Black Gold- Composting Tips

What you quickly find out about growing anything is that the soil is the determining factor of whether your efforts are going to be successful or not.

Compost is simply beautiful because it is the true circle of life. Those things that grew, lived, and died are now transformed back into a substance that will, once again, bring life.

The real success of composting is reducing waste. Think of how much we throw away and then think of how much we can reduce that by. Ithaca Bakery (in Ithaca - go figure) is a wonderful find and what's even better is their way of managing waste. Recycle, Reuse, Compost, and finally, what they hope to be the least, garbage.

So what can be made into compost - well almost anything - see an excerpt from howtocompost.org below. Take a little time to read about composting - find the right method for you and then you can make your own black gold! Visit:

1. Gather all grass clippings and green yard waste but be sure to mix with the "brown" materials like leaves and shredded paper to add carbon. You will need both, but if you only add grass clippings your pile will compact and start to stink.
   

2. Do not compost meats or pet droppings. Stick with food scraps and yard waste only.
   

3. Avoid all pesticides and/or herbicide treated material.
   

4. If you add weeds to your pile make sure your pile is good and hot. It should be steaming hot, not just warm otherwise it may not kill the seeds.
   

5. Turn your pile as often as you can. Each time you turn it will speed up the process.
   

6. Keep your compost damp but not wet. As you add material to your pile make sure that each layer is moist as it is added. During the summer your pile will dry out and the composting process will slow down.
   

7. Got too much material to compost? Make a second or third pile. Stop adding material to a pile that is underway and start a new pile. This will insure you get a chance to use the compost this season.
   

8. Add compost to your garden a few weeks before you plant. Let the compost have a chance to work into the soil. Try to mix it in and let it sit before you plant.
   

9. Bugs, worms and most bugs are ok. No need to go crazy trying to keep bugs out of your compost.
   

10. Since the compost process works best at temperature between 120 and 150 degrees composting in the warmer months is easier to do, if this is your first attempt at composting best to try in the summer.