s not quite as obvious. First you end up with a very rich, fertile soil which feeds and nutures plants in your yard and garden. Then you see end results in the form of more healthy, vibrant, actively growing and producing plants.

If you grow flowers you may notice larger and more prolific flower blooms. If you grow vegetables, you may see you’re getting more food from each plant, larger vegetables, and foods which look much more healthy and alive. Fruit and vegetable gardening are where you’ll find the biggest end benefits of composting in fact.

Composting is quite easy to do also. All you’re doing is recycling organic materials… and you might be surprised at how much organic material there is available in your home on a day to day basis.

When you make a salad for example, you may cut off the heart of a tomato and lettuce. These scraps can go into your compost bin. If you have fish or meat wrapped in paper, instead of throwing that paper into the trash you can add it to your compost bin. When you make coffee or tea, the used grounds can be added too.

Outside your home is almost all organic materials which can be recycled as compost too. Grass clippings, dead flowers and plants, trimmings from shrubs, bushes and trees, over ripe vegetables from the garden - all of these are examples of organic materials most of us come across every day in our homes. And these materials can be added to a compost pile for recycling into rich, fertile soil which will help our plants, yards, and gardens become even more productive in the future.

In fact, when you first start composting you might be amazed at how little garbage you have left to throw away. Since composting requires organic materials, you cannot add metal and plastic to a compost pile, nor anything synthetic. Cardboard boxes and paper can be added however, as can most types of food scraps and yard waste. Be very careful with any waste which has been treated with harsh chemicals though, because some of these cannot be broken down by the composting process. And since they’re poisonous, you can taint your compost and anything you add that compost to in the future.

Composting is a completely natural process, and you help nature by joining in. You reduce trash, help enrich the soil around your home, and help your plants to grow stronger and healthier as well.