Earth-Friendly Friday

Compost made EZ

Why fill up the landfills and then have to go buy garden soil--when you can use your leftover table scraps and grass clippings to make your own soil.

"Gardeners know the best dirt", at least that's what people say, but I'd say "Gardeners soil themselves".

I hate to call rich organic materials mere "dirt". It sounds so much better as "soil". And, if you want to make some of your own, all you need is some garbage or leftover fruit and vegetable trimmings. Don't use meat or dairy products - they attract rodents. All living things will decompose and to help it along its way to becoming that rick, dark, crumbly mixture of organic material gardeners are always searching for, you simply need to mix one to two parts carbon-rich materials ("browns") or fall leaves with ("greens") grass clippings or left over fruit and vegetables.

You can start by keeping a jar by the sink, with a nice lid to keep the "aroma" inside the jar. Toss your coffee grinds, peels and other "waste" into the jar. When the jar is full take it outside to a bin and dump the organic material inside. If you can turn the materials, with a pitchfork, that will help accelerate the process. And keep the mixture damp, by simply adding a little water - think of it as "watering your garden" in process.

It takes a while for the materials to turn into soil but it's worth it. You'll be creating great garden material and saving the planet at the same time.

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