About the Author:

www.howdini.com Organic gardening: How to grow an organic vegetable garden What does it mean to grow vegetables organically? Scott Meyer, editor of Organic Gardening magazine shows how to plant and nurture an organic vegetable garden. Keywords: organic gardening organic garden organic vegetable gardening organic gardening tips

About the Author:

About the Author:

Get tips on designing an organic garden, and what types of vegetables, spices and other plants to grow, in this free organic gardening video lesson for beginners. Expert: Gale Gassiot Bio: Gale Gassiot makes her own organic compost or "gardener's black gold." ... garden organic pests pesticides soil compost plants vegetables free video

About the Author:

Have you heard of composting, but just aren't sure what it means? Not sure why how compost can benefit you? If you haven't started composting at home yet, now is the time! Home composting is more than just a growing trend among gardeners, it's a great way to recycle your kitchen scraps and yard refuse into something you can use-compost!

So what is compost and why is it so beneficial? Compost is a fresh black material similar in appearance and texture to potting soil. It is produced naturally when organic material breaks down and decays (a process also known as composting). The resulting compost is rich in nutrients that plants love, making it one of the best types of fertilizer you can use. Compost, also known as black gold, can be tilled into the soil before trees, shrubs, or other plants are planted. It can also be applied to the soil around existing plants. Compost will help plants grow bigger, faster, and stronger than you ever thought possible.

Better yet, composting is a way to recycle! We all know that recycling is the right thing to do. The more items we can keep out of our landfills, the better. And after all, why throw away things that you can turn into valuable compost? Simple things like vegetable peelings, dead leaves from your trees, and plant clippings can all be turned into compost. It just makes sense to recycle these things into compost rather than throwing them away.

So how do you get started with home composting? Well, first you need to decide what type of composting you want to do. There are two basic types of composting, aerobic and anaerobic. Anaerobic composting refers to methods such as a compost pile. Compost piles are one of the easiest methods of composting. They require little effort and virtually no maintenance. Simply pick a spot in your yard (preferably far away from your house; keep reading and we'll explain why) and begin a pile of the organic materials to be composted. Sounds easy, right? While anaerobic composting is easy, there are also some downsides. First is the length of time required. The microbes that break materials down in anaerobic composting are very inefficient. When you pile things up in a compost pile, it can take several years for them to fully break down and become finished compost. The second problem is the odor produced. Many people think of composting as a smelly process, and when it comes to anaerobic composting, they are correct. Anaerobic bacteria produce methane and sulfate gasses as a byproduct of the composting process, and these are gasses that we find very offensive and smelly.

Aerobic composting, on the other hand, is an entirely different process. Just like the name would suggest, aerobic composting requires oxygen, meaning that the organic materials being broken down must be aerated regularly. A compost pile can be mixed and turned regularly to encourage aerobic bacteria; however, this is often a difficult and labor-intense process. The easiest way to compost materials aerobically is to buy a compost tumbler. Compost tumbler bins are designed to be rotated, so that the aerobic microbes get the oxygen they need to create finished compost. In contrast to anaerobic bacteria, aerobic microbes are very efficient and quick. A compost tumbler, under the right temperature and moisture conditions, can usually produce finished compost within about 6 weeks. Even better yet, aerobic bacteria do not produce smelly gasses like anaerobic bacteria, meaning that aerobic composting is a virtually odorless process. Compost tumbler bins can be easily purchased through many online and mail order stores.

No matter what type of composting you decide on, home composting is still a great idea. Not only is composting good for the earth, it's also great for your plants and garden. Plus, you'll have the satisfaction of turning garbage and yard waste into something really valuable that you can use. Home composting isn't just for master gardeners anymore, so what are you waiting for? Start composting today!

About the Author:

Home Products 'n' More offers free shipping on composter units and compost tumbler bins! Wondering where to use your compost? Find out how compost is beneficial in raised bed gardening.

The potato growers of Idaho and surrounding communities were given the opportunity for a great educational opportunity by the University of Idaho in Boise Idaho. There are now over 95,000 acres of organic potato growing in the state currently and they hope to add more by teaching the farmers how to become organic certified with hands on classes that were attended by over 50 people in March.

The biggest concern for many growers is pests and how to maintain an organic environment while dealing with the pests that can literally eat their fields. So the University of Idaho put together a complete hands on program that included the treatment of pests, funding opportunities offered them in the 2008 farm bill, how to become certified as an organic farmer, planning and networking and resources to help them. All these classes gave them continued education credit as well. Many people dont realize that many of our countries farmers are actually well educated; which they need to be to successfully operate such a large organization as a farm, and even more complicated to operate a legitimate organic growing farm; successfully.

