Make the Most Out of Compost with Inground Irrigation
If you're already going green with eco-friendly inground sprinkler systems from Nutri-Lawn Ottawa, why not go one step further? Compost makes a great fertilizer that's effective, easy to create, and entirely harmless to your pets, children, and environment. Not everyone knows how to compost, though, and many homeowners believe it to be a far more daunting task than it is. If you're interested in complementing your Nutri-Lawn Ottawa inground irrigation systems with compost, read on for tips to make it possible.
Compost the right materials
While many organic materials can be composted, there are some that should be kept far away from your bin. Meats, fish, dairy, bones, and eggs are kitchen waste that will not do well in your compost bin. Oil and grease, whether on your food or alone, should not be put in your compost either. Pet waste, weedy plants, diseased plants, plants with fungi, and plants with pesticide residues also don't make the cut for your composter.
Most other organic material can be put in your compost, though. Vegetable scraps, fruit leftovers and peels, egg and nut shells, animal fur, hair, grass clippings, coffee grinds and filters, tea leaves or bags, paper, newspaper, paper rolls, paper towels, woodchips, plant trimmings, hay, straw, and sawdust all make great contributions to your composter. These materials are divided into green and brown categories.
The green category contains increased levels of nitrogen. Items in this are the fresh materials: wet grass clippings, fresh plant trimmings, food scraps, etc. The brown category contains the dry materials, like dead plant clippings or dried grass, paper, and so on. These contain high levels of carbon. Both carbon and nitrogen are essential nutrients that assist your inground sprinkler systems in creating a healthy root system for your grass.
Layer your compost
Layering your compost is important to the health and effectiveness of the decaying materials. Your compost should start on top of a pile of twigs or straw in order to allow an escape route for liquids from the decomposing materials. This liquid will then be washed away by your inground irrigation system so that smell doesn't develop. Begin layering your compost with green, or wet, materials on the bottom with a layer of dry, brown materials on top. As you add compost, make sure you continue to layer in this way to avoid attracting flies and prevent unfavourable odours.
Water your compost with inground irrigation
For your compost to decay properly, it needs moisture and heat. Let your inground irrigation run over your compost heap whenever the moisture begins to evaporate. Keeping your compost heap covered will help retain the nourishment from your inground sprinkler system so that you can conserve water.
Nitrogen is essential
As mentioned, green materials contain high amounts of nitrogen. Nitrogen is an essential element to hasten the process of decay, and should supplement your inground irrigation in order to get the most out of your compost. Collect wet grass clippings when you mow your lawn to add to your compost pile for that necessary dose of nitrogen.
That being said, you want to have more carbon products than nitrogen. Nitrogen is important to keep the process moving, but too much and you'll end up with a heavy, malodorous, liquid mess. To get a good balanced fertilizer to complement your inground sprinkler systems, Nutri-Lawn Ottawa recommends keeping a ratio of 1/3 green, nitrogen-filled material with 2/3 brown, carbon-filled materials.
Are you ready to get started on your eco-friendly Nutri-Lawn Ottawa inground irrigation system to complement your compost program? Contact Nutri-Lawn Ottawa today to get a complimentary consultation.