The Compost Mixture
• Some of the benefits of composting are reduction in diseases and wilts; a slow release of nutrients, moisture conservation, and improved tilth. It promotes a greater diversity of soil organisms that serve to "innoculate" your plants from a number of problems.
• It can be applied in a number of different ways. Mixed in as an ammendment, top dressing for slow realease and mulching benifit, even made into "tea" as a root feed or tonic.
• The process of composting is the breaking down by bacteria, mixtures of nitrogen-rich materials aka "Greens" with carbon-rich materials aka "Browns".
• Examples of "Greens/Nitrogen Rich" things would be: freshly cut grass, used coffee grounds, seaweed, spent flower blooms,tea leaves or vegetables and peelings. Basicly most organic, growing things that are still fresh and moist.
• Examples of "Browns/Carbon Rich" things would be: paper, fall leaves, straw, sawdust, shredded newspaper or woodchips. Basicly any dry or woody/twig types of things.
Good browns, all readily available, most for free
• Old 100% cotton clothes especially whites w/ no dyes.
• Laundry lint from drying cotton clothes (don't include any fabric softener sheets)
• Floor sweepings
• Black and white newsprint (preferably shredded - goes quicker - and preferably printed w/ soy-based ink - no heavy metals...)
• Brown paper bags from grocery store
• Torn/shredded carboard: brown boxes, brown packing tubes, toilet paper and paper towel rolls, tubes egg cartons (avoid printed, glossy or refined looking boxes, etc: cereal boxes would be bad, generic brown shipping boxes good)
• Cotton-based and paper-based kleenexes and paper towels
• Aged twigs: break 'em up as small as you can
• Aged wood chips (smaller and older the better)
• Sawdust from untreated lumber (check with a lumber yard)
• Wood ashes in VERY SMALL doses. Not barbecue charcoal ashes though!!! Too many heavy metals and carcinogens. Throw BBQ ashes in the trash and don't dump anywhere on your, or anyone else's, property.
• Straw
• Dried grass: either mow and dry or rake up dead grass from the lawn
• Dead leaves(though not those from diseased plants)
Greens that are easy to come by
• Grass clippings: These will mat together so mix well with the browns as you add to the pile)
• Plant prunings: Don't add prunings from diseased plants as some of the diseases may survive the composting process.
• Spent flowers: Avoid adding flowerheads that have gone to seed for obvious reasons.
• Coffee grounds: Your own or call the local coffee house/diner to collect theirs.
• Kitchen scraps: Very seedy items need to be composted in hot piles to avoid having many volunteer plants sprouting. Also anything that will root such as potato skins and onions unless they're very finely chopped or mushed in the processor.
• Corn husks are good greens. Many grocery stores will put a garbage can by their corn displays, this "garbage" is often free for the asking.
• Barnyard animal manures: Cow, horse, chicken, goat, sheep, and rabbit are good. Again, bury these well to avoid unwanted visitors (especially flies...). NEVER use dog, cat, or human manure/feces as they may contain pathogens or diseases that could be harmful.
• Green "manures": Alfalfa hay, vetch, winter rye, several legumes and clovers are good sources of Nitrogen either as cover crops for the garden (during winter) or cut and put in the pile.
• Fish parts: Scales, bones, heads, and other seafood scraps. Don't use these unless you have a very large pile and are willing to bury these in the center where it's hot or your furry four legged neighbours will stop by for a feast.
• Egg shells: Put these in the food processor with other kitchen scraps to create a slush or chop/smash them to a fine powder or they'll stick around forever. This isn't really a green but it is a good source of calcium for plants, especially for tomatoes.
I started Auto's Hydroponically, but I have noticed by viewing many pics that soil looks like the option that gives a better bushier yield. So I have been looking at using soil instead of hydro. I have been considering a large gravel tray grow, allowing the roots as much horizontal growth space as they want. Currently my roots are in water, so drainage does not seem to be an issue with a gravel tray.
