Do you ever let the garbage company take away your yard waste and other compostables? Then you're losing a really valuable earth-enhancing resource. There really isn't much work involved in turning grass clippings, tree prunings, weeds, kitchen scraps, and other vegetation and "waste" into rich fertilizer. Worm boxes are one great way to do this. Another way is composting. Both are fun ways to get back in touch with one of nature's most amazing processes. The secret to an aesthetically pleasing compost process is to cut up waste into small pieces, observe hygienic practices, and achieve a proper balance of materials. Small pieces, which one makes by cutting the materials with a knife or pruner, make for large surface area and very rapid decomposition. A pruner and some elbow grease will turn a pile of branches from trash into raw materials for your compost and are an essential tool for any garden with trees or shrubs.
For really big jobs, you may need a chipper. Compostables consist of two types of material: carbon-rich matter (like branches, stems, peels, bits of wood, bark dust, or sawdust) gives compost its light, fluffy body, and nitrogen or protein-rich matter (manures, food scraps, leafy materials like lawn clippings) provides raw materials for making enzymes. In order to have optimum health in your compost or worm box, it is important to have much more carbon than nitrogen. This allows oxygen to penetrate and nourish the living, breathing organisms that reside there. Too much nitrogen makes for a heavy, smelly, slowly decomposing mass. Good compost hygiene means covering fresh nitrogen-rich material, which can release odors if exposed to open air, with carbon-rich material, which often exudes a fresh, wonderful smell. If in doubt, add more carbon!
For really big jobs, you may need a chipper. Compostables consist of two types of material: carbon-rich matter (like branches, stems, peels, bits of wood, bark dust, or sawdust) gives compost its light, fluffy body, and nitrogen or protein-rich matter (manures, food scraps, leafy materials like lawn clippings) provides raw materials for making enzymes. In order to have optimum health in your compost or worm box, it is important to have much more carbon than nitrogen. This allows oxygen to penetrate and nourish the living, breathing organisms that reside there. Too much nitrogen makes for a heavy, smelly, slowly decomposing mass. Good compost hygiene means covering fresh nitrogen-rich material, which can release odors if exposed to open air, with carbon-rich material, which often exudes a fresh, wonderful smell. If in doubt, add more carbon!
