Compost is the key to growing nearly any plant imaginable, and making your own couldn’t be easier!
Check out all of our articles below how to make and use compost all over your landscape:
Composting
Compost
There is no better tool for making great compost than a well designed homemade compost bin.
And you might be surprised at just how easy it is to build your own incredible bin from something as simple as ordinary framing lumber. Even better – for far less than you ever thought possible!
What Makes For A Great Compost Design
There are 3 key factors to a good homemade compost bin design. And together, they play a huge role in the success of a pile that heats up fast, and delivers great compost.
First, the bin must be easy to use. That means ample room for loading in compost materials, turning the materials, and scooping them out. Bins with narrow designs or limited access points can be hard to load, and even harder to turn and work.
Secondly, the bin must allow for good air flow to the pile, all while holding it together for good decomposition. Ample oxygen is a huge key for heating up and decomposing a pile. Unfortunately, if there is no room for air to enter, a pile will quickly stall.
Third and perhaps most important, a compost bin has to be just the right size. It must be large enough to hold adequate material to facilitate composting, but still small enough that it’s manageable to turn and work. See: How To Create The Perfect Compost Pile
The Ideal Size For A Homemade Compost Bin
The ideal size for a fast working home compost pile is 3′ wide x 3′ high x 3′ deep. A 3 x 3 x 3′ pile allows enough mass for materials to heat up internally.
Any smaller, and the pile is not thick enough to hold heat for extended periods. A smaller pile also tends to dry out at a much faster rate. Both of which will slow decomposition to a crawl.
So what about a larger pile? Although piles bigger than 3 x 3 x 3′ certainly will hold in the heat and moisture, they can be immensely difficult for the average gardener to turn and manage. Not to mention, they take up more space than most gardeners have!
Creating The Perfect Homemade Compost Bin
Even though there are a multitude of compost bins for sale commercially, it is actually quite easy and inexpensive to build your own homemade version with basic materials and tools.
Commercial compost bins are created from all kinds of materials, but even so, wood remains one of the best options around. Not only is it economical, but it also helps with moisture levels in the pile.
Unlike plastic or metal, wood both absorbs and releases moisture. Instead of water pooling at the bottom or sides of a non-porous bin (which severely slows decomposition), a wood compost bin can wick it away.
Especially when it incorporates an open or wooden slat design that allows for air to the pile.
A Homemade Wooden DIY Compost Bin That Works!
A few years back, on our sister site Old World Garden Farms, we created two such compost bin designs from ordinary 2x lumber. A single 3 x 3 x 3′ bin, and a 6 x 3 x 3′ double bin for additional composting space. (See : How To Create The Perfect DIY Wooden Compost Bins)
2x framing lumber is actually an excellent choice for creating homemade compost bins. Not only is it inexpensive, it is also untreated. And that is extremely important when creating compost that will be used on vegetable gardens. Because of its thickness, it also lasts for years and years!
At 36″ wide and deep, and 36″ tall, the bin take advantage of the ideal 3 x 3 x 3′ pile size guidelines. And with wooden slat slides and a removable front, it allows for plenty of air flow and easy access. After two years of full use and multiple batches of compost, the bins at OWG have become a favorite for sure!
Best of all, both the single and double bin can be built in just a few hours with nothing more than a circular saw and a drill driver. All for a fraction of the cost of commercial composting bins!
Here is to making a homemade wooden compost bin or two for your garden, and to making great compost next year!
Compost
When it comes to powering plants naturally, organic fertilizers are the perfect choice for boosting vegetable plants and flowers.
But in the process, they also provide an incredible secondary benefit – they build better soil!
Natural fertilizers, unlike synthetic counterparts, add humus, structure and important elements and minerals to the soil. All of which work to create a better growing medium for plants with each passing year.
Here is a look at 5 of the best organic fertilizers to use to power your plants – and your soil:
5 Organic Fertilizers To Power Plants
# 1 Compost
Compost is one of the best natural sources of fertilizer around. And it also happens to be an incredible soil builder too.
Compost is teeming with minerals and nutrients. It is perfect for working into planting holes for vegetable plants, annual flowers and perennials.
