Thursday, October 15, 2009
"Green" is the the word of the day, but what else can we do to help the environment other than separating our glass, plastic, and paper into recycling bins? Using a garden composter helps to return needed nutrients and organic matter back to your garden. Kitchen scraps such as fruit and vegetable peels, and coffee and tea grounds can be converted to compost. Recycled newsprint and yard clippings can also be turned into compost for garden soil.
By using a garden composter instead of purchasing soil that may contain harmful chemicals, you're taking the next step in preserving our resources, as well as producing a healthier garden. Using compost in your garden soil not only ensures that you are receiving necessary nutrients in your garden, you are also reducing the recycled material that will eventually become too much for the landfills to break down. It does take a little time and effort to turn waste into compost, but you'll soon be enjoying the fruits of your labor!
I found this poem online, and wanted to share it with other garden enthusiasts.
An Ode To Garden Composters
by Robert
The day is warm, still young and bright.
I'm out of work while still daylight!
I rush back home to check my bin
and see what sort of shape it's in.
I grab my fork and lift the lid
To see what time and hard work did.
I've thrown in leaves, and grass and twigs
Veggie peels and rotten figs.
There's no bad smell, so that is good.
But I still see leaves and bits of wood.
It's not done, oh no, not yet.
It will be soon, on that I'd bet.
So I start digging through the pile.
I know that this will take a while.
There's lot's of stuff, at least a ton.
It's a good thing I think this is fun.
Otherwise this would just be work
To be avoided or to shirk.
But it's good exercise for me,
And the compost that I get is free!
I plunge my fork into the leaves;
I shift my grip and then I heave!
What comes out just can't be beat:
Four tines full of hoary heat!
Actinomycetes makes the scene:
Bacteria that's white, not green.
It's filamentous fibers grow
through every leaf and blade I've mowed.
This thermophilic power play
By this bacteria night and day
Drives up the inner temperature
To kill bad things just like Pasteur.
Lifting here and tossing there
The compost sailing through the air
From full bin 1 to empty 2
Mixes oxygen all through.
This helps wee beasties to respire
and build more heat in my dark fire.
They work alchemically even faster
to make soil like an earth spellcaster.
After 30 minutes muscles hurt
from turning waste into new dirt.
So I decide to pack it in
and cover up my compost bin.
One more week and compost's done
Then I can shoot the starting gun
And get my veggies all to race
To be the first into my face.
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