Tag: how to compost

3 Ways to Compost

Disclaimer: Some products listed below I have an affiliate link for. This does not change my opinion of them! 

Composting is important for not only improving soil quality but for saving the environment. This is important for the biodiversity of our ecosystem. 

Regardless of whether you live in an apartment or a farm, composting is able to be done. 

Here I will show you how to compost in any situation you may have!

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What is the best way to compost at home?

This is very dependent on where you live and the lifestyle you live. Living somewhere like a homeowners association may make composting impossible due to the rules and regulations around it. Services like Kaimuki Compost Collective can make this doable for you. 

For me, I like to use the compost bin I built myself. It allows me the freedom to easily compost. Many people do hot composting; however, this can be more complicated.

A compost bin can make this simple for just about anyone. Whether you purchase or build one, these make composting a breeze. 

Hot composting is a science and you should research it. This method makes composting quicker than regular. 

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What is the easiest way to compost?

Personally, I like just tossing everything into a bin. But, the correct way is to make sure you have an adequate mixture to reduce any potential smells and to have a good balance. 

There are a few methods, but having a turning bin can make it easiest for most. Your compost should be turned at least once a week!

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What household items can be composted?

Composting can seem daunting and many really wonder what can be composted. With regular everyday composting, the list is pretty basic. 

  • Food scraps except those that are animal products
  • Paper products such as non-glossy cardboard and plain paper
  • Eggshells
  • Coffee grounds
  • Yard waste

There are other composting methods that allow you to compost animal products such as meat. This is called Bokashi. This method uses fermentation to make breaking down bones and meat quicker.

You can purchase a Bokashi composting bin and get started with it to help lessen your food waste even more. 

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Can you compost when you live in an apartment?

Composting inside an apartment can add extra work to the composter. It is doable, however. Bokashi composting or finding a composting service would be the best method for you. 

Finding a compost drop-off can be easily done. Litterless has a comprehensive list online of sites that accept compost items. 

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Conclusion

Composting can be a great way to reduce your environmental impact. Taking your food waste and turning it into nutrient-rich soil is important as our earth is in a soil crisis. 

Composting can be done in a variety of ways, from Bokashi to just a plain bin. Regardless of your method, it is the best way to help reduce your environmental impact!

Happy Planting!

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How to Make a Sustainable Garden

In these more recent times, the idea of having your own sustainable garden is seemingly more and more appealing every day. For some, this can seem like such a daunting task. 

Many of my friends are really starting to ask me often, “How to make a sustainable garden.”

Honestly, there are many easy and free ways to make a garden.

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What is a sustainable garden? 

Well, this question is sort of loaded depending on who you ask. By definition alone, a sustainable garden. . . well sustains itself. This means, if you did not touch it, it could in theory thrive. 

Personally, I view sustainability as a way of living and therefore, a sustainable garden does not interfere with the nature around it. I try to work with everything into my garden in a way that is a sort of permaculture. 

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What does a sustainable garden look like? 

There are a few features that almost every garden can have to make it far more sustainable than what we view in our everyday lives. 

  • Biodiversity
  • No chemical pesticides or herbicides 

We here love a biodiverse garden where we use companion planting as a means to prevent pests in our plants. Some of these plants are marigold and dill. A lush and diverse garden to me has always been appealing. 

Not using chemicals has become my latest wish since having kids. Watching my children put everything into their mouths really concerned me since we used a lot of chemical disinfectants. So naturally, I do not use any of these in our garden.

I also compost and try to use reclaimed materials as much as possible. This helps us not only save money but reduce our waste in the long run.

This method also helps us reduce the amount of waste going into landfills!

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Why is a sustainable garden important?

A sustainable garden is important because it focuses on not making a negative impact on our planet. Instead of working against the earth, you are working in sync with it in a way that makes a positive impact. 

The produce from your garden can also taste better, be free of pesticides which in turn benefit you. Pesticides and herbicides run into our water supplies and cause major problems in the local environment. 

Some pesticides even harm bees. Bees are important for gardeners as they help pollinate our fruits. 

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What are the benefits of a sustainable garden? 

The benefits of sustainable gardening outweigh any of the disadvantages many can think of. 

  • Saving money
  • Building a better ecosystem in your soil
  • Healthier and fresher foods
  • Biodiversity 

These in turn help grow you and your family into more rounded people. Your children can learn from the environment around them and gardening is shown to be a fantastic stress relief. 

Methods of sustainable gardening

There are many different teachings to choose from when picking what is right for you and your land. Here are just a few: 

  • No-till
  • Permaculture
  • Hugelkulture 

These are all three fantastic methods but each has its own traits.

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No-till

Also known as ‘lasagna gardening’ this method involves not tilling the earth or disturbing the ground too much. You continue to layer organic matter and let things decay. This can be a wonderful method for the busiest of people. 

However, it comes with its own issues such as the soil needing to be amended more. This though can also be a good thing. Every year your soil will only get better the more you plant!

Permaculture

This is often paired with farm animals so it can be more difficult to do if you do not have any. However, if you are able to have livestock this method is amazing as everything lives in a sort of symbiotic relationship. 

Everything you grow benefits from one another and in turn helps reduce your waste tremendously and thus, is far more sustainable!

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Hugelkulture 

This method is very interesting and cost-effective. It works well if you have really poor soil that you just do not feel comfortable using no-till. 

This method involves building raised beds and then filling the majority of them up with sticks and logs and then topping them with soil. This overtime will break down and feed your garden.

This helps save money because you won’t have to fill the entire bed with soil and won’t need to purchase most soil amendments once the sticks begin breaking down. It is also a very sustainable method since you are using items most people commonly discard. 

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Conclusion

Overall, many people do not think about the waste their garden may produce when they choose to do so. Developing a biodiverse and sustainable garden is important to the overall health of your plants. 

This can be mutually beneficial to both you and the environment around you. Sustainability does not have to be expensive either. 

Happy planting!