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Composting
What it is, how
it works |
Click here to learn the
ADVANTAGES and BENEFITS
to composting |
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What is composting?
You know how
wonderful a forest smells? That aroma of dense, healthy, thriving plants?
That’s naturally occurring compost.
Some people incorrectly believe compost to be a smelly, unpleasant pile in
the backyard. Compost is actually organic matter that is no longer
recognizable – what you are left with after decomposition is rich, dark,
great-smelling, crumbly and soil-like.
You can start a
compost pile with leaves and debris from your yard. Kitchen scraps make
great compost. You shouldn’t use meat, bones or fatty foods for compost
because it will attract animals. Organic fertilizers, like compost and
manure, are great for conditioning your soil.
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Putting
your Garbage to Work for you
and for the Environment |
Composting is part of any complete household
environmental strategy. You benefit the earth in more ways than one
– not only are you not contributing to landfills, you’re returning
the goodness of nature back to nature!
Compost holds nutrients from decaying material in a form that is
easily absorbed by plants. Leaves, grass clippings and food wastes
are suitable for composting. Compost is especially beneficial when
combined with manure.
Compost puts your garbage to work for you. Part science, part art –
it’s all good!
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How it works
What’s the science of it all? How does a load of garbage transform into a
marvelous fertilizer? Easy.
Under correct conditions, almost no work is required of you. Nature will
reduce garbage into compost (that’s garbage, by the way – organic matter –
not trash).
Bacteria are vital agents in decomposition, and it’s bacteria that cause
compost to get hot (in fact, in cooler months, you may even notice steam).
That’s because the bacteria are on a feeding frenzy, and the faster they
eat, the more heat they generate. Hot compost is a very good sign that
great things are happening in there.
But when your pile cools off, you must turn it so the middle of the pile
has all the right elements (air, moisture, carbon and nitrogen) to
rekindle activity and keep the pile hot.
That same heat will escape if the pile is not large enough to retain it. A
pile of at least one cubic yard (3 x 3 x 3 feet) is a good rule of thumb.
Thank you to the
Kansas Department of Health and Environment for supplying this
composting information.
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