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Composting: How Organic Gardeners Let it Rot and Make Homegrown Humus
“ How Organic Gardeners Let it Rot and Make Homegrown Humus” shows you how to take nature’s way of recycling organic matter and give it a boost. By creating the ideal conditions for decomposition, composting systems speed up the process, turning kitchen scraps and yard waste into high-quality humus in a matter of weeks. This “black gold” can then be used to amend the soil, which increases its ability to hold water and nutrients. #1 bestselling author Gaia Rodale gives you the information you need to pick the right composting system for your garden, build it out, and manage it to maximize the composting process. From outlining the different ways to compost to explaining how composting works, everything you need to turn kitchen scraps and yard waste into good old fashioned dirt is on these pages. After reading this guide, you will • Why composting is important to organic gardeners, and may be one of the best examples of the concept, Reduce, Recycle, Reuse. • The most important factors for successful composting, there’s more to it that tossing scraps onto a pile in the backyard • What can be composted and what can’t, this is super important for the health of you garden and your family • The difference between hot and cold composting, the time difference here is amazing • What vermicomposting is and when it is beneficial, this method is great for people with little space and can even be done completely indoors • The different types of composting systems, yes there is more than one • How long it takes to create high quality compost, the varies widely based on the method you use By the end of this book you will know the different types of composting and how they work, the benefits and drawbacks of each, the different types of composting systems and which of those systems is best for you. You will also know what you can and can’t compost and how to diagnose the most common backyard composting issues.
- GenresGardening
40 pages, Paperback
First published August 23, 2014
23 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 20, 2022
This book is ideal for absolute beginners - the ones who may have thought about it but haven't yet taken any steps towards implementing a composting regime. She reviews the range of equipment available, assessing the pros and cons of each in a simple and straightforward (and as far as I can determine - accurate) style.
The book is extremely light on the science that underpins this wonder of nature, so it's a book about how to do composting and why you should think about composting , rather than a book about the processes taking place in a compost heap.
If you're already composting but want to know more about what's going on in there, I'd give this one a miss. For the right audience though, it's a worthy contender.
The book is extremely light on the science that underpins this wonder of nature, so it's a book about how to do composting and why you should think about composting , rather than a book about the processes taking place in a compost heap.
If you're already composting but want to know more about what's going on in there, I'd give this one a miss. For the right audience though, it's a worthy contender.
August 29, 2020
Not much here…find a good blog post on the subject e.g. https://learn.eartheasy.com/guides/co...
May 15, 2015
Composting
Before I left the USA to teach English in China, I crashed at a friend’s house, trying to find my way. My way led me to her backyard, looking for something to do until I left for my new job. I found myself in the desert of California, trying to turn the desert green. I found that with simple tools, and a whole lot of horse manure, and all the fruit and vegetable scraps I could gather from Costco, and local supermarkets, with the proper soil manipulation, you can produce a bountiful year-round. Since then, I have been reading and researching every book on the market, trying to educate myself the old fashioned way.
This book is not just a book on composting, it is an entire semester course at a University. I wish I knew then, what I know now. But two things are for certain; 1. It doesn’t happen overnight, and 2. You will learn patience while reconnecting to the earth. But uncertain of how long I will be teaching in China, I have already started ‘collecting’ all winter long, and now that the weather has finally warmed up, am getting outside with all the ‘grandmas’ and working my little piece of soil in my neighborhood. This book inspired me to ‘dig in’ and get started now. Make some mistakes now, so that upon my return, I can begin my sustainable permaculture dream, but first I must become sustainable in my daily life.
As a resource, this book is a complete and easy to read, well organized tool that I know I will reference time and again during my gardening journey. After reading this book, you need to start right away, and make some mistakes. My biggest problem with my worm compost bin was that it was too moist, and I had white maggots (don’t be shy, it might happen to you), and flies… I never did exactly figure out the balance while I was home, but watering down my worm compost bin, the little holes I drilled in the bottom of the container… Priceless ‘worm tea’ was harvested weekly that made the tomatoes and the marigolds in the tomato beds thrive.
Thank you for an amazing resource. I will reference this book often!
Before I left the USA to teach English in China, I crashed at a friend’s house, trying to find my way. My way led me to her backyard, looking for something to do until I left for my new job. I found myself in the desert of California, trying to turn the desert green. I found that with simple tools, and a whole lot of horse manure, and all the fruit and vegetable scraps I could gather from Costco, and local supermarkets, with the proper soil manipulation, you can produce a bountiful year-round. Since then, I have been reading and researching every book on the market, trying to educate myself the old fashioned way.
This book is not just a book on composting, it is an entire semester course at a University. I wish I knew then, what I know now. But two things are for certain; 1. It doesn’t happen overnight, and 2. You will learn patience while reconnecting to the earth. But uncertain of how long I will be teaching in China, I have already started ‘collecting’ all winter long, and now that the weather has finally warmed up, am getting outside with all the ‘grandmas’ and working my little piece of soil in my neighborhood. This book inspired me to ‘dig in’ and get started now. Make some mistakes now, so that upon my return, I can begin my sustainable permaculture dream, but first I must become sustainable in my daily life.
As a resource, this book is a complete and easy to read, well organized tool that I know I will reference time and again during my gardening journey. After reading this book, you need to start right away, and make some mistakes. My biggest problem with my worm compost bin was that it was too moist, and I had white maggots (don’t be shy, it might happen to you), and flies… I never did exactly figure out the balance while I was home, but watering down my worm compost bin, the little holes I drilled in the bottom of the container… Priceless ‘worm tea’ was harvested weekly that made the tomatoes and the marigolds in the tomato beds thrive.
Thank you for an amazing resource. I will reference this book often!
June 9, 2015
Quick and easy read. Not a very in-depth look at the subject but it covers pretty much everything it should and does so without wasting time. I would really recommend as a first book on composting, not so much if you've read a lot on the subject already.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews