Forum - Composting has many Advantages

Composting is the process of recyling organic waste products into rich garden soil.

You can compost kitchen waste, paper and cardboard, dry leaves, and garden trimmings, to name a few things. A good compost pile contains a balance of carbon-containing and nitrogen-containing materials. By keeping the pile moist and aerated, decomposition proceeds rapidly in warm weather. A well-run compost pile generates a lot of heat, and thermophilic (heat-loving) bacteria aid in the process of breaking things down. If the pile heats up to optimum levels, it can destroy pathogens, weed seeds, and even some pesticide residues and other contaminants.

Depending on the size (smaller is better) and balance of the things put into the pile, the attention to proper moisture levels, and the frequency with which you "turn" the pile to aerate it, you can turn organic wastes into rich humus for your garden in a matter of months.

Advantages to the home composter include rich garden soil made with your own hands a lot cheaper than you could buy it, healthful exercise outdoors, and participating in a "greener" lifestyle.

If neighborhoods set up community compost piles and gardens, people make new acquaintences while working together to recycle waste products that would otherwise go to a landfill.

If cities and towns get involved, we could save on garbage pickups, recycle large quantities of "garbage," and turn it into a valuable product, thus helping to make the earth a more environmentally healthy place.

For composting to help more than just the individuals involved, to have a real impact on the environment, it needs to be done in a big way. Some equipment is too expensive for individuals to buy, but feasible for municipalities. For example, some cities collect and chip/shred old Christmas trees for mulch. Some items decompose so slowly that they would need to be chopped up into very tiny pieces to compost efficiently -- most people will not compost orange peels because it is so labor-intensive, but with the proper equipment, this could be practical.

Composting can be done on different scales and by different methods, but it all leads to turning wastes into a useful and valuable product, and helps to make the world a better place.

For more information, Google "composting".

Thanks for this posting daka1! All of it is very informative and very useful in knowing for every day use. I agree that we all can do a little something to make things better for the environment. Very good information!
Have a great weekend and have fun!
Hugs,
12pleaseu

Hi 12pleaseu,

Glad you liked it. Do you garden?

I've grown lettuce, tomatoes, onions, peas, basil, etc. I also have many fruit trees and plenty of flower beds, so I use a lot of compost and fertilizer.

Does anybody know how to use worms in gardening? I wonder how can it be done.

The following information on vermicomposting is from the California Integrated Waste Management Board:

Organic materials make up approximately two-thirds of the waste stream. While much of this is paper which can be used more efficiently or recycled, a large portion is material like food waste for which few beneficial options outside of composting exist. Fortunately, nature has provided one option that has been receiving increasing attention--vermicomposting.

So what, you may ask, is vermicomposting and how does it work?

Well, "vermi" is the Latin word for worm, and worms like to feed on slowly decomposing organic materials (e.g., vegetable scraps). The "end" product, called castings, is full of beneficial microbes and nutrients, and makes a great plant fertilizer. So, vermicomposting is the practice of using worms to make compost simply by feeding them your food waste.

The reason vermicomposting is becoming popular is because worms are very efficient eating machines. They eat over half their body weight in organic matter per day!

There are vermicomposting businesses in California making compost from the food waste they receive from restaurants and other industries. But you don't need to try and find a large facility to take your food waste when you can vermicompost at home, at school, and even at the office.

http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Organics/Worms/

Worms are a real deal!
But I wonder why particularly Californian worms are most popular. Are their European brothers loosers as compared with californian ones?)) Not so easy to believe.

Hopefully this can help:

Worms Can Recycle Your Garden Waste, Yard Clippings & Garbage!

Millions of tons of food waste are buried or burned each year at considerable financial and environmental cost. This waste is compose of garden, landscape (green waste), and household waste. Instead of discarding your green waste and vegetable food scraps, you can recycle them with the help of worms. Vermicomposting (worm composting) turns many types of kitchen waste into a nutritious soil for plants. When worm compost is added to soil, it boosts the nutrients available to plants and enhances soil structure and drainage.

• Using worms to decompose green waste and food waste (vermicomposting) offers several advantages: • It reduces household garbage disposal costs; • It produces less odor and attracts fewer pests than putting green waste and food wastes into a garbage container; • Vermicomposting saves the water and electricity that kitchen sink garbage disposal units consume; • It produces a free, high-quality soil amendment (compost); • It requires little space, labor, or maintenance; • Vermicomposting spawns more free worms for gardening and fishing.

