Planet Veggie Garden

You’re no doubt aware of the climate change issue.

Human contribution (or to use a fancy word – anthropogenic) to climate change is primarily from fossil fuel carbon emissions. Methane gas and nitrous oxide are lesser contributors.

Fossil fuels are made of hydrogen and carbon. When you burn the fuel, carbon combines with oxygen creating carbon dioxide. The excess carbon dioxide produces greenhouses gases. Greenhouses gases trap heat. Mother Earths temperature rises.

Basically, we’re releasing too much carbon into the atmosphere.

Rot your food – reduce your carbon output

If you send your food and plant waste off to a landfill or incinerator, you’ll add carbon and methane emissions. In fact, yard and food waste account for about 30% of waste in the US.

If you compost, you will absorb and lock up carbon.

Compost basics

Composting involves combining high carbon (brown) waste with high nitrogen (green) waste. There isn’t ONE single way, or one specific formula for composting. Here’s A way:
– Put down about an inch of soil or compost. Why? Because it has microorganisms that can get to work.
– Layer in a couple inches of “green” material, then a couple inches of “brown” material.
– Moisten with water.
– Let it rot.

Because oxygen is important to the process, it helps to turn the compost pile every week or so.

If your pile doesn’t get hot enough and decompose fast enough, you can add more “green” (nitrogen) materials.
If your pile smells bad, you can add more “brown” (carbon) materials and be sure it’s adequately aerated and moist, but not soaking wet.

Compost bins

You can pile you materials up, but a container of sort makes it easier to be neat. You can choose a DIY solution or a commercial solution. What you want to accomplish with a bin is primarily weather protection – both wind and rain. Secondarily – pest protection.

DIY compost bins

Some DIY options are:

• Plastic bag: take a typical large garbage bag, layer in your carbons and nitrogens, moisten it, poke a few holes in the side, close it up and you’re done. Check it once a week or so to ensure there’s enough moisture. You can also roll it around to mix it up and aerate it.
• Wood pallets: take 5 wood pallets. One on the ground, four for the sides. Put cardboard or plastic on the bottom. Tie the sides and bottom together.
• Wire fencing: Chicken wire is easy enough to mold. You may need to stake it into place.

Commercial bins

There are two types of commercial bins… standup bins and rotating bins.

Standup compost bin

Tumbler compost bin

Stand up bins are fairly basic. It’s easy to throw stuff in, not so easy to get your pitchfork in there and turn the compost.

Tumbler type bins allow you to turn the bin itself… no need for a pitchfork. Generally, tumblers compost faster. Not because there’s anything inherently better about them, but because you can so easily turn them. With a stand up bin, the turning just doesn’t get done frequently enough.

Next up: Indoor composting

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