Sunday, 29 October, 2000

Compost

Compost is another one of those things that's easy to make, but takes a long time.  It's just about impossible to screw up compost.  Dead stuff rots.  You can do some things to make it rot faster, though.

Composting has a lot of benefits.  It reduces the amount of stuff that goes to our already over burdened landfills, and if you compost you don't have to pay somebody to haul off your grass clippings, dead leaves, and other yard waste.  The finished product is the best organic fertilizer known.  Putting compost around your plants fertilizes them, neutralizes the soil's PH, and improves the soil's water retention.  The improved soil helps you grow healthier plants that are more drought tolerant and less prone to attack by insects and fungi.  Compost is Good Stuff.

It's easy to get started composting, and it doesn't cost a thing.  Just stake out a few square feet of your back yard and build a pile of dead leaves and grass clippings.  The Master Composter site is a good place to start for information on how to build a pile, what to put in it, and how to maintain it.  If you don't have a yard, you can still compost your kitchen scraps (rotten vegetables, etc.) with a worm composter.  It's simple to make, easy to maintain, and your house plants will appreciate the result.  And if you're a fisherman, you'll always have a ready supply of bait.