8 of 71

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 2

2 to 4 inch layer in the bottom of new planting beds.

Use as a mulch on top of existing planting beds.

Create a batch of compost tea by placing a shovel-full of compost into a burlap bag, place the bag in a 5 gallon bucket filled with water and let it soak for up to one week. This "compost tea" can be used to water your existing plants or as a foliar spray both of which act a mild, organic fertilizer.

ADDITIONAL COMPOSTING TIPS
We have a mulching lawn mower which we use to mow our lawn. We normally leave our grass clippings on the lawn, a process known as grass cycling. Grass cycling is a way to recycle your grass clippings which helps to retain soil moisture. The clippings also break down into beneficial nutrients which are reabsorbed by the growing grass. We have not had to do any watering or fertilizing of our lawn since we started grass cycling in our yard. When we need to add green material to our compost bins we simply attach the bag to the lawn mower to collect enough clippings to bring our compost bins back into the proper balance of green (high nitrogen content) and brown (high carbon content) materials.

Finished compost is a dark brown color and has a rich, earthy odor, it is not smelly. We use 3/8 inch hardware cloth attached to a wooden frame with a staple gun to sift out any remaining large particles and lumps prior to using the compost in our gardens. Hardware cloth is a wire fence-like material available at home improvement centers.

RESOURCES
Roulac, John W. Backyard Composting; Your Complete Guide to Recycling Yard Clippings. Ojai, CA: Harmonious Technologies, 1992.

Smythe, Lynn. " Backyard Composting." Posted to the Old Fashioned Living website February 2005.

Smythe, Lynn. "Organic Gardening Practices." Llewellyn Publications 2008 Herbal Almanac, pages 49-58.

Learn more about this author, Lynn Smythe.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2

Add your voice

Know something about Composting: A brief guide for the beginning composter ?
We want to hear your view. Write now!