Composting is the new black (gold) but, composting in garden isn´t not new, actually is a classic.If you were watching your garden through your window and thought that it has something left, you are right: it needs compost!
Which is the better method to start composting in garden?
There are a lot of ways to start composting in the garden and all of them are really beneficial for many reasons. More soon than later, your backyard will be thriving and landfills will starve till they become just lands with no fills. A dream, don´t you think?
There's a few more reasons that make composting in garden a new and positive change in our way of living. But before we talk about what happens after composting let's focus on the right before: right now. Take advantage of your garden with a workless and natural process by composting in garden.
There are several ways to compost in the backyard, so you can choose which one fits your lifestyle and needs. Come on, let us share with you this easy and quickly steps to begin composting in garden, today.
Direct Composting
This is one of the easiest ways of composting, and you don't need anything extra but a shovel.
Step by Step
- Stand up in front of your garden in a place where you get a panoramic view.
- Put your hands in your waist, to choose the perfect place where you throw your waste.
- Make a single wagging movement when you decide the compost area.
- Dig a Rabbit Hole. It must be sized from 10 to 12 inches deep, and 28 to 30 inches long.
- Spread your food scraps into the hole and cover it with a dirt layer of 2 or 3 inches.
- Tamp it down. This is a great opportunity for you to practice your boot scooting.
If you are looking for an easy and simple way to start composting in garden , well, direct composting is a great one and you can try it today.
Remember: That special area you choose will be according to a few things. It's better if it's a distant area you don't use too much, so you don't have to deal with avoiding falling into it and appearing, suddenly, in wonderland where the hatter will wait for you with compost tea.
Compost Bin or Digester
Having a vermicompost is funny. Here we use earthworms but not any kind but the Eisenia Fetida family. They are eco-friendly and turn scraps of food into rich soil, faster than other earth workers (They are really professionals) But this needs all a set up: you must get a vermicompost bin if you decide to start composting in garden with this technique.
Check this article about Vermiculture: How it start with it and take care of your Worms
Also, they are funny but are sensitive too. Here, you must take care that the temperature of the bin don`t rise up too much (over 160º F) to avoid worms struggling. They work efficiently in a temperature between 130º and 160º degrees. So, it's necessary to aerate and control this compost process once or twice a week. If you have the time it's a great way to learn deeply about compost getting involved in its process.
If this sounds very complicated, you can have a bin without red wigglers, too. You can set up a tumblr bin which comes in many styles, suitable for your necessities or let your diy skills and DIY! 5 Simple Steps to Build your own Compost Bin from Pallets.
Pile Composting
This one works well if you have a vast space. You can compost over the ground building a pile of brown and green material which will decompound naturally.
In some places this way is very difficult to incorporate because it's not allowed in some communities, besides it's not a very fancy trimming for your backyard.
Beyond you deciding to have a bin or a pile, composting in garden still remains a favorable way to choose. You can have both!
You may be interested in: How to make a Compost Pile? All you need to know about it
Benefits of Direct Composting
Ok, now you know all the different ways you can start your compost. But, it's important to know or remember why we are doing this. With a clear purpose it will be easier to maintain this practice till it becomes a habit. And it will not only enrich the soil but also your soul. Ok, maybe that's a lot but it will surely make you feel better at the time you experience the results. Understanding the importance of composting is one of the main reasons.
- ✓Reduce your waste and make landfill starve.
- ✓Create your own garden (or vegetable plot) nourishment
- ✓Restore the soil
- ✓Reduces water consumption
Well, wish we can traduce in just four items all its importance but it will be more interesting to deploy each one.
Reduce your Waste
Composting in backyard will not only take advantage of your garden but your garden will also take advantage of you. Basically, it will mean a win-to-win experience.
You start winning at the time you are turning what used to be garbage into health-giving for your garden, who will become rich for free.
Almost a third of our food is wasted. And, instead of feeding landfills, composting in garden is a better way to give those scraps a second hand by continuing its cycle. By giving them back to earth we are allowing nature to skip this critical stage. Why? Because when food, or the rest of it, goes to landfills, in the breaking down process it releases harmful gases such as methane which has greenhouse impact.
The first thing we can do to reduce the carbon emissions and make our footprint look like a bird one, lets say, is to be conscious about our consumption. As World Wild Life tell, you can fight Climate Change by preventing food waste. They have a list of actions you can run to do it, to which we add composting in garden.
You can take a look at this following article: Food Waste 101: Simple Steps Towards a Zero Food Waste
Create Your Own Garden Nourishment
Part of this symbiotic relation, between you and your garden, is that you start to feed it with high quality supplement. Most of the time we run to the error to take things for granted, and soils it's one of those. Despite life being tenacious, we can save its struggling. Composting in garden brings all the nutrients back to the earth and creates a perfect environment for plants to thrive.
Restore the Soil
Is a fact that compost helps to:
- ✔ Fertilize: improves soil structure by micronutrients you only get from nature decompositions and synthetic fertilizer hasn't.
- ✔ Prepare the soil for a vegetable plot. In this case you do direct composting seasonally.
- ✔ Reduces soil erosion. The chemical products and mistreat of soil drives it to impoverishment. If you want a flourishing garden or high-quality organic vegetables, then composting in garden is a must!
- ✔ Balance Ph levels in an optimum range.
- ✔ Pop Dose for plants or trees near the hole.
So, direct composting has a lot of benefits for your soil. Every part of the yard can have its turn.
Reduces Water Consumption
We use water for everything. Water is a synonym of life. But, how often do you wonder How Much Water it Takes to Make Things, like a fruit? Or a vegetable, or anything? By composting, we provide soil the opportunity to boost its water-holding capacity. Direct composting it's certainly a way to transform the energy food takes to grow and support earth in its process of creating life. Well treated soils are capable of stocking rain water. Nourished soils are balanced soils. If you have rocky, clay or soggy soil, compost will help you to make it fertile.
BONUS TIPS:
- If you have a greedy pet or animals around your home, you must cover even more with almost a 5 inch dirt layer. Another way is to get away while they are not looking. Be sure your animals are sleeping, or eating their food when you throw the waste. That's the adrenaline of composting in garden when having animals.
- The best part of direct composting is that it is workless. You don't have to turn it or even harvest it. It cooks alone. But, the single bad news is that you can't use it in other parts of your garden. Don't worry, in case you want to harvest your own compost for other uses we recommend you to have two compost systems.
- Be careful to dig a proper distance from roots and trunks.
- You can compost dead leaves, and grass clippings by separate.
- A very interesting bonus for all: Composting reduce costs
Is Composting in Garden Like Soil Medicine?
Yes, it is. Direct Compost is like a local treatment for enhancing soil properties, and is an accessible potion you can give it. Share with us your experience or doubts. Remember here there is a community to support you in this trip. A trip that allows us to participate in the natural living process, and to claim food`s origin value. Meanwhile, we are fighting climate change, decreasing harmful gases produced at landfills. We can do something about the world by composting in the backyard. Change starts at home.