Composting is the new buzzword and backyard gardeners are taking the concept of growing food into their own hands and looking for every advantage out there. Composting is a major component to successfully increasing your crops and decreasing the amount of organic material that end up in landfills. This article will provide the reader with information on creating a simple free Compost Box in three easy to follow steps. Compost boxes are storage containers made of wood or plastic to house plant vegetation for the purpose of breaking it down to a soil base that is rich in nutrients for your new plantings. Organic decomposition is a naturally occurring process that has existed for millions of years and when old plant material like leaves, grass clippings and other vegetation begins to breakdown and decompose, it creates rich "Black Gold" for your new plants. Step 1: Free Lumber - The compost box can be a simple design made from recycled lumber. In this case, I came across several hardwood pallets being discarded by a local manufacturing plant. These specific pallets were 3X3 and were simple to grab and take home. Of course there are larger pallets available, but these fit my needs. Step 2: Location - Most gardeners will locate their compost boxes to a remote place in the yard. In my case, I selected a place close to my bucket garden. That way I could use the material quickly and not have to haul it across the yard when I was ready. In addition, it was hidden behind my shed for aesthetic purposes. If deciding to put a more visually pleasing compost box together, this may not an issue. Step 3: Assembly - Now that I had the materials and location selected, it was time to make the box. I stood two pallets on the end and aligned them together to make an L shape. Using 3 inch screws, I began to assemble the sides together. I continued to add each pallet into a box formation, until fully assembled. Assembling in the location where it will stay is important, since it becomes a heavy wooden box that is not easily moved when complete. After all sides were connected and the compost box was put into place, I was able to begin adding my plant material very easily into the top. Once the material breaks down into the rich compost, I can remove one of the front panels to access the "Black Gold" at the bottom. In summary, making a simple Compost Box is very easy to do, and did I mention it was free? You can use other materials for compost boxes but pallets are specifically suited for this purpose since they are all the same shape and size. No sawing involved, and because they are made of hardwood, they will last several seasons. A gallon storage container can be used to store just about anything. From a standard hanging tomato bucket planter to food in your pantry, to tools in your shed, 5 gallon buckets are easy to use and can have many uses. Download Free My Compost Garden book
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By Robert Owens Gardens are becoming more popular as the economy continues tracking downward and people look for ways to trim their expenses. Composting is a major component to successfully increasing crop yields and minimizing material that ends up on landfills. If you have never built a compost bin, there are several designs to choose from, but essentially this article will focus on the basic concepts and designs that can be serve as a fundamental approach for the basic gardener. Compost bins are essentially a place to recycle plant vegetation to create a robust material rich in nutrients like nitrogen that when added to the soil will help new crops grow more vigorously. Composting is a process that occurs naturally when older material like leaves, grass clippings and old rotting vegetation begins to breakdown and decompose into a rich fertile soil material. This provides minerals and other nutrients for plants, animals and other micro-organisms and along with moisture and external temperatures, the decomposition process becomes very efficient. Read More... |
