Organic Gardening Compost Is Easy to Make

I need organic fertilizer for house plants. I need organic fertilizer for vegetables, herbs, and fruits. Where can I find it?

Any type of organic growing calls for Organic Gardening compost. This easy-to-make substance will nourish the soil so that the soil can nourish your plants.

What Is Organic Gardening Compost?

Organic Gardening compost is a combination of natural wastes and other decayed organic materials. It contains no man-made chemicals. It is known as “humus” and will improve soil fertility, help the soil retain moisture, and aerate the soil. It is good for house plants or outdoor plants.

Organic Gardening compost can contain table scraps, peels from fruits and vegetables, egg shells, leaves, dead flowers, grass clippings, and animal manure, among many other things.

Creating Organic Gardening Compost

Begin by purchasing a strong shovel, a watering can, and wood ash. Use your shovel to dig an Organic Gardening compost pit. Follow these steps.

* Choose a sheltered location near your garden. It should not get much rain, sun, wind, or rain runoff. Organic Gardening compost should be neither too wet nor too dry.
* Make your pit about 4×6 feet wide and 2 feet deep. If necessary, your pit may be longer, but it should not be wider than this. A wider pit cannot be worked without stepping on it - and you should never step on your Organic Gardening compost.
* Make a bottom layer of rough waste. Dry straw or corn stalks are both good. Chop pieces that are large to speed decomposition. Sprinkle a little water over the first layer.
* Add a second layer, using finer waste such as grass clippings. Sprinkle water over this layer, too.
* Layer 3 should be animal manure, sprinkled with wood ash. Manure contains vital micro-organisms. Ash adds valuable minerals, and neutralizes acids produced during decomposition, especially those from the animal manure.
* Push long sticks into the pile of Organic Gardening compost to allow air to reach lower layers.

Feeding Your Organic Gardening Compost

Feed your Organic Gardening compost pit kitchen scraps such as egg shells, fruit peels, vegetable peels, and other meal preparation scraps. Add table scrap, too. When you mow the lawn, add grass clippings. When you rake leaves, put them in the Organic Gardening compost pit. Sprinkle a little water on the pit from time to time as necessary to help decomposition.

Turning Your Organic Gardening Compost

Your pile of Organic Gardening compost should be turned every two weeks, i.e. every other Saturday, for example.

Tip #1: Never put into your Organic Gardening compost pit anything that might contaminate the soil or that would not decompose. Do not add animal fats, grease, dead vines, or bones. Do not add coffee grounds until they have been dried in the oven, as they could mold your compost.

Tip #2: A compost pit conserves moisture and is not good in wet areas. The compost will become waterlogged in such areas. If you live in an area where the rainfall is medium to high, see our article on how to make an Organic Gardening compost pile.