The Garden Organic Guide to Making Compost Recycling Household and Garden Waste

by Pears, Pauline; Green, Charlotte

• ISBN13: 9781844484652
• ISBN10: 1844484653
• Edition: Illus.
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-10-01
• Publisher: Search Pr Ltd

Summary

The experts at home composting, Garden Organic has helped many thousands of people to make good compost. Simply and clearly written, this book shows you how to recycle household and garden waste, whether you own a balcony, a small plot or an allotment. All aspects of successful composting are covered, from what you can compost to how to use the end product, and how to complement compost with naturally grown green manures.

Author Biography

Pauline Pears has been involved in the practice and promotion of organic gardening for more than 20 years. She is the author of All About Compost, The Garden Organic Guide to Growing Vegetables, and Pests: How to Control Them on Fruit & Vegetables.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 4
Why recycle organic waste?	p. 6
Nine good reasons why you should recycle organic waste
What you can compost	p. 8
The most common materials that will compost
What you cannot compost	p. 10
Materials that will not compost, but may be recycled
Compost bins	p. 12
What makes a good compost bin
Illustrations of many homemade and commercial compost bins
Waste materials and how they compost	p. 16
Household, garden and farm wastes
Activators, the rate of decomposition and the effect on the growth of plants
How to make compost	p. 22
The bit-by-bit heap
Trenching
Making quick compost, with step-by-step instructions
Composting in hot and cold climates	p. 26
How weather affects composting
Worms that gobble waste	p. 28
Worms
Starting a worm bin
Feeding your worms
Problem solving
How to use compost	p. 30
How to apply compost
How much to use
Where to use it
How to make and use leaf mould	p. 32
The benefits of leaf mould in the garden
Lawns and grass mowings	p. 34
Mowing
Recycling as a mulch
Adding to the compost
Turning your lawn into a wild flower meadow
Hedge clippings and prunings	p. 36
Composting
Using shredders
Mulching
Seed and potting composts	p. 38
Homemade mixes
Compost recipes
Making your own loam
Pasteurising soil
Comfrey	p. 40
All about a remarkable plant
Green manures	p. 41
Details of twelve green manures
How to grow them
How they affect the soil and your crops
Other ways to recycle household waste	p. 44
Make your own seed trays and pots from household waste
Use throw-aways to create useful objects	p. 44
Index	p. 47
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