A Compost Primer

Most gardeners and landscapers will agree almost unanimously that the single best thing you can do for your lawn is to add compost. Good, organic compost can remedy almost any problem you have with your soil. If you soil is too acidic, adding compost will help neutralize it and bring it back to a proper pH level. If your soil is too alkaline, ditto! Adding compost will help balance the alkalinity in the soil. If you live in an area with a lot of heavy clay, adding compost will help loosen and aerate the soil. If you live in a coastal or southern area with a lot of sand, adding compost will help bind it together. Soil lacking nutrients? Add compost to add new life to overworked soil.

So how do you make compost? It's easier than you can imagine and cheaper than anything else you will do. How cheap? How about free! All composting is, is the natural decomposition of organic matter. Walk through a dense forest and take a deep handful of soil from under your feet. Notice how black and rich it is. It didn't get that way from fertilizers or manure. It got that way from all the decomposing organic matter. A forest takes care of itself by recycling. It recycles every leaf, branch, berry, and bush. It does this quite simply. All the organic and living matter in the forest decomposes into compost which feeds the existing plants (and some animals!).

In the forest, when leaves fall from the trees, they all gather on the forest floor. In storms, branches may fall, as well as entire trees. This creates layers of organic matter on the forest floor. Eventually it rains adding fuel to the mixture. The rain aids the microbes that begin to eat the organic matter, eventually turning it into the rich, thick carpet you see on the forest floor. This compost feeds the living trees and other plants providing nutrients that rival the best fertilizers.

You can emulate the forest by creating your own compost. Avoid store bought compost, especially those made from manure. There's nothing natural about spreading rotted and decomposed cow feces on your lawn or garden. It's actually pretty gross! Especially considering the number of chemicals and steroids that are given to cattle and cows in the United States. If you must purchase or acquire compost from somewhere else, call your local municipal office. Many municipalities have their own composting facilities and they give away the compost to their residents for free! In our township, for example, all the leaves that are gathered in the fall from the local streets, are mulched up and composted in a huge field. In a year or two, once the leaves have thoroughly composted, we are permitted to haul away as much compost as we like! The only catch is that we must load it ourselves, but this is a small price to pay for free, organic mulch.

Dean Novosat is an avid gardener and landscaper. He has transformed many boring yards into beautiful landscapes. He has several websites including http://www.the-garden-doctor.com and http://www.dr-landscape.com.

---

Google News Updated : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:51:58 GMT South Texas begins cleanup after Hurricane Dolly - The Associated Press Calgary Herald South Texas begins cleanup after Hurricane Dolly The Associated Press - 30 minutes ago HARLINGEN, Texas (AP) - Residents across south Texas slogged through knee-deep muddy waters, tiptoed around downed power lines and dug through debris Thursday, but were thankful that Hurricane Dolly didn't pack the wallop they had feared. Video: Tropical Storm Dolly Causes Flood Worries AssociatedPress Dolly weakens, pushes inland USA Today East Valley Tribune - AHN - KIII TV3 - KVIA all 7,399 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:21:14 GMT Health Buzz: A $500 million Antismoking Campaign and Other Health News - U.S. News & World Report BBC News Health Buzz: A $500 million Antismoking Campaign and Other Health News U.S. News & World Report - 3 hours ago Billionaires Bill Gates and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced yesterday that they'll contribute a combined $500 million to a worldwide antismoking campaign, the New York Times reports. Video: Gates, Bloomberg Pool Riches to Fight Smoking AssociatedPress The $500 million war on smoking Minneapolis Star Tribune Reuters - Newsday - Economist - California Healthline all 639 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:43:30 GMT Arizona reports first West Nile death of 2008 - Bizjournals.com TheMedGuru Arizona reports first West Nile death of 2008 Bizjournals.com - 1 hour ago Arizona has reported its first death from the West Nile virus this year. It also is the first West Nile death in the US this year. First bird in Nassau tests positive for West Nile Newsday Fighting West Nile Alexandria Gazette Packet KTAR.com - AZFamily - FOXBusiness - Boston Globe all 231 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:45:00 GMT Swimmer’s Positive Test Puts Olympic Berth Doubt - New York Times New York Times Swimmer’s Positive Test Puts Olympic Berth Doubt New York Times - 30 minutes ago By KAREN CROUSE The swimmer Jessica Hardy has not been penalized for a doping offense despite published reports that she tested positive for a banned substance. Video: Source:Hardy Tests Positive for Banned Substance AssociatedPress Sequence doesn't make Sense Los Angeles Times Gay Wired - Palo Alto Online - The Wenatchee World Online - The Associated Press all 750 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:21:30 GMT FOX News Poll: No Bounce for Obama From Overseas Trip - FOXNews ABC News FOX News Poll: No Bounce for Obama From Overseas Trip FOXNews - 27 minutes ago By Dana Blanton The significant news coverage Barack Obama is receiving on his foreign trip has not translated into a bounce in his numbers, a just-released FOX News poll shows. Wanted: 2 million poll workers for November The Associated Press Comment by Leonard Steinhorn Prof, School of Communication, American University New York Times - CNN - United Press International - PolitickerCA all 689 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:24:50 GMT Would UN Security Council Postpone Any Prosecution of Sudanese Leader? - Voice of America Voice of America Would UN Security Council Postpone Any Prosecution of Sudanese Leader? Voice of America - 1 hour ago By Joe De Capua As the International Criminal Court (ICC) considers whether to issue arrest warrants for Sudanese President al-Bashir, some are calling on the UN Security Council to block the action. Sudan's Beshir pledges peace as he leaves Darfur AFP Jordan's lower house opposes charges against Sudanese president Xinhua Hindu - Los Angeles Times - istockAnalyst.com - AllAfrica.com all 1,823 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:30:10 GMT Ford Has $8.7 Billion Loss, Shifts Away From Trucks (Update4) - Bloomberg Ford Has $8.7 Billion Loss, Shifts Away From Trucks (Update4) Bloomberg - 44 minutes ago By Bill Koenig July 24 (Bloomberg) -- Ford Motor Co., the world's third- biggest automaker, posted a record quarterly loss of $8.7 billion and accelerated a conversion to fuel-efficient vehicles to wean itself from money-losing trucks. Ford's Worst Quarter Ever BusinessWeek Ford Posts Loss of $8.7 Billion on Asset Woes New York Times Forbes - CNNMoney.com - Reuters - Los Angeles Times all 1,181 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:07:48 GMT Increased Website Traffic Create Blog

