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| Open collection bin for kitchen scraps and herb garden debris. |
Compost is at times referred to as “black gold”, a fitting description of a material that is so easy to make, yet extremely valuable in the garden. I’ve created compost using a variety of simple techniques: making a pile under a tree in the back yard; filling a small fenced area; mounding chopped leaves and grass; and loading purchased compost bins. Some methods cause decomposition more quickly, but they all create amazingly rich humus to use in potting mix, to amend the soil, or as mulch.
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| Covered bin for kitchen scraps when open bin is full. |
“Turning garden and kitchen waste into compost reduces heat-trapping methane emissions from landfills, improves your garden’s soil, and helps it store carbon.” Creating compost is The Union of Concerned Scientists’ fourth tip to help create a climate friendly garden: http://www.climatefriendlygarden.org. A Green Guide to Yard Care (see resources below) states, composting creates a humus-rich material which contributes nutrients and beneficial life to the soil, improves soil structure, and helps prevent runoff. It helps soil absorb and retain nutrients and moisture, and protects plants from diseases and pests.
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| Partially decomposed kitchen scraps inside above compost bin. |
Resources:
1. A Green Guide to Yard Care (www.natureswayresources.com/DocsPdfs/greenyc.pdf) is a great resource for compost bin designs, ingredients, troubleshooting problem, and uses.
2. This Cornell site offers detailed information about creating and using compost (http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/compostbrochure.pdf).
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