Composting is a basic way you can contribute to keeping your planet healthier.
Composting seems like a simple concept: you throw all your food waste in a pile and nature does the rest. In practice, however, it takes some effort to create a compost pile that’s ideal for producing healthy soil.
What is compostable?
Composting material comes from organic sources and can be anything that’s been alive or once was alive. This means any plant matter or animal material (including their waste products, such as droppings) can be used. Living plants and meat are not recommended because they attract pests, but coffee grounds, egg shells, and even bread crusts are perfectly good composting material.
What shouldn’t I use?
When it comes to composting materials (and just about everything else), avoid using any kind of toxic substance. For example, if you have cleaning chemicals like bleach around your house (you should get rid of them immediately), then don’t include those in your compost pile—if the fumes get into the air around your garden, they will kill everything there. The same goes for pet feces; unless you want to risk attracting large numbers of rodents to your yard (and eventually yourself), steer clear of cat litter and dog poop altogether when creating this garden wonderland.
The idea behind creating a successful compost pile is that you want to create an environment where microorganisms and worms can thrive while breaking down all the materials within it into fertilizer for your garden. Ideal temperature range is between 130 degrees Fahrenheit and 150 degrees Fahrenheit—this should be pretty easy to achieve as long as you’re putting fresh items into it regularly enough every day (ideally). If you live somewhere cold with snow on the ground most of the year, then consider building a wooden structure over it so heat from outside gets trapped inside during winter months when the sun goes down early each day.
Composting can be done on any scale, no matter where you live.
There are many reasons to compost: lowering the environmental impact of your waste, saving money on fertilizer and soil amendment, keeping pests away from your home—all good stuff. But one of the best reasons is that it’s surprisingly easy to do. Where you live doesn’t matter, how much space you have doesn’t matter, how much time you have doesn’t matter either. You can just start small and build up as you go or dive right in and go big if it suits your needs. Really, it’s just a question of how hard you want to work for your results.
Label for this section: A Brief History of the Atari 2600
Perspective: 3rd person (it/they)
What this section does: Gives an overview
Talking points of this section:
- Atari 2600 was created by Nolan Bushnell in 1972
- had great graphic capabilities for its time in comparison to other systems (even though they were low resolution)
- had three main competitors at the time: Video Pinball (coin operated), Odyssey (Created by Ralph Baer), and Magnavox Odyssey 2
- Ted Dabney helped Nolan Bushnell with funding the company before his untimely death in 1981
There are lots of things that can go in your compost pail, and even more that should not go in there.
It can seem like a daunting task to start composting, but it’s actually a really easy process. Follow these steps to start:
- Find a compostable pail. If you’re buying one new, look for a bucket that has air holes in the plastic lid and has handles made of metal or thick string. Metal is usually better because it won’t rust or melt when it comes into contact with the composting matter. The material of the bucket itself doesn’t matter as long as you can recycle or reuse it.
- Make sure your pail is large enough to hold all of your organic waste—you don’t want to have to keep emptying it before your compost is ready! Check out this diagram for reference:
It looks pretty heavy and complicated, but don’t worry—it’s not! You just need five easy things: water, carbon (browns), nitrogen (greens), air, and heat
You should aerate your compost by turning it every few days, and make sure it stays moist but not wet.
Composting is a good idea, but it can be tricky. There are lots of different ways to compost, and the first one you try is probably not the best for your situation. Here are some tips to get you started:
Start small. You don’t need a fancy compost bin if all you want to do is spread out your food scraps in an area outside. For smaller amounts, just use a plastic bag zipped up so that air can circulate in it and sprinkle in your scraps as they get collected by your little worm army (not worms plural; there are no worms in this mixture). If you want to be really green and not have anything go into the landfill, then follow what’s called “single-stream” composting: put all the scraps, including meat, dairy products (eek!), coffee grounds and teabags in one bag at once, then turn it occasionally so that everything gets exposed to air without becoming too wet or moldy.
Rotate your ingredients regularly. This may sound obvious but might surprise people who think green compost only needs enough water to keep things from smelling bad! If you’re using a container outdoors that has drainage holes for excess water and drainage around the edges, give it an occasional shake or turn every week or two to avoid excess moisture buildup.
If you’re using a bin indoors under artificial lights such as fluorescent or LED bulbs (which make plants grow much better than incandescent bulbs), add half of its contents for every week that passes; otherwise half of its contents for every month.
