Honestly....there probably is no nerdier way to start a blog post.
It is the truth, though, and this last weekend my dream came true. Composting is most likely not your average gardener's endeavor. It involves using a mix of dry materials and kitchen scraps to produce what some compost devotees call "black gold."
Although no one would produce a sitcom about wayward hillbillies looking for a garden amendment, it has piqued my interest for some time now. I did try to make my own budget-friendly compost bin a few years ago. This involved a plastic storage bin in which I drilled holes. Needless to say, it was not a worthy effort and that particular storage bin is in the basement, fit to hold only items not affected by a large number of small holes.
Here is my other new baby...
There she is, in her black, industrial beauty.
All kidding aside, I have been quite excited to have this project started. If you Google "compost bins," you will find they are quite pricey. This little number was a very reasonable $48 at Lowe's. Mind you, I had read books that advocated making your own out of pallets that you can salvage at stores. Not so sure my neighbors would be fans of that.
The main purpose of compost is to produce your own natural fertilizer. There are some guidelines you must master, but I feel happiest that I will no longer buy any compost to use in my garden beds (especially vegetable beds--it's quite beneficial to those plants). Also...I am excited about no longer throwing all of my yard waste into the garbage can. Instead, I can put it to use, going back into my own garden.
Just a sidenote--many communities are starting to use yard waste in their own compost/recycling programs and sometimes residents can get compost from the community through those programs. Also, you can find places to take your used live Christmas tree to be turned into compost. Who knew? One place local to me that does this is Marvin's Organic Gardens. http://www.marvinsorganicgardens.com/
Here is a shot of my compost bin, satisfyingly half-filled.
Just imagine that in a few months, turned into a nice, dark, rich soil-looking substance!
You know, there is a type of composting using worms, called vermicomposting. Not so sure I'll be getting into that one.....
3 comments:
I have so many things to say about this blog entry.
First, you're right: it might be the dorkiest lead ever. But I'll try to top that on my blog.
Second, you have not informed me of what I need to do in terms of contributing to the compost. Do I now have to throw our egg shells in it, instead of the disposal? (I recall doing this with our old compost, right?)
And what else goes in there? You realize that I'm very lazy, yes? And that you are going to make me move several more feet than I am accustomed to, yes?
Oh my word, we are so much alike. For the past four years, I asked for a compost bin for my anniversary. I FINALLY got one last year. Can't wait to use the compost this spring!!!
Amy--has it worked well for you? Now that I actually have a compost bin, I am concerned that I won't be very SKILLED at composting, lol.
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