Plant Gardens 101

There are several ways to get free mulch. Getting it for free can be helpful to the environment and on your pocket book. For starters, one way to get it mulch for free or at least get a good discount is to check with a local dump or landfill station. Every year homeowners and landscapers drop of 100s of thousands of yard debris and a lot of it can be turned into excellent mulch. Why not take advantage of this? Another way to get free mulch is to borrow or rent a wood chipper next time you prune or cut down a tree. You can rent one from most rental shops and you can feel good that you are recycling your own lawn debris. Another way to save money is to have a neighbor split the cost of delivery. Often, when you buy 8-14 yards at a time, you can waive a delivery fee altogether. Also you could get free mulch by calling a tree cutting company, they have a mulcher and may even deliver it for free rather than paying to take it to a landfill. Also Craig’s list is a great place to finds mulching materials that people may be giving away for free. If you have Pine trees, they will often give you a free layer of pine needle mulch every year. Although pine needle mulch isn’t the most attractive, it can certainly stop weeds and most grasses from growing. If you are looking to use mulch to make free organic compost, you can buy a mulching bin and than throw lawn mulch or grass clippings into it on a regular basis along with organic food wastes. In about a years and a half, your lawn mulch will turn into free organic fertilizer for your lawn.

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I’m sure that if you are reading this, you have used some form of mulch during your gardening career. However, you probably didn’t know that there are many other options for organic mulching that you can explore. These days, many gardeners are discovering new sources of free mulch that has been there all along; an untapped resource. These include clippings from a lawn, or woody prunings from other plants in your yard. You will be surprised by how beneficial all these things can be, and how often the opportunity arises to use them.

Many gardeners have taken to spreading out their excess grass clippings across the rest of their yard. You may think this will look tacky, with big piles of grass just sitting in your yard as if you were too lazy to rake them up. However, if you spread them out enough then you won’t even be able to tell that there is an excess amount. Leaving the extra grass on the yard acts as a sort of mulch by preventing evaporation and weed growth. With this extra water, you won’t have to water nearly as much to keep your grass green. When I started leaving my grass clippings, I had to adjust the frequency of my sprinkler system because I was worried my yard was getting too much water! (more…)

Have you ever noticed that the standard answer for anyone who wants to start living green is to replace all of your light bulbs?

“Oh, you want to help the environment, you better get all new light bulbs.”
“Light bulbs are the way to go.”
“Yes, I changed my light bulbs for the children.”
“Did you watch that Al Gore concert?”
“Yeah, he said I need new light bulbs or the Earth will explode.”

It’s not like old light bulbs were nuclear powered or anything but it’s still a great first step that’s easy for people to accomplish no matter where they live. Whether it’s out in the country on a farm or in a small studio apt in the city people have light bulbs. (more…)

So your neighbor’s garden is more fruitful, beautiful, and aggressively growing than yours: why do you think? He/she is seemingly not out and working in it anymore than you are, you haven’t seen a hired gardening expert milling about, but you have noticed a sweet smell coming from next door that you don’t seem to recognize. You could get the answer quickly by asking your neighbor what he or she is doing that you’re not, but your pride won’t let you ask. Dollars to donuts, your neighbor is using compost to help enrich the fertility of the growing beds, whether commercially produced, or produced in his back yard as well. You would do well to attempt the same, and the benefits to your garden will be overwhelming! (more…)

When I first heard about the rotating compost bin I must say I was a little dubious. Claims of compost in two or three weeks seemed unrealistic to me. I decided to investigate, to see if this really could be true. The compost bin tumbler works in a fairly unique way. The bin is always on a pivot so it can be turned around. This mixes up the contents thoroughly.

Why do we do this? The mixing ensures that all the contents become finely chopped making them easier to break down. If we add to this the fact that mixing encourages the high temperatures needed to make compost. There will be an even temperature throughout which means all the contents will compost at a much higher rate than a conventional heap. (more…)

If you wish to know how to build a compost heap, you may have become a little overwhelmed. So many instructions can be a little overwhelming. It seems like some people go out of their way to make it as confusing and difficult as possible.