As with any new endeavor involving growing things from scratch indoors, start slow—don’t expect perfect results right away! And make sure to always keep these things in mind when starting any new gardening project: Keep it well-ventilated so things don’t overheat; rearrange planters so that plants have some variety; rotate crops regularly because they’ll compete with each other if left alone too long; keep garden tools sharpened and
Your compost is ready when it’s dark and crumbly, and has a pleasant smell.
In the world of composting, there are many different kinds of compost. Knowing the difference between them can be crucial in your decision-making process.
What Kind Of Compost Should I Make?
In general, compost is categorized into one of four main categories:
- Hot Compost – Mostly used for container plants and vegetables that like to be kept warm (i.e., tomatoes). This type of compost uses added sources of nitrogen such as dog/cat poop or blood meal to jumpstart the decomposition process, which makes it good for early spring planting. It should resemble a hot bowl of soup when you are done with it (hot)!*
Hot Compost – This is made using high-nitrogen materials such as dog or cat manure, blood meal and fish emulsion.* Cold Compost – This type is generally made from grass clippings and dead leaves, which are both low in nutrients.* Worm Bin Compost – The great thing about vermicomposting is you don’t have to worry about it getting too hot! You’ll just have to keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t dry out too much. Be sure that if you are making winter bin at home it does not get too cold (below 50 degrees Fahrenheit).
There are lots of ways to get started in composting
Composting is a great way to reduce the amount of waste you send to your local landfill, and it’s also a fun activity for people of all ages. For those with children interested in helping out around the house, there are lots of great things to do with composting.
Although you don’t need a big yard or even any outdoor space, you can still get started with composting. Even if you live in an apartment building without any nearby parks or gardens, you can put together your own urban compost site on your balcony or patio! It’s surprising how much food waste (and garden waste) people who live in apartments usually have. The idea of adding all this waste to their regular trash isn’t something that many apartment dwellers think about, but it’s actually an excellent thing to do.
Whether you live in the city or the country side, there are numerous options for composting that will help ensure that organic matter doesn’t end up as garbage. One common place to set up a new compost pile is at community gardens where many people gather every week to work on their gardening projects. At these sites, gardeners can share tips and learn from each other while working together towards common goals—including reducing food waste and making sure all organic matter gets recycled into something useful.
So why should everyone be interested in composting? There are lots of reasons actually!Composting is a basic way you can contribute to keeping your planet healthier.
Composting seems like a simple concept: you throw all your food waste in a pile and nature does the rest. In practice, however, it takes some effort to create a compost pile that’s ideal for producing healthy soil.
What is compostable?
Composting material comes from organic sources and can be anything that’s been alive or once was alive. This means any plant matter or animal material (including their waste products, such as droppings) can be used. Living plants and meat are not recommended because they attract pests, but coffee grounds, egg shells, and even bread crusts are perfectly good composting material.
What shouldn’t I use?
When it comes to composting materials (and just about everything else), avoid using any kind of toxic substance. For example, if you have cleaning chemicals like bleach around your house (you should get rid of them immediately), then don’t include those in your compost pile—if the fumes get into the air around your garden, they will kill everything there. The same goes for pet feces; unless you want to risk attracting large numbers of rodents to your yard (and eventually yourself), steer clear of cat litter and dog poop altogether when creating this garden wonderland.
The idea behind creating a successful compost pile is that you want to create an environment where microorganisms and worms can thrive while breaking down all the materials within it into fertilizer for your garden. Ideal temperature range is between 130 degrees Fahrenheit and 150 degrees Fahrenheit—this should be pretty easy to achieve as long as you’re putting fresh items into it regularly enough every day (ideally). If you live somewhere cold with snow on the ground most of the year, then consider building a wooden structure over it so heat from outside gets trapped inside during winter months when the sun goes down early each day.
Composting can be done on any scale, no matter where you live.
There are many reasons to compost: lowering the environmental impact of your waste, saving money on fertilizer and soil amendment, keeping pests away from your home—all good stuff. But one of the best reasons is that it’s surprisingly easy to do. Where you live doesn’t matter, how much space you have doesn’t matter, how much time you have doesn’t matter either. You can just start small and build up as you go or dive right in and go big if it suits your needs. Really, it’s just a question of how hard you want to work for your results.
Label for this section: A Brief History of the Atari 2600
Perspective: 3rd person (it/they)
What this section does: Gives an overview
Talking points of this section:
Atari 2600 was created by Nolan Bushnell in 1972
had great graphic capabilities for its time in comparison to other systems (even though they were low resolution)
had three main competitors at the time: Video Pinball (coin operated), Odyssey (Created by Ralph Baer), and Magnavox Odyssey 2
Ted Dabney helped Nolan Bushnell with funding the company before his untimely death in 1981
There are lots of things that can go in your compost pail, and even more that should not go in there.
