guide to questions and answers on composting

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Learn how to compost like a professional gardener of 30 years experience!

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Do You Need Special Equipment?

You may be new to composting and so, you have many questions in your mind. Well, this article with its questions and answers on compost gardening equipment should clear up a few of your doubts.

It depends on your composting style.

If you choose to pile your compost materials, the most important equipment is a long-handled garden fork with which to turn, spread and harvest the compost.

If you choose to use a compost bin, then you can either make your own or purchase from a garden supply center. There are many types of tumbling compost bins to choose from, even one that can be turned on its axis, thus, doing away with manual turning.

Your choice often depends on your budget and time for composting rather than on the technical features.

If you choose to pile your compost materials, the most important equipment is a long-handled garden fork with which to turn, spread and harvest the compost.

If you choose to use a compost bin, then you can either make your own or purchase from a garden supply center.

There are many types of tumbler compost bins to choose from, even one that can be turned on its axis, thus, doing away with manual turning.Your choice often depends on your budget and time for composting rather than on the technical features.

Compost Safe to Handle?

As for shredder for the compost materials, which makes for faster decomposition, it is not essential as you can always just chop said materials into more manageable pieces.

However, if you are composting large amounts of woody materials, then a shredder is a good investment.

Is the Compost a Magnet for Pests?

It must be emphasized that ready compost is safe to handle under certain conditions. You have to wash your hands after handling compost bins, keep your cuts covered and ensure that your anti-tetanus shots are updated. It also pays to use garden gloves when handling compost at any stages of the decomposition process. This way, you can minimize the amount of time your skin comes into contact with the decomposed materials.

The compost heap is not a magnet for pests like rats, stray animals and flies if and when certain guidelines are followed.

1. First, you must never use leftover meat scraps and dairy products as these emit smells sure to attract said pests.

2. Second, you have to ensure the right moisture levels in the compost heap.

This means that it should have the consistency of a wrung-out sponge. Otherwise, rats will indeed make a nest out of your compost heap.

Or you should give the compost pile a good turn so as to evenly distribute the moisture across all parts. This way, too, colonies of ants are not encouraged to take up residence inside the pile.

There are also instances when compost heap is too wet, in which case fruit flies are attracted to it.

To remedy the problem, you can either bury fruit wastes among the other ingredients instead of exposing them to the air or add more brown ingredients like straw and paper to balance the mix.

Is Homemade Compost Similar to Bagged

Compost?In a word - no. On one hand, bagged compost bought in garden

centers are used for raising seedlings and for container gardening, thanks to their mixture of sand, coir, shredded bark and pre-mix

fertilizer. In a way, their uses are limited to potting.

So, now that some of your questions have been answered, it is time to make your hands dirty.

On the other hand, garden compost buckets are made up of appropriate household and garden wastes with perhaps a few worms and microorganism thrown into the mix to speed up the decomposition process. It is used for a variety of purposes from mulching to fertilizing plants to acting as natural pesticides. And you can even make compost tea out of it!

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