It is actually a very simple thing to do if you can get hold of some basic materials. All you will really need is four pallets and some nails and a hammer. That’s it!

It is a relatively straightforward matter of nailing all of them together. You want to do this so that you have created a square that you can then shuffle in to place. Simple and very effective. The base is left open so that earthworms can have easy access to the contents, this means they can get to work helping the composting process as soon as possible. This simple design is very effective. The slatted sides mean that the contents are well aerated and this helps to increase the composting rate and helps in the heating process. (more…)

There are many different methods of composting, and there are a number of products now available to those who compost. The compost bin to buy depends on the needs of the garden or home. With that said, compost tumblers provide an efficient, low maintenance, and reliable method of composting.

One of the many misconceptions about composting is that there is an odor associated with decomposing materials. The odor that is referred to is caused when microbes don’t thrive amongst the compost. Microbes are the microscopic living organisms that convert biodegradable waste into rich organic soil. Like any living being, microbes require oxygen to exist. This happens by turning the compost. When the compost sits neglected, microbes don’t get their oxygen. When the microbes don’t get their oxygen, they die, they smell, and the compost doesn’t decompose nearly as fast. The smell associated with composting only happens when compost is neglected. (more…)

I was very dubious when I heard about compost bin tumblers. The claims just seemed to optimistic. The more I researched, however, the more I have become convinced.

Because of the way they work you can make compost in a matter of weeks and not months. How is this possible?

They work by being rotated every few days. You spin the rotating compost bin on its axis. This means that a steady temperature is always working away at the contents. It also has the added advantage of keeping the contents well aerated and chops up what is inside at the same time. The claims are that this ensures a rapid heating and decomposition of the contents. From everything I have read it seems that this way of making compost will give you a rich mix in about three weeks. (more…)

You have a number of choices, here. A compost bin, box, tumbler, trench or heap – all will work, its a matter of personal preference. Let us look. Compost Bin. This can be made out of just about anything; discarded 44gal. drums are good, provided they are clean of petro-chemicals; plastic cherry-bins are ideal. For the most part, it needs to be big enough that you could climb into it. Cut off the top and bottom – keep one of these for the lid. Make a number of ‘breathing-holes’ around the shell – these can be either cut or drilled through. A plastic rubbish bin will do. Once again, cut off the bottom, make holes in the side – then turn it upside-down, so that the wider opening sits on the ground. The idea of no bottom, is to allow the insects, worms and micro-organisms which help degradation of your waste materials the freedom to migrate into and out of your compost. Compost Box. This can be made out of anything you have to hand, be it old pallets, bricks, or spare lumber. Bales of hay work quite well – the hay ultimately becoming compost itself. Plastic Composters. There are a number of plastic composters available, stand alone units and tumblers. These are made of a special grade plastic that ‘breathes’. (more…)

If there was one thing that could enhance the look of a property’s exterior, it would be the presence of a water garden. Water gardens can be designed in a multitude of fashions. In many cases, the craftsmanship of a water garden can reach virtuoso levels. However, designing and building a water garden is not enough. A water garden must be properly maintained. For some, this may seem like a ponderous (pardon the pun) task. But it really isn’t. While water garden maintenance does require effort, it is not overly complicated.

So, let’s look at a few common steps for proper water garden maintenance.

Reducing the presence of algae is critical. As far as ecosystems go, algae are quite helpful. However, algae can seriously detract from the look of a water garden when they become overpopulated. So, reducing the presence of algae is of paramount importance. One way to go about this involves using algaecides. Unfortunately, some algaecides can be dangerous to fish and only offer a short term solution. (more…)

Gardens are becoming more popular as the economy continues tracking downward and people look for ways to trim their expenses. Composting is a major component to successfully increasing crop yields and minimizing material that ends up on landfills. If you have never built a compost bin, there are several designs to choose from, but essentially this article will focus on the basic concepts and designs that can be serve as a fundamental approach for the basic gardener.