It can seem like a daunting task to start composting, but it’s actually a really easy process. Follow these steps to start:
Find a compostable pail. If you’re buying one new, look for a bucket that has air holes in the plastic lid and has handles made of metal or thick string. Metal is usually better because it won’t rust or melt when it comes into contact with the composting matter. The material of the bucket itself doesn’t matter as long as you can recycle or reuse it.
Make sure your pail is large enough to hold all of your organic waste—you don’t want to have to keep emptying it before your compost is ready! Check out this diagram for reference:
It looks pretty heavy and complicated, but don’t worry—it’s not! You just need five easy things: water, carbon (browns), nitrogen (greens), air, and heat
You should aerate your compost by turning it every few days, and make sure it stays moist but not wet.
Composting is a good idea, but it can be tricky. There are lots of different ways to compost, and the first one you try is probably not the best for your situation. Here are some tips to get you started:
Start small. You don’t need a fancy compost bin if all you want to do is spread out your food scraps in an area outside. For smaller amounts, just use a plastic bag zipped up so that air can circulate in it and sprinkle in your scraps as they get collected by your little worm army (not worms plural; there are no worms in this mixture). If you want to be really green and not have anything go into the landfill, then follow what’s called “single-stream” composting: put all the scraps, including meat, dairy products (eek!), coffee grounds and teabags in one bag at once, then turn it occasionally so that everything gets exposed to air without becoming too wet or moldy.
Rotate your ingredients regularly. This may sound obvious but might surprise people who think green compost only needs enough water to keep things from smelling bad! If you’re using a container outdoors that has drainage holes for excess water and drainage around the edges, give it an occasional shake or turn every week or two to avoid excess moisture buildup.
If you’re using a bin indoors under artificial lights such as fluorescent or LED bulbs (which make plants grow much better than incandescent bulbs), add half of its contents for every week that passes; otherwise half of its contents for every month.
As with any new endeavor involving growing things from scratch indoors, start slow—don’t expect perfect results right away! And make sure to always keep these things in mind when starting any new gardening project: Keep it well-ventilated so things don’t overheat; rearrange planters so that plants have some variety; rotate crops regularly because they’ll compete with each other if left alone too long; keep garden tools sharpened and
Your compost is ready when it’s dark and crumbly, and has a pleasant smell.
In the world of composting, there are many different kinds of compost. Knowing the difference between them can be crucial in your decision-making process.
What Kind Of Compost Should I Make?
In general, compost is categorized into one of four main categories:
Hot Compost – Mostly used for container plants and vegetables that like to be kept warm (i.e., tomatoes). This type of compost uses added sources of nitrogen such as dog/cat poop or blood meal to jumpstart the decomposition process, which makes it good for early spring planting. It should resemble a hot bowl of soup when you are done with it (hot)!*
Hot Compost – This is made using high-nitrogen materials such as dog or cat manure, blood meal and fish emulsion.* Cold Compost – This type is generally made from grass clippings and dead leaves, which are both low in nutrients.* Worm Bin Compost – The great thing about vermicomposting is you don’t have to worry about it getting too hot! You’ll just have to keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t dry out too much. Be sure that if you are making winter bin at home it does not get too cold (below 50 degrees Fahrenheit).
There are lots of ways to get started in composting
Composting is a great way to reduce the amount of waste you send to your local landfill, and it’s also a fun activity for people of all ages. For those with children interested in helping out around the house, there are lots of great things to do with composting.
Although you don’t need a big yard or even any outdoor space, you can still get started with composting. Even if you live in an apartment building without any nearby parks or gardens, you can put together your own urban compost site on your balcony or patio! It’s surprising how much food waste (and garden waste) people who live in apartments usually have. The idea of adding all this waste to their regular trash isn’t something that many apartment dwellers think about, but it’s actually an excellent thing to do.
Whether you live in the city or the country side, there are numerous options for composting that will help ensure that organic matter doesn’t end up as garbage. One common place to set up a new compost pile is at community gardens where many people gather every week to work on their gardening projects. At these sites, gardeners can share tips and learn from each other while working together towards common goals—including reducing food waste and making sure all organic matter gets recycled into something useful.
So why should everyone be interested in composting? There are lots of reasons actually!