Are you looking for ways to support greener living? If so, then one of the best decisions that you can make is to start to compost. Composting is a way to make use of many of the kitchen, yard and garden wastes to enrich the soil around the home. Even yesterday\’s newspaper can be added to the pile as long as the colored papers and slick print ads are removed. In addition, composting can help to lower the amount of garbage the home sends to the landfill.

Practically any organic material can be added to the heap. This includes grass clippings, leaves, food scraps, pet waste and last year\’s garden plants. The process breaks all these down into a dark rich additive that can make nearly any soil do a better job at feeding the plants that grow in it. (Think= less waste, better garden!)

The simplest way to compost is in a no turn pile. With this pile, the material is layered lasagna style. Place about a foot of organic material in a heap that is a minimum of three feet by three feet. Cover with soil. Add another foot of the organic material and cover with soil. Continue to add to the heap until the organic material is all used up. The pile should not be packed as the organisms that break down the material will need air. Keep the pile moist and in about six months, the compost will be ready for use. For fastest composting, leaves should be shredded and limbs should be chipped.

A bin with a door at the bottom can allow the owner to remove compost from the bottom while still adding more materials to the top. Once again, it is important to keep the pile moist and avoid packing the materials.
While it is possible to compost bones and meat scraps, many people recommend that they not be added to the compost as the breakdown can become very smelly and may attract animals to the compost pile. Composters who choose to add these materials should be sure that they are always covered with other materials to prevent problems with smells. If raccoons or other animals become a problem, be sure that the compost bin is fitted with a lid that can be securely closed.

In order for composting to work correctly, the organisms produce a lot of heat. It is normal for the temperature inside the pile to reach 170 F inside the bin even on a cold winter day. These temperatures can cause steam to rise out of the heap, but they are also necessary to kill any seeds of weeds that would otherwise cause a problem in the garden.

So, for those of you that are considering becoming more environmentally conscious, composting can be a great way to start. Not only will you be reducing the waste that continually adds to our landfills each year, but you will also be producing a nutrient-rich soil that you can use in and around your home!

Author Bio: Heather Mitchell is a newly featured author for http://www.UniqueLightFixture.com where you can find the best selection of truly unique light fixtures.

Category: Advice
Keywords: home improvement, compost, green living