Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg and howlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble." -- Shakespeare, The Tragedie of MacBeth 4.1.10-19
Making compost may seem as strange and perhaps intimidating as the famous partial incantation above, but this magical, earthy "potion" is easy and free to make, and it will work wonders for the garden: compost improves soil structure--clay, sandy, or somewhere in between--and will enrich the soil, adjust the pH levels, and fertilize garden plants, naturally, without questionable chemicals. Plus, the non-meat kitchen scraps will not add to the landfill burden; instead, they will be recycled to the earth.
The University of Illinois Extension offers a handy list of what to compost, and what not to compost.
How do you make compost? It is a simple process: on top of bare ground, within a compost bin, layer "brown" materials (fallen leaves, twigs) and "green" materials (vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, seaweed) and then mix in a nitrogen source, such as green manure (clover, buckwheat grass) or composted manure. Sprinkle a little water on the mixture and stir with a shovel. Every couple of weeks or so, aerate the pile by stirring it. The mixture will "cook" down. When the compost looks like dark soil, with woodsy pieces,
then the compost is ready to use.
Making compost may seem as strange and perhaps intimidating as the famous partial incantation above, but this magical, earthy "potion" is easy and free to make, and it will work wonders for the garden: compost improves soil structure--clay, sandy, or somewhere in between--and will enrich the soil, adjust the pH levels, and fertilize garden plants, naturally, without questionable chemicals. Plus, the non-meat kitchen scraps will not add to the landfill burden; instead, they will be recycled to the earth.
The University of Illinois Extension offers a handy list of what to compost, and what not to compost.
How do you make compost? It is a simple process: on top of bare ground, within a compost bin, layer "brown" materials (fallen leaves, twigs) and "green" materials (vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, seaweed) and then mix in a nitrogen source, such as green manure (clover, buckwheat grass) or composted manure. Sprinkle a little water on the mixture and stir with a shovel. Every couple of weeks or so, aerate the pile by stirring it. The mixture will "cook" down. When the compost looks like dark soil, with woodsy pieces,
then the compost is ready to use.
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| Compost Created 6/12/2006 Photographer: Kessner Photography. May be freely distributed with attribution |
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