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A Garden Pond With Goldfish
Goldfish ponds are a beautiful addition to any garden and a stunning focal point. Goldfish ponds have been admired in Asia for centuries, especially in China and Japan....read more on organic gardening
Aerated Compost Tea, The New Organic Fertilizer
Organic gardeners all know compost is fantastic stuff. But now, there's something even better and that's compost tea. If you start with a good compost you'll...read more on organic gardening
Organic Garden Fertilizer is Good for Plants and the Environment
Why use organic garden fertilizers? It's common sense. Organic garden fertilizer is good fertilizer -- good for your plants, good for you, and good for the environment.
...read more on organic gardening
Ten Steps To A Healthy Lawn
A simple, "preventative maintenance" lawn care plan will keep your lawn in top shape all year 'round (NC)-Just follow these 10 easy steps to keep your lawn ...read more on organic gardening
Gardening In A Square Foot
If you haven’t heard of square foot gardening, you’re about to learn one of the most useful and versatile gardening techniques ever created. Conceived by Mel Bartholomew,...read more on organic gardening
In Search Of The Best Gardening Tools
There are different kinds of gardens that require different
kinds of garden tools. There are shops for garden tools that
cater to all kinds of gardens and others specialize...read more on organic gardening
Organic Roses in the Flower Garden Part 1
Many people believe growing their flowers and vegetables organically is healthier for them and their environment. It is natural that you may wish to grow your roses this...read more on organic gardening
Grow Organic Vegetables
There are more reasons than ever why anybody with access to a few square feet of the outdoors should grow their own organic vegetables. You may be shocked at how much of...read more on organic gardening
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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.
About the Author
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.
Written by: Dean Novosat
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