Composting 101
Composting can be a good thing for you, the environment and your plants. It saves you money if you have to pay to dispose of your trash by reducing the waste that is being sent out, it helps the environment by having less to fill the landfill, and it helps your plants because it picks up some great nutrients left behind by other plants.
Composting is a science though. I remember as a kid my aunt and uncle had a compost pile and it felt like we were just throwing everything we wanted in there. That's not the case. There are some great things for your compost and some really harmful things.
For instance, if you put in any type of citrus fruits, it can harm your compost and any plants you try to grow in it. The acid in those fruits will throw off your “ph” balance of your soil and make it very acidic and the plant you put in there will die.
Like it was stated earlier that it is like a science, you do have to do a little bit of balancing with it. You have to watch it from time to time. Here are some tips.
First you want see how moist or dry the soil is. If it's looking dry add more vegetable or fruits. Try not to put in seeds though because you don't want a tomato plant sprouting up in your onions. If it's looking too moist add more leaves or grass clippings.
Second, if you are growing tomatoes its good to put in eggshells. The calcium in the eggshells will go throughout the soil and then be absorbed into the plant. Calcium helps tomatoes ripen.
Its always a good idea to know what you will be growing in the soil and what that specific plant requires in order to help you balance out your soil.
Look at the patio in this picture a reader submitted. Tell me that doesn't look relaxing.
This is a great looking garden. It just makes you want to pull up a book in a comfy chair and read there, or nap.