The Worms

The two types of earthworm best suited to worm composting are the redworms: Eisenia foetida (commonly known as Red Wiggler, brandling, or manure worm) and Lumbricus rubellus. We the offer the Red Wiggler. It is both cost effective and very reliable. They are often found in aged manure and compost heaps. Please do not use dew-worms (large size worms found in soil and compost) as they are not likely to survive.

You do not need a worm bin if are adding worms to your garden compost pile or to a well composted garden. They will simply go to work breaking down the compost into a rich blend of worms castings, microbes, macro and micronutrients . In addition they will work in harmony with the other species of worms in your garden that will actually "rototill" the compost into the root zone of you plants. Add 4" to 6" of compost as a mulch to your planted garden add the Red Wigglers, keep moist and leave alone. The worms will do the rest

Starting the Process

To start your vermicomposting system, first select a location for your worm bin. Popular indoor spots are the kitchen, pantry, bathroom, mud room, laundry room, or basement. If you want to keep your worm bin outside, put it in the shade during the hot summer and shelter it from the cold in winter by placing it in a garage or carport, or putting hay bales around the bin to allow air to circulate around the bin, and keep it protected from flooding, because the worms can drown.

Next, prepare the bedding. If you want to use newspapers, fold a section in half and tear off long, half-inch to inch wide strips (go with the grain of the paper and it will tear neatly and easily). Soak the newspaper in water for a few minutes, then wring it out like a sponge and fluff it up as you add the newspaper to your worm bin. Aim for the bedding to be very damp, but not soaking wet (only two to three drops of water should come out when you squeeze the bedding material). Spread the bedding evenly until it fills about three-quarters of the bin. Sprinkle a couple of handfuls of soil (from outdoors or potting soil) into the bedding to introduce beneficial microorganisms and aid the worms' digestive process. Fluff up the bedding about once a week so the worms can get plenty of air and freedom of movement. Gently place your worms on top of the bedding. Leave the bin lid off for a while so the worms will burrow into the bedding, away from the light. The worms will not try to crawl out of the bin if there is light overhead. Once the worms have settled into their new home, add food scraps that you have been collecting in a leak-proof container. Dig a hole in the bedding (or pull the bedding aside), place the food scraps in the hole, and cover it with at least an inch of bedding. After this first feeding, wait a week before adding more food. Leave your worms alone during this time to allow them to get used to their new surroundings. Bury food scraps in a different area of the bin each time. Worms may be fed any time of the day. Do not worry if you must leave for a few days, as the worms can be fed as seldom as once a week. Note: Do not be surprised to see other creatures in your worm bin, as they help break down the organic material. Most of the organisms will be too small to see, but you may spot white worms, spring tails, pill bugs, molds, and mites.

Hi daka1,
Yes, I liked the information you posted. It is very helpful too! When I was a child; my family planted vegetables and planted flowers. From what I can remember; they also had to use fertilizer; but they never used compost piles like you had mentioned. I too was thinking recently since your post about planting a small garden. Maybe I will start with tomatoes,basil, and lettuce and see how it goes. There is nothing like home grown vegetables and fruits; especially tomatoes.
Hugs&Kisses,
12pleaseu

From the National Gardening Association:

Gardening trends are often affected by the economy, and an increase in vegetable and edible gardening historically coincides with a downturn in the economy and increasing prices. Two survey sources suggest we’re starting to see that trend again.

For more than 25 years, the National Gardening Association annual survey has tracked participation levels and money spent in a variety of lawn and garden categories. In 2007, while the participation level or money spent in many gardening categories such as flower gardening and landscaping stayed the same or declined, vegetable gardening increased. According to the NGA Survey, an estimated 25 million households participated in vegetable gardening in 2007. While that number is not significantly different from the previous year, the amount of money spent on vegetable gardening increase 22 percent to 1.421 billion dollars. Money spent on berry growing increased 19 percent to 144 million dollars.

The Garden Writers' Association produces surveys throughout the growing season that track current trends in home garden activity. In the early spring 2008 survey, the number of people who said they would be vegetable gardening this year was 39 percent. That’s an increase from 32 percent in early spring 2007.