Patriot Products 5F, 6F, 8F, 10F manual Bitten by the Bug?, Landscape & Garden, Composting

Bitten by the Bug?

•“The Rodale Book of Composting,” by the editors of Rodale Press.

•“The Mulch Book,” by Stu Campbell (Storey Publishing).

•“Worms Eat My Garbage,” by Mary Apelhof (Flower).

•“Yardening,” by Jeff and Liz Ball (MacMillan).

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❻WHAT TO DO WITH THE STUFF NOW THAT IT’S ALL

CHIPPED & SHREDDED

The chips, shreds and mulch you make are valuable organic materials for your lawn and garden. Put them to good and immediate use—even if you are not an avid green thumb-er.

Landscape & Garden

Use the reduced materials to make a garden path and to edge saplings or shrubs. An inch or so holds in moisture, moderates temperatures and erosion, and reduces weed and turf growth. They also protect exposed root systems and tender bulbs from unpredictable elements.

Composting

Whole books have been written on the subject. A good compost pile will not— contrary to popular opinion—smell like a landfill and attract critters. One rule of thumb for a proper pile is, “Equal weights of green and brown help to break the microbes down.” (Note well the word weights, as opposed to parts!)

Your basic compost pile is a three layer salad that is 4’ x 4’ x 4’. Simply put it in a pile, or dig a pit or a trench. Some fancy containers speed things along and look nicer.

Things you can’t use? Animal wastes, bones and meat scraps.

BROWN, 3” - 5”

Some old leaves or twiggy brush on the bottom helps air enter the pile.

GREEN, 3” - 5”

Leafy, non-woody stuff. Include grass clippings and kitchen scraps. But no meat, fat or dairy products.

SOIL OR COMPOST STARTER, 1”

This layer of micro-organisms does the dirty work. If you’re so inclined, a handful of granular fertilizer jump starts it, feeding the organisms.

Wet the pile as needed to keep the center the consistency of a damp sponge. Continue to add layers until it is up to four feet high and deep. Turn the pile once a week or so with a shovel or pitch fork.

Turning and wetting the pile is what the pros call “fast” or “hot” composting, with temperatures inside the pile reaching 160° F.

How Long Until Soup’s On?

Depending on how well it is tended, in two to four weeks the compost is ready for use in your garden. Better still, you can’t “spoil” the recipe. If offending odors emerge, it may be due to too

much moisture, green materials, or critter droppings. Mix in more brown, turn the pile often, or cover it with plastic to keep it dry.