Composting Made Easy

Use Your Compost As Tea? Yes and see how easy it is to do

By Jay North of www.GoingOrganic.com  

Composting is the simple act of recycling and it’s as easy to do as taking out the garbage! 

Whether we grow our own food and seek to be more self-sufficient or shop at our local neighborhood grocer, we all eat off the land. Duh--no question here!  But, what we feed Mother Earth affects what we have to eat, so understanding what she needs to stay healthy is essential.  The best way I’ve found to keep Mother Earth healthy is to feed her exactly what she craves.  Food for the earth consists of the components that it requires giving us back high quality, consumable organic produce, herbs, and beautiful fruits and flowers. 

Nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, potash and calcium are all essential to growing quality organic crops in the garden and in the field.  Each of these components either can be drawn from a compost bin, thereby re-using quality natural products, or from a bag or box from a chemical company, thereby introducing harsh chemicals to our food…  The choice is ours to make. 

Modern science has developed chemicals that appear to be simpler than composting or using natural fertilizers, but remember the earth responds better and with much more long term benefit with exactly what it craves--products from nature.

Organic gardeners and farmers elect natural products, rather than risk introducing harsh chemicals into the food chain and underground water supply. 

Composting is the simple act of recycling, and it’s as easy to do as taking out the garbage!  Not everyone wants to grow their own garden; not everyone CAN grow their own food.  But everyone can seek out organically grown products at the grocer.  Those of us who do garden or farm, know the pure joy of growing one’s own food and the pleasure of beautiful landscapes that we’ve created for ourselves, not to mention the exercise and extra vitamins we get from the sun. 

Composting is an important ingredient to a successful organic garden and is done by simply creating a box or a space for table scraps of vegetables and fruits and adding whatever you can find in the neighborhood to add nutrients.  If you live near where livestock in raised, sold, bred or kept, ask the owner of the property if you can collect some of the manure.  Cows, horses, chickens, pigeons, doves, rabbits, and pigs all create natural material tailor-made for your compost heap.  Even your morning coffee grounds are great material for your compost bin; as are your fall leaf droppings from trees.  Add all the organic matter you can to your compost bin.   

Here are a few tips for composting: 

1   Yes, it smells and attracts flies.  By hanging a non-toxic pest strip nearby, you can reduce infestation of pest, and once compost breaks down, pests are no longer a major problem.   

2   Be sure to place your compost bin as far away from the house as possible.  Or if you live in an apartment and just want to start composting, do it under the kitchen sink. Later use your composted materials for house plants--indoors 

3   Turn the material in your compost bin to allow for air circulation and to heat what may be too low or too high in the bin to break down quickly. 

4   Building the bin is easily done with recycled chain link fence, wooden pallets, or a plastic barrel.   

5   If you must, you can purchase ready-made organic compost such as Bumper Crop from your local garden shop.  Whether you buy it or make it yourself, add compost to your garden area in spring and winter. It works very well to feed indoor plants too. 

6   When you add the compost, also consider adding decomposing pine needles, straw, wood chips, fish guts, fallen leaves, fireplace ashes and decomposed seaweed.  Many of these contain essential minerals that actually create the flavor of the foods you eat, or add color to the pretty things that we’re growing. 

7   Large-scale growers should first gather all the free compost materials possible. Then seek low cost items next. 

Compost Tea 

Now, here is the twist you have been asking yourself while reading this short article. Compost Tea? Yes, just don’t drink it! 

Once your composts breaks down—becomes a light soil it is ready to use as a fertilizing tea. 

Your compost bin makes wonderful natural fertilizer for your plants to help them grow a little quicker and add essential soil nutrients at the same time. Use your compost to make the Tea and pour the content around your plants. Also add to a spray bottle to spray on the leaves.

Here’s how its done.

Use a bucket or a drum, depending on the size of your garden, the amount of plants you have, and the possible depletion of the soil (natural nutrient content). Large gardens with lots of plants -  you better use a 55 gallon drum.

Fill the container 3/4s full with water from a hose. Use your compost materials to fill the container the rest of the way to full--but not to the top, you need room for stirring.

Let the mixture stand for five days in the sun. Mix with a gardening pitchfork once or twice each day. The heat from the sun will cook it down.

Use a small water bucket to pour the contents around each plant, but use only a small amount each time.

Here’s an extra hint! Add chicken or rabbit droppings and fish remains to make your tea a little stronger, your plants will love it--just watch how green they get.

Finally, don’t forget to talk to your plants in soft loving tone of voice--science has proven, plants respond well to good energy. 

I remember when living near the polo fields in Santa Barbara, California.  The management there was always happy to see our truck leave every week with a fresh load from the horse stalls.  You will be surprised how people will help you by providing composting materials, if you just ask. 

The circle of life begins by feeding the earth.  I hope you remember to give Mother Earth what she craves most – the natural goodness from compost--and she will continue to supply you in return.  

Happy Growing.   

Jay North is a pioneer in the organic farming industry.  He authored Getting Started In Organic Gardening for Fun And Profit, as a means of sharing his philosophy of renewal and self-sustained living.  He is an internationally recognized authority in organic gardening and farming.  Contact Jay at   www.GoingOrganic.com.  Jay North is an internationally recognized expert in organic gardening and farming. He has traveled the world preaching the benefits of natural growing, both for the Earth and Humans alike. “Eat Organic,” it’s your best bet. Contact Jay through his website at www.GoingOrganic.com