And it is equally helpful in the planting holes of trees, shrubs and bushes too.
Compost can also be used on top of the soil around plants as an energizing mulch. Not only will it keep out weeds and help retain moisture, but it will also leach nutrients directly into the soil.
#2 Worm Castings
When it comes to organic fertilizers, worm castings are an amazing source of nutrients for plants.
Worms leave behind a perfectly balanced blend of organic nutrients as they chew through soil. These droppings, or castings as they are called, work like magic to power plants.
Adding a quarter cup of castings per planting hole provides a slow-release of nutrients to flowers and vegetables. They can also be worked into the top soil layer of baskets and containers for the same effect. Product Link : Unco Pure Worm Castings
#3 Compost / Casting Tea – Liquid Organic Fertilizers
Although compost and worm castings are amazing by themselves, they can also create powerful fertilizing teas. Ones that gives quick strength to plants with absorption of nutrients through the soil, and the foliage of plants.
And it couldn’t be easier to make!
All it takes is a little water, and a bit of compost or worm castings. Simply steep the ingredients in water, and then use the tea when watering. The liquid provides a quick boost of nutrients that plants soak up. See : How To Make Compost Tea
# 4 Spent Coffee Grounds
Believe it or not, those coffee grounds left behind from your morning cup of Joe have serious power.
In fact, they are one of the best organic fertilizers around!
Coffee grounds contain nitrogen and other trace minerals that help to build soil vitality. And vegetable plants, as well as perennial and annual flowers use that nitrogen to bloom and produce.
To use, either work into the ground when planting, or spread grounds around the base of plants as they grow.
#5 Manure Chicken / Rabbit / Cow / Horse
It doesn’t get more natural and organic with fertilizers than manure! But the manure from chickens, rabbits, cows and horses can be a tremendous source of natural fertilizer for all kinds of plants. That is, when used correctly.
Manure is great for working into soil to build in long-term nutrients. But be sure to never use fresh around plants.
Fresh manure can be so full of nutrients they can actually overpower and burn plants. But by letting the manure age and dry, the nutrients become far more stable.
Fresh manure can be steeped in water to create a powerful liquid fertilizer. But it should be applied in limited amounts, and only around the root zones of plants, and not the foliage.
The best time to apply manure to the soil is in the fall or early spring, when it has time to break down before planting begins.
Here is to powering your plants to new heights with organic fertilizers this year! And more importantly, knowing what is, and what isn’t going into your soil.
This Is My Garden is a website dedicated to spreading the love and knowledge of gardening around the world. We publish two new garden articles each week. This article may contain affiliate links.
Compost
One of the hardest tasks for a gardener during the winter is finding a way to keep their compost pile going.
For those who live in colder climates, it is hard enough to reach their compost pile. And even if they can, it is usually frozen solid.
Although there may not be a lot of outdoor materials to add, there are still a lot of usable kitchen scraps. After all, all of those holiday meals produce a lot of vegetable peels, egg shells and more!
The Problems With Composting In The Winter
Composting in the winter is tough business. In the spring, summer and fall, piles are easy to maintain.
But as the temperatures drops, the organisms that help to decompose new materials go dormant. And the piles activity usually slows and eventually stops.
The good news is that the organisms bounce back to life as soon as the thermometer begins to rise. But in the meantime, as the pile stops producing heat, it freezes. And that can pose a few issues for sure.
And any kitchen scraps added to a frozen and dormant pile, assuming you can make it there, soon become fair game for a mountain hungry wintertime pests.
It can lead to an invasion from local pets, or raccoon, mice, possum and even rats. And no one wants that!
Unfortunately, for many, it means simply tossing all of those potential black-gold scraps into the garbage to avoid the mess and hassle all together.
But there really is a simple solution to keep composting in the winter. And all it involves is a simple 5 gallon bucket, and a tight-fitting lid.
Using 5 Gallon Buckets For Winter Composting
Once a main compost pile goes cold and dormant for the year, it is time to keep your composting efforts going with a 5 gallon bucket.
It is the perfect method to eliminate long, cold, and blustery trips to the compost pile. And, to keep from wasting all of those valuable scraps produced during the winter months.