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

Park Benches - Making the Right Choice

When most people hear the words, "park bench", they envision... Read More

Using Annuals in Your Perrenial Garden

Annuals in your pernnial garden are something to think about!... Read More

Want a Garden but Not Enough Room or Soil? Then Hydroponics Gardening could be for You

Hydroponics gardening is a great idea for anyone who wants... Read More

Developing the Perfect Landscaping Idea

Using landscaping ideas can be an effective way to attract... Read More

When to Plant Vegetaibles

Planting times for vegetables and other annual plants vary from... Read More

Daphnes for Scent and Colour

Anyone with even a passing knowledge of plants knows that... Read More

Imagine Your Own Orchid Garden In A Pond

Who doesn't love to hear the water rushing and flowing... Read More

Brilliant Beetroot!

Are you looking for a truly versatile vegetable to grow... Read More

How to Rid that Lawn of Thatch!

You know that brown patchy debris in a lawn that... Read More

Composting and Composters: A Basic Introduction

Why Compost?Recent studies show that an average family throws away... Read More

How to Plant Tulips

Quality Dutch tulip bulbs are easy to come by and... Read More

A Look at Fall Flower Bulbs

Most people would think of fall as a season when... Read More

A Little Known Secret to Successful Outdoor Gardening

Pruning...Outdoor gardening is so much easier when you know how.... Read More

Composting the Easy Way

Having an ample supply of good rich compost is the... Read More

Frame Your Garden With Edging

You've planted the flowers, put in the shrubs and even... Read More

Compost YES, Epsom Salts NO

You'll often hear garden writers recommending the use of Epsom... Read More

Summer Pond Tips

Low Oxygen levels Kill FishUse an oxygen tester and air... Read More

Overwintering Pond Fish

The metabolism of koi and goldfish is controlled primarily by... Read More

History of the Adirondack Chair

If you were to travel to Blue Mountain Lake, New... Read More

Hydroponics Gardening verses Organic Gardening: Which Grows the Best Cannabis?

Copy-write 2005 Jan Money.Hydroponics gardening offers many advantages to the... Read More

Roses and Juniper Rock Gardens

Wide circle driveways don't happen much anymore, but when they... Read More

Gardening - An Expression

Give the same plants to several people, you will see... Read More

How to Create a Wildflower Garden

In today's gardens often populated by geraniums, roses, and zinnias,... Read More

A Teak Bench: The Perfect Complement To Any Outdoor Space

Are you searching for that perfect bench to set off... Read More

Xeriscaping is Waterwise Gardening

What is xeriscaping? You may have heard of xeriscaping as... Read More