Compost The natural way to make food for your garden
By Ken Thompson
DK ADULT | ISBN: 0756613418 | 2007 | True PDF | 192 pages | 28.15mb
The most practical book that all gardeners have been waiting for!
This fun and informative guide shows how to make the best compost using ingredients that are easily found around the house.Ken Thompson writes regular columns for organic gardening magazines, has published over a hundred articles and is the author of 'An Ear to the Ground: Gardens Science for Ordinary Mortals'.
Contents
8–61 Understanding compost:the right stuff
What is compost; why you should bother to make it; the science part—basic
factors at work in the composting process; suitable ingredients, how much
to use, and what to leave out; the importance, or not, of temperature.
62–95 Making compost:paper, prunings, and patience
The problems with classic compost-making; compost for realists; using soft
waste; dealing with a glut of grass mowings; what to do with woody waste
and tree leaves; handy tools.
96–145 Compost bins:wood, wire, and worms
Why you may want to have a bin; choosing a bin; the pros and cons of plastic
and wooden bins; making your own bins, from chicken wire to straw; whether
to cover the compost; tumbler bins; where to put your bin; the more bins, the
merrier; exploiting the hot stuff; worm bins.
146–165 Using compost:digging is for dummies
When compost is ready; where to use it; reasons not to dig; the marvels
of mulch; making potting mix.
166–181 No pile? No problem:grow your own compost
Other ways of recycling your garden waste; growing green manures
to feed the soil.
182 Troubleshooting
186 Useful addresses
188 Index
192 Acknowledgments
