Spring is here! Time to get
the plastic off the windows,
clean up the yard, and get
that composter up and
running.
Some people believe
composting is a lot of work.
Fortunately, this is a myth.
Successful composting is
as easy as adding layers, to
provide a carbon: nitrogen
mix. Add a layer of brown
material (carbon, from dried
leaves, brown grass or even
shredded paper), and then a
layer of green material
(nitrogen, from fruit and
vegetable scraps, plant
cuttings, etc.). The pile
should be aerated or turned
once a week to allow
oxygen to circulate.
A composter should be
placed in a sunny location,
to help the process. Water
may be required, to ensure
that the pile remains moist.
If it dries out, all activity
stops.
With the ongoing garbage
crisis, we all need to do our
part for the environment.
Canadians produce an
average of I tonne of waste
per person per year.
Removing fruit and
vegetable matter from
household garbage can not
only reduce the amount
going to landfill by 30% to
50%, it also reduces the
smell. Rotting organic
material is what causes
garbage to smell- and what
attracts unwanted pests. A
properly aerated composter
will not smell.
Composting. turns organic waste into a nutrient-rich soil amendment
that can be spread directly onto flowerbeds and gardens.
To increase the rate of
composting, consider
adding worms to the pile -
Red Wigglers, that is. These
"wonders of nature" not
only speed up the process,
they also aerate the pile, and
add valuable nutrients to the
finished compost. Worms
turn organic matter into
nutrient-rich castings - one
of the best organic
fertilizers available.
Vermicomposting is a
good alternative for those
who do not have the space
for traditional backyard
composting, since it can be
done indoors - year-round.
For more information about
vermicomposting, attend
one of the demonstrations
in the area planned by
Cathy's Crawly Composters.
- Bond Head & District
Horticultural Soc. meeting
at the Danube Seniors
Leisure Centre on April
24th,. 7 ;30 p.m. Membership
$5 per person, $8 per
couple.
- Clean Up and Green Up at
the Sharon Arena, May 3rd
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. A chance to
recycle non-blue box items,
including grocery bags,
plastic wrap, elastics, fastfood
containers and
styrofoam. Free Admission.
- Windfall Eco-Festival at
Fairy Lake Park in
Newmarket, May 31 st- June
1st, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Free Admission. A Spring
Perennial Swap will take
place at the Eco-Festival -
bring ready-to-swap, readyto-
plant perennials, and take
home a selection from a
wide variety of garden delights,
from Bachelor Button
to Evening Primrose.
For more information on
composting and vermicomposting,
visit www.cathyscomposters.com or
call 905-775-9495.
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