Tag: Animal Manure

Organic Gardening Compost: Saves You Money and Helps Save the

Organic Gardening Compost: Saves You Money and Helps Save the Earth

Synthetic fertilizers are out and organic gardening compost is the in thing with farmers who are trying out the holistic way in planting.

Organic Gardening
With organic gardening, farmers are going back to the most basic way of growing plants and trees and that is by being one with nature. The latter phrase meaning that they no longer use artificial fertilizers and the commercially available pesticides, but instead rely on the natural environment to be able to grow produce.

Organic Gardening Compost
Compost is the mixture of decaying plants, animal manure or other organic materials that is being used as a fertilizer. While nature can work on compost by itself, men can speed up the process by using the equation air plus water, carbon, then nitrogen is equal to compost.

Composting in Simpler Terms
Don’t be overwhelmed by the word equation stated above. This is not really a complex thing. This can actually be done in a simple and step-by-step ways.

Hot Compost
While others opt to burn fallen leaves, such is wealth for gardeners as this is the start of their composting process. The first thing they have to do is to bag those leaves. Clipped grass from mowed surfaces can also be put in the bag.

To bring in oxygen and a quantity of water enough to dampen the leaves systematically, put several holes near the bag’s top and at its bottom. The holes will also let the carbon dioxide out and excess water as well. Pour in about two shovelful of garden soil into the bag where the leaves are, then shake it to mix the contents. Or if not possible, just roll the bag thoroughly.

Mixing should be done on a schedule after every other week. Check on the leaves and pour water to moisten those if they’ve dried out. In about two to three months, alas, your compost is ready. The contents of the bag that look like dark and flaky stuff are your compost.

To use that dark and flaky stuff as a fertilizer for your plants, put an inch thick layer on the soil’s top layer. That will then be absorbed by the plants. It actually acts as fertilizer and at the same time pesticide and can even prevent weeds from growing. It also contributes in conserving water as your plants won’t need as much.

To be able to come up with the same output at lesser time, you can also try shredding the leaves first before sacking it all up.

Cold Compost
The difference between cold and hot compost is that the first is easier to do than the latter which takes more effort.

Cold compost can be done by simply gathering wastes from your own backyard, may it be leaves, grass clippings and weeds, then piling them up. Allow a period of six to twenty-four months for earthworms and other microorganisms break the stuff down. While waiting, you can add up materials to your pile. In this scenario, the stuff at the bottom decomposes first.

But aside from the long wait, this type of compost is not as effective as the hot compost. It cannot kill weeds and pathogens. Also, before using such, you should screen out for undecomposed materials from the pile.

Whatever you may choose between the two, you’re still on the winning side by using organic gardening compost because not only you are saving up money but more so, you are helping out conserve and clean our environment.

What You Need to Know About Indoor Organic Gardening

Indoor organic gardening is the perfect solution to people who love gardening but encountering problems due to natural elements such as climate. Compared to other countries that have tropical climate, indoor gardening is more popular in countries with cold weather. This is because people cannot grow the plants they want anytime for it will only die due to the condition of the site.

If you want to experience the beauty of indoor organic gardening, you must familiarize yourself first with everything that you need to know about it. Conducting a research about it will definitely help you achieve success especially if you are new with the craft. Reading agriculture and gardening books or magazines available in most bookstores nearby can do research. You can also browse the Internet and visit websites that contain information about indoor organic gardening. The following should be answered by your research:

1. Soil to be used. This is very important because this is the lifeline of your soon-to-be crop. It is very important to know which is the most suitable soil for you to ensure the success of your crop. Experts say that clay is the most ideal to be used because it has great water retention properties compared to other types.

It is also high in natural nutrients so less organic matter is needed to ensure that the plants get the amount of nutrients they need. But, if slay is not available, you can also use sand or the ordinary garden soil. Just make sure that you replenish it with the right amount of organic matter such as decaying plants, kitchen wastes such as fruit peels and vegetable stalks as well as animal manure.

2. The plant you want. You cannot just buy any seed of the plant you like without considering the natural conditions of your site. Make sure that before you buy large quantity of any seed, you can double-checked the living condition of your organic indoor gardening site to ensure that the plants will grow well.

3. The amount of warmth needed by the seeds. If you are in a cold place, you need warmth to ensure that the seeds will germinate very well. Make sure that you before plant any seed; there is an area where it could get the warmth it needs.

4. The type of container to be used. It is very important to know what is the most suitable type of container for your gardening because this will ensure the healthy growth of your plant. Ideal containers are those that have tapered bottom and sides to ensure that air and water will circulate very well. There are available containers in groceries that are already tapered such as trays and pots.

But, if you are tight on budget, you can use recycled items such as empty juice cans, milk cartons, and other containers that can hold soil. Make sure that you sterilize it first before using by washing it very well using warm water with parts of chlorine bleach to remove all residues and kill the germs.

5. The planting process. This is very important in organic indoor gardening because it will ensure that the seed are planted properly to germinate. The best seeds that are easy to plant include eggplant, cabbage, peppers, lettuce, or tomatoes as well as fast-growing plants such as melon, pumpkin, and cucumber. When planting, make sure that you fill individual containers with soil and planting mix and press it gently.