Steps
- Gardeners often require lots of fertilizer. A compost heap can provide a low cost alternative to synthesized retail soil additives and is a natural process that will feed your plants naturally. To get started, you will need to decide what kind of compost heap you are going to build. There are #stand alone heaps, compost bins, and compost machines.
- Gather your material. For an immediately effective compost heap, you will need enough material to fill a 3x3x3 ft area. You can start out with less, but your heap won't be active until it reaches this size because it will not be capable of retaining heat.
- You will need two types of materials referred to as browns and greens. The most common brown material is autumn leaves. The most common green material is grass trimmings.
- Start with a thick fluffy layer of browns. This keeps air circulating in the bottom of the heap.
- Next, lay down alternating layers of green material and brown material in a 1 to 3 green to brown ratio.
- Lightly mist each layer as you go.
- There you have it. A compost heap that is ready to cook. For more details on moisture levels, green brown ratios, what materials to compost, troubleshooting compost problems, and the biology of a compost heap.
Warnings
- Do not place bare hands directly into an active compost heap. Temperatures may reach in excess of 150 degrees farenheit.
Sources and Citations
- http://compost.your-info-station.com
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