We as a nation can only hope that more growers will see the wisdom in organic growing. The vegetables and fruit produced organically are almost always taste better, last longer on the kitchen counter and healthier for us all.

If you have recently purchased a compost tumbler bin, let me be the first to say congratulations! You've just taken the first step toward aerobic composting. What is aerobic composting, you ask, and why is it so great? In this article, we'll explain how aerobic composting works and what you need to do to get started.

There are two main types of composting, aerobic and anaerobic. Anaerobic composting basically consists of piling up a bunch of organic materials, then letting them sit and rot. Pretty gross, huh? Well truthfully, yes, it is. Anaerobic bacteria are slow and inefficient, which means that your compost pile will have to sit there for at least a year, maybe longer, before the materials at the very bottom are fully composted. Second of all, microbes that do the decaying in anaerobic composting produce methane and sulfate gasses as a byproduct, something which we humans find very offensive. If you've always thought of composting as a smelly and gross process, now is the time to make an important clarification: it's anaerobic composting that's a smelly and gross process.

Aerobic composting is an entirely different process. Just as the name would suggest, aerobic composting requires air, specifically oxygen, to complete its process. Aerobic bacteria are very efficient. They break down organic matter very rapidly, often times completing the full composting process in less than 6 weeks. Furthermore, aerobic microbes don't give off smelly gasses, which means that aerobic composting is a virtually odorless process!

At this point, we're sure that you'll agree, aerobic composting is the preferable method. With that having been said, where do you begin? This brings us back to the compost tumbler. A compost tumbler bin is the best way to get started with aerobic composting. Usually designed in a cylindrical shape, compost tumblers spin on an axis, tumbling the materials inside and providing the necessary oxygen for aerobic composting to occur. While it is possible to construct your own compost tumbler, the process isn't easy and you may find that you'll save yourself a lot of time and frustration by purchasing a ready to assemble unit. Compost tumbler bins are readily available for purchase through online and catalog stores and many can be assembled in minutes.

Once you've got your new compost tumbler bin set up, you're ready to begin aerobic composting! The first step is to add the materials to be composted. First and foremost, it is not advisable to put any meat or dairy products (including egg yolks) into an aerobic composter unit, because these will produce foul odors as they break down, thereby defeating your goal of odor-free composting. Vegetable peelings, old bread, cooked rice, pasta, and other similar kitchen scraps can and should be added to an aerobic compost bin. Houseplant trimmings, lint from the dryer, floor sweepings, and pet hair are also things that can be put in a composter. From the outdoors, there are a multitude of items that can be composted such as yard trimmings, dead leaves, grass clippings, dead flowers, etc. Other things that can be added to your compost tumbler include pencil shavings, sawdust, chopped up hay or straw, and aquarium plants. When you first begin using your new composter, you need to build up adequate bacteria levels to break the materials down. To this end, it's a good idea to add some bulking materials in the beginning, such as peat moss or already finished compost, if you have a source for getting some.

With a little time and effort, you'll have finished compost readily available from your aerobic compost bin. This finished compost can be tilled into your garden soil or added to the topsoil around existing plants as a fertilizer. You'll soon begin to see the results that compost has on a garden with bigger plants, more flowers, and larger harvests of vegetables. So what are you waiting for? Start composting today!



About the Author:

Home Products 'n' More offers free shipping on composting units and compost tumbler bins! Wondering where to use your compost? Find out how compost is beneficial in raised garden beds.

To Compost or Not to Compost

Well, theres no doubt about it, composting is a good practice that any self-respected gardener should learn to do. But the question really is what materials we could make into a compost and which ones we cannot. We have been told that composting can be done with any organic material. Well, in theory that may be true, however, in real life it may not be always so.

There are a several organic materials that should not be included in the compost pile unless you know how to do it properly while there are other materials that should not even be attempted even by the experts. To compost or not to compost, that is indeed the question. And lets see if we can provide the answers.

For home composters like you and me, we have a number of materials available inside our own home and even our own backyard. The big, industrial composters have a little advantage over us. They can compost more materials than us because they have the facilities to divert, mask, or absorb the odor that may come out from composting a lot of organic stuff. We dont have the same luxury. We dont want our neighbors organizing a protest rally against our composting in our own backyard, now do we?