Compost bins are essentially a place to recycle plant vegetation to create a robust material rich in nutrients like nitrogen that when added to the soil will help new crops grow more vigorously. Composting is a process that occurs naturally when older material like leaves, grass clippings and old rotting vegetation begins to breakdown and decompose into a rich fertile soil material. This provides minerals and other nutrients for plants, animals and other micro-organisms and along with moisture and external temperatures, the decomposition process becomes very efficient. (more…)

Recycling is a noble effort in which everyone should participate. Sadly, the inconveniences sometimes faced by potential recyclers are enough to dissuade them from actively taking part in the green movement. What better alternative than to easily dispose of trash and recycle at the same time? With a compost bin, that becomes a possibility. The days of painstakingly separating paper and plastic will be over with the acquisition of a compost bin. Composting relies on trash and food scraps, and the process is as simple as dumping those things into a bin and letting nature do the rest of the work. As the refuse decomposes, a valuable fertilizer is produced. Not only has trash been reused, but it’s actually useful!

Minor separation is a necessity, though. Basically, biodegradable items like vegetable peelings and uneaten food are ideal fodder for a compost bin. The bin itself is (usually) placed outdoors, while scraps are steadily fed into it. The sun and oxygen take care of the science, breaking down the materials into usable fertilizer. The organic substances provide ideal nutrition for plants, and it all comes from your home! Compost is fairly simple to produce and saves money and time that may have been spent at the hardware store lugging around heavy bags of manure. That is definitely something to consider the next time you are at the grocery store, as eggs and coffee will do the same work with much less effort. (more…)

No one can now argue with the fact that compost tumblers make compost extremely quickly. Here I simply want to write a few words about compost tumbler reviews and what to look out for when reading them.

It is important to get an unbiased opinion when reading about composting tumblers. This means looking at sites that are apart from the manufacturers. You will be able to read about certain brands of a compost tumbler on the site of the owners of the brand name but they are not going to be as thorough as from stores that stock large selections.
Read composter reviews from sites that sell multiple brands. You may then discover what people really think of the various tumbler on offer and get a much more rounded view of what may be the best composter for you to buy.
You want tumbler reviews from people who have used the products. In this way you can find out the benefits and the flaws of the different tumbling composters on offer and make a much more informed decision about what will be the most suitable product for you to purchase.

Keep in mind your needs when looking for reviews of the tumbling composter. If you want a small tumbler then look for reviews that will match your needs. For dual chamber composting tumblers then do likewise. You want recommendations for products that suit what you are looking for.

In this way you can build up an accurate picture of what is the most suitable for your needs and what will work best in your situation.This should help you find really good compost tumbler reviews.

For cheap compost tumblers and unbiased opinions please read the compost tumbler reviews article on urban compost tumblers.

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Many pond owners face the un-enviable task of fighting aquatic weeds every year, particularly during the late Spring and Summer months. Different approaches are taken to combat these problem plants such as chemical treatments, manual removal or even hiring a service company to manage them.If you are a pond owner who deals with these problems, there is a highly ecologically responsible way to manage your aquatic weeds and put them to work for you…compost them.

Composting is the controlled decomposition of organic matter that results in the formation of humus-rich material that contributes nutrients and beneficial soil life and improves soil structure and water retention. Virtually anything organic can be composted, including aquatic vegetation and is fairly simple to do. (more…)

The rotating compost bin has become very popular in recent years. Primarily because more and more of us are deciding to compost our green waste and the result is some fantastic new machines that can make compost in a very short space of time.

The compost tumbler works on a fairly simple premise. You add soft organic material to them on a regular basis and eventually you get a fantastic compost as the end result. They are sealed containers so there is no rodent or animal problem to contend with. For many this is reason enough. Added to this is the actual tumbling action that you perform by turning a handle. This is at the heart of the design. This turning will mean that you are regularly chopping up the contents which make them a lot quicker to turn in to compost. It also means that there is an even heat in the barrel which will keep the contents activated at an optimum temperature. This constant temperature means that everything inside will degrade at a similar speed.

