Periodically adding a thin layer of sawdust
or peat moss supposedly helps to prevent smells. In our kitchen,
we've found that covering the compost bucket is no alternative to
emptying it. When incorporating kitchen wastes into a compost pile,
spread them thinly and cover with an inch or two of leaves, dry
grass, or hay to adsorb wetness and prevent access by flies. It may
be advisable to use a vermin-tight composting bin.
_Granite dust._ See _Rock dust._
_Grape wastes._ See _Apple pomace._
_Grass clippings._ Along with kitchen garbage, grass clippings are
the compostable material most available to the average homeowner.
Even if you (wisely) don't compost all of your clippings (see
sidebar), your foolish neighbors may bag theirs up for you to take
away. If you mulch with grass clippings, make sure the neighbors
aren't using "weed and feed" type fertilizers, or the clippings may
cause the plants that are mulched to die. Traces of the those types
of broadleaf herbicides allowed in "weed and feed" fertilizers, are
thoroughly decomposed in the composting process.
It is not necessary to return every bit of organic matter to
maintain a healthy lawn. Perhaps one-third to one-half the annual
biomass production may be taken away and used for composting without
seriously depleting the lawn's vigor--especially if one application
of a quality fertilizer is given to the lawn each year.
Pages:
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106