5 Gallon Bucket Composting
Usually, a few buckets and lids is more than enough to get the average composter through the winter months.
Remember, the bucket is simply to capture all of those incredibly rich and nutrient filled kitchen scraps that usually get tossed in the winter. And not brush, leaves, or other large “dry” materials outside that can stand by til spring..
The most important part of all is to locate your new “compost bin” in an easy to reach location. A back porch, garage, or even nearby trash area. Whatever you do, the trick is to make it easy to access, and easy to use.
Begin each bucket by layering in a few handfuls of potting soil, saw dust or wood ashes into the bottom of the bucket. This will help to absorb any moisture as materials are added.
Chop Em’ Up
Before adding, chop up ingredients as finely as possible to conserve space. And don’t forget to add those coffee grounds and filters too! Then simply seal with the pop on lid to keep it all out of harms way. Product Link : 5 Gallon Lids – 10 pack
You will be amazed at how much you can actually keep in a single bucket. If needed, continue with several buckets until the weather allows you to make it to the pile.
Come early spring, you will have a mountain of coffee grounds, crushed egg shells and diced vegetable scraps that will be ready to quickly power up and heat up your pile. It is far better than simply tossing them all away just because it’s cold!
Here is to saving all of those valuable kitchen scraps for your compost pile all winter long.
For more on composting, check out our article : The 5 Most Common Composting Mistakes.
This Is My Garden is a website dedicated to spreading the love and knowledge of gardening around the world. We publish two new garden articles each week. This article may contain affiliate links.
Compost
When it comes to making great compost and having a great compost pile, it all boils down to what materials you put into your compost pile. And more importantly, which ones you don’t!
Although everything eventually decomposes, some materials simply aren’t a good choice for backyard compost bins.
Many can slow the decomposition process down, while others attract rodents, raccoons and other unwanted pests.
And if that wasn’t enough, some can even infect the pile and aid in spreading disease throughout your garden and landscape.
But by simply avoiding placing some of these “trouble-causing” materials in your compost bins, you can keep your pile healthy and thriving.
5 Things You Should Never Put In Your Compost Pile
#1 Seed Cores Of Vegetables
Before placing your vegetable scraps into the compost heap, take a few seconds to remove their seed cores.
If not, those hundreds of seeds attached to the core are sure to become next year’s sprouting weeds.
Although it is nearly impossible to remove every single seed from a vegetable, by simply removing the seed core portion, you will greatly reduce future seedlings popping up wherever your compost is used.
#2 Tomato Plants & Foliage
Although most garden foliage and plants are great to add to your pile, tomatoes are one to avoid.
Tomato plants are the most widely grown of all backyard vegetable garden plants. And they are also one of the most easily diseased.
Whether it’s blight, mildew or a host of other issues, they can easily transmit disease throughout a compost pile.
Most backyard compost piles never reach a high enough temperature to kill pathogens and spores.
And with that in mind, it is always a good idea to keep your tomato plants out of the compost bin!
#3 Fat / Grease / Oil
Adding fat, or greasy foods with heavy cooking oil to a pile is like putting a welcome mat out for pests.
Raccoon, mice, and yes, even rats are easily attracted to piles that are greasy and fatty.
In addition, all of that fat and grease can cause extremely foul odors. All while slowing your pile’s decomposition to a crawl as well.
#4 Meats
Along the same lines as fat, grease and oil, meats are a big no-no for composting.
Just like the grease and oil, they are a major attraction for pests. And if you have ever smelled rotting meat, you know what type of odor issues it can cause!
#5 Treated Lawn Clippings
If you put weed, feed and fertilizer on your lawn, be sure to keep those lawn clippings out of the pile.
The chemicals and herbicides found in lawn fertilizers can easily be passed on throughout an entire compost pile.
And when that finished compost is then placed around tender vegetable and flower plants, it can have unfortunate results.
For more composting tips, be sure to read : How To Create The Perfect Summer Compost Pile.
Here is to keeping your compost pile healthy and thriving!
This Is My Garden is a website dedicated to spreading the love and knowledge of gardening around the world. We publish two new garden articles each week. This article may contain affiliate links.