Because of the way these barrels act it means that you can produce compost in a very short space of time. As little as two weeks in some cases. If you want a nice and easy way to make compost then I strongly suggest you investigate the rotating compost bin. They really are a very efficient way indeed of producing quality compost in a short space of time.
The urban compost tumbler has gained immensely in popularity. See the compost tumbler post for lots of information on the rotating compost bin.

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Composting with Worms in the Winter Times

Composting worms in the winter is not quite the same as composting worms during the summer times. There are no white flakes falling to make a 3-foot thick layer of snow during the summer time. There is no howling wind bringing chills to your bones in the summer time. There is no freezing temperature threatening to freeze you to death in the summer time. And there is no need for that thick jacket that you have been hiding in the closet just for that occasion. Overall, the living conditions during winter are not the same as the living conditions during the summer time. This applies to humans as well as red wiggler worms. That is why we need to understand one very basic and important note in worm composting during the winter.

What do you need during winter? (more…)

It was in the fall of 1998 that I took up composting. Most Saturday mornings were spent watching gardening shows on HGTV and DYI. I understood that without good soil a garden was doomed to failure. What better way to achieve good soil but with compost?

I wanted to find out more about composting before I began. So I went on a search for a book on composting. There are many good books out there with a lot of good information on composting. But one book really caught my eye because of the title, “Let It Rot” by Stu Campbell. How appropriate because that is what happens when plant material decomposes. I read that book cover to cover. I’m sure I got some strange looks from people when I took it to read while waiting for an appointment. I enjoyed that book as much as any novel I’d ever read!

There are numerous methods of composting. The three bin system is probably one of the most efficient methods to compost. The first bin holds your raw material. The second bin holds the compost material you are currently working on. When it is completely composted you place it in the third bin. This method is for someone with plenty of room plus excess energy. Since I have neither, this was not the method I chose. (more…)

Composting is not only one of the best things you can do for your garden, it is also one of the best things you can do for our environment. Knowing how to create and use compost is in our interest due to the tremendous problem of waste disposal. Landfills are becoming more and more difficult to find, so some municipalities are dealing with waste by refusing to pick up leaves and grass clippings.. About one-third of the space in our landfills is taken up with organic wastes from our yards and kitchens.

The end product from your compost bin will be a wonderful pile of black, crumbly humus which makes an ideal soil conditioner. Compost added regularly to your soil will benefit the soil by improving it’s texture such as loosening up clay soils and creating moisture holding capacity in sandy soils. (more…)

Organic gardening such as the use of composting worms is very much in demand nowadays as people are now being more and more apprehensive of chemically engaged methods for gardening. Home garden farmers are now having second thoughts about buying chemical fertilizers and are now seriously considering the use of organic fertilizer for their home garden farms. Red worm composting is beginning to have a steadily growing following as more and more home gardeners discover the myriad benefits of using red worm castings as organic fertilizers. Other organic gardening methods such as organic pest control methods are also being seriously considered by a lot of home garden farmers for their lots. The reason behind this is that they provide so much of what plants essentially need to live and be healthy. Nutrients such as phosphorous, nitrogen, sulfur, calcium, magnesium, potassium and a number of other elements are what keep our plants green and sprouting.

Red worm compost as organic fertilizer (more…)

Compost, made from decomposed grass clippings, leaves, twigs, and branches, becomes a dark, crumbly mixture of organic matter.

Learn how composting works. Even a newbie to composting can make good quality compost. It can be compared to cooking as art or part science. The following 7 factors will help you master the art of composting.

1. Materials
After a time anything that was once alive will naturally decompose. But, not all organic items should be composted for the home. To prepare compost, organic material, microorganisms, air, water, and a small amount of nitrogen are needed. (more…)