Creating Fertilizers From Household Compost
Are you looking for a new way to keep your lawn healthy and green? Trying to be more environmentally friendly? If you already have one of Nutri-Lawn's water conscious lawn irrigation systems in place, the next step is easy – it's time to create fertilizers from your household compost.
What does compost consist of?
Compost is organic waste that decomposes to create a nutrient rich matter. It can be anything from food waste and manure, to clippings from your garden work. Compost can be a great fertilizer for your garden. And what’s more, it will also help you reduce the waste you put out at the curb and money you spend purchasing fertilizer.
Types of compost
If you want to begin a food and home waste compost program to compliment your Burlington irrigation system, you'll want to remove the scraps from your kitchen and deposit them immediately in the bin before they begin to rot. These are some of the materials you can add:
- Vegetable scraps
- Egg shells
- Paper towels
- Rice, bread, and pasta
- Shredded newspaper or paper from a shredder
The things you should not include are:
- Meat products
- Dairy products
- Oils
It is recommended that you combine food compost with garden waste. This could be anything from:
- Wood chips and saw dust
- Dried out or dead plants
- Fallen leaves
- Sticks and twigs
- Grass clippings
You may also want to create homemade mulch from those grass clippings and fallen twigs. This is a great way to reduce waste and recycle nutrients back to your lawn.
How to take care of the compost pile
Whenever you add new materials to your compost pile, make sure to cover it with either a layer of wood chips or a small amount of dirt. Make sure your compost pile never gets too dense or wet from the materials or your irrigation system, as this will slow the composting. Make sure that the materials you add are never larger than 12". Break them down if necessary.
A combination of organic material and food matter will allow for the much needed nitrogen and carbon required for your compost to decompose properly. The microbe-rich compost will also need air and water from your irrigation system. Don't allow the compost pile to dry out. Allow oxygen to enter the pile by fluffing it up. By doing these techniques on a regular basis, you will encourage heat to enter the pile and quicken the composting process. The compost may be ready to use within three months if you maintain it properly.
When is the compost ready?
The compost will begin to look and smell almost like earth. It will be a dark brown, crumbly material. If you find some woody chunks just filter them out for your next pile. Now it's time to add your compost to your landscaping, turn on your Burlington turf irrigation, and watch your plants thrive!
How can compost be used?
Compost has a number of uses. It can be beneficial to newly germinating grass or other small plants, particularly as they begin to grow. It is great to use under trees and shrubbery to add extra nutrients. In fact, compost is better for your garden than synthetic fertilizers, as it slowly adds the nutrients to your soil, which maximizes how much food your garden gets. Compost can also be used to control erosion. If you're finding your property is having a hard time draining on your clay soil, compost can help.
For the best irrigation services, contact Nutri-Lawn Burlington Irrigation for your complimentary quote today!