Dont let this worry you though, there are still a lot of materials that we could include in our compost pile. Lets begin with something our front lawn is always dying to dispose off: excess grass. Yep, grass clippings from our lawn can be put to better use like for the compost file in our backyard. In situations where you have hay instead of grass clippings, that could work as well.

Using hay for composting is often practiced by farmers. You will find that farmers are more than willing to dispose of that hay. And when it comes to using hay for composting, be sure to pick the greener ones. Green hay means it still has a lot of nitrogen in it.

Others include kitchen wastes such as vegetable peels, fruit rinds, tea bags, eggshells and coffee grounds. These substances contain high levels of nitrogen. Make sure, however, to keep pests away from your kitchen wastes. Some would prefer to prepare a compost bin intended for their kitchen wastes. Others would prefer burying these wastes in eight inches of soil. And because they precisely attract pests, it would be best to stay avoid including scraps of meat, milk products and left over bones.

Wood chips, wood shaving, saw dusts, paper, and other wood products are generally good to included in your compost pile. However, be sure to stay away from chemically-treated wood products. Arsenic is one of the highly toxic chemicals that is sometimes used to treat wood. Using sawdust from such treated wood products is a no-no since the chemical will leak into the soil causing more harm than good.

Speaking of no-nos, there are other things that you should not include in your compost. Plants that died due to a disease should not be included. There is still a possibility that the disease the caused the death of the plants might infect your future plants.

And similarly, human, dog and cat wastes are not uses as composting materials as well precisely because they contain organisms that could cause disease. Such disease might cause people to be sick or might affect your plants.

Even though grasses can be used for composting, it would be best to avoid weeds like morning glory, ivy, sheep, and kinds of grasses that could grow in your compost pile. The weeds seeds also can survive the composting pile which can be carried to your new garden.

So going back to our earlier question: to compost or not to compost? Composting is something that is ideal for your garden. However, choosing the right materials will determine how successful your compost pile will be.

Top Reasons for Composting

Some of us may be hesitant in making and using compost. They find the task of making one troublesome and time consuming. Or they might have false perceptions of smelly compost piles and having such a messy process right in their backyards. While others would prefer buying their fertilizers, soil amendments or conditioners, and mulch from their garden stores to avoid all the hassle of reading about compost and actually making one.

Here are my top personal reasons for composting. I only hope that you move your butt out of that chair and begin your own compost pile before you reach number ten.

The first reason I find composting highly worthwhile is the fact that the materials used are absolutely free and are readily available. Compare that with the ever rising costs of commercial fertilizers and other gardening products in the market today. All you need is a little extra effort to find the best materials for your compost pile, but otherwise, everythings for free.

The second one is that compost provides more nutrients and minerals needed by my plants than commercial organic or synthetic fertilizers. The overall effect of compost is also longer than commercially available fertilizers. Its free and it works better, who wouldnt want that? Plus, if you organize your ingredients just right, you can provide a whole lot more range of nutrients.

Another good reason would be the benefits of compost to the soil structure. When applied to the soil, compost can help the soil be more resistant to erosion, improve its retention of water, and in some types of soil (like clay) it can reduce the chance the soil becomes compact. This is also important for farmers since compost can make the soil easier to till conserving time and fuel needed to operate the machines.

With the right composting technique, the process can kill those troublesome weeds as well as pests and disease-causing organisms present in the materials being composted. High temperature composting is the technique I am talking about. Although, this technique is not the backyard variety but rather a more laboratory or industrial type variety, I still find it a good reason why we should make composts.

There have been studies which indicate that using compost can suppress the growth of diseases in crops. Other studies also show that crops grown over compost rich soils can resist better pest or insect attacks. Likewise, some news and observations in the field also shows that crops grown using compost bear produce that can be stored longer. If thats not reason enough, I dont know what else you are looking for.

For the environmentalists and conservationists, compost has something for them as well. Using compost together with the soil can build soil carbon which can eventually reduce the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It may take a lot of compost to have a positive effect on the greenhouse gases but that fact is quite useful as well.

It is also found out that compost works well as an antidote for soils that are toxic with agricultural chemicals. Compost can balance the levels of soil acidity, and helps farmers to go organic after years of using synthetic agricultural products.

These are my top reason for composting. Some of it may not directly benefit my personal needs but having those reasons to cling onto is a good thing to motivate the use of compost.

About the Author:

Wide experience on many things and just publish information for fun.Experienced Salesperson and marketeer, both internet and non on-line. Web designer, very knowledgeable on PC and pc related issues, both hardware and software. Parent, driver and blogger.
http://infoblog.net78.net/