Gardening Basics

With all the media hype of late, you've probably heard of the Green Movement, and if you're like most Americans, you'd like to do something to help our planet. One of the first things you can do...

Worm composting, or vermiculture, is an easy way to start composting. Worm composting can be done inside or outside, and if done right it has no odor. Worm composting starts with finding or making...

Compost worms, typically red wigglers or Eisenia fetida, require a hospitable habitat to flourish. The five essentials for their care are appropriate bedding, food, moisture, pH level and...

According to the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, compost is created by the "biological decomposition of organic wastes by bacteria, fungi, worms and other...

Most people assume winter is the end of the gardening season, unless you are willing to invest in a greenhouse. One task that can continue in the winter is composting. Composting is largely a...

Compost is the 'black gold' of the gardening world. If you use it in your garden, your flowers, vegetables, fruit, and herbs will thrive. The best thing is, it's easy to make in your own back yard!

Composting is a wonderful way to do your part for the environment by cutting down on organic waste that typically gets sent off to the landfill and takes up valuable space on our planet. With...

Crimson King maples, originating in Norway, are known for their colorful maroon foliage throughout the summer months, and their fast-growing nature. If you have a Crimson King maple tree that you...

Composting is an effective way to use scraps and clippings to create rich, nutrient-filled soil for gardens. When building a compost pile, it is important to maintain the proper ratio and moisture...

Composting in a preschool classroom can be a fun, hands-on activity to teach students about agriculture, ecology and the environment. The materials needed are simple and easy to find, and every ...

Composting is a great way to reduce the amount of garbage you send to the landfill, and while some may imagine compost bins must be messy and smelly, nothing could be further from the...

Compost is made from a mixture of organic waste--things that would normally be thrown in the trash heap. The resulting mixture is full of microscopic organisms and nutrients that plants love....

Vermicomposting uses worms to help speed up the decaying process of plant materials, so you can use the compost more quickly in your garden. Special types of waste are required to feed and keep...

Composting is a simple, rewarding and beneficial gardening activity. Effective composting requires a mix of garden and kitchen waste, making compost bins an attractive food source for scavengers...

To get started in worm farming, you'll need a bin to raise your red wiggler worms. To get into the green spirit of composting your kitchen scraps, you might try to scrounge up scraps for this worm...

A properly maintained compost pile produces an abundance of organic material by introducing bacteria to an ideal environment of heat and moisture. Once it's established, you need only to turn the...

A compost pile should not have any foul odor. It should give off a simple "earthy" smell of rich soil. If your compost pile is emitting any odor other than that of rich, fresh soil, it is an...

A worm bin is an excellent and inexpensive way to create compost for an urban garden or in an area with limited space. Creating a simple worm bin only takes a few minutes, and it will last as long...

You want compost because you know its good for your garden---but it takes so long to make, you feel you'll never get that good dirt other gardeners boast of creating. Composting requires the...

Composting is an important part of gardening, and for those without enough space to create a large compost bin or area, a worm bin is an excellent and inexpensive solution. Making a worm bin is...

Using earthworms for composting, or vermicomposting, is becoming a popular solution for organic gardeners who want to maximize and simplify their compost efforts. Usually, a vermicompost bin...

Composting your family's food scraps is one of the best ways to lighten your carbon footprint while creating some great soil for your garden. Every year tons of food waste that could be composted...

Vermicomposting, or worm composting, is ideal for people who live in apartments or who have little outdoor space for creating compost piles. It is used in schools to teach children the benefits of...

Anyone with a compost bin may notice swarms of flies moving in. Some will simply congregate around the bin while others might make their way into the house. Although these are not harmful to you...

Composting is an excellent way to recycle fruit, vegetable and yard waste. When composting is done correctly, worms transform the waste into highly nutritious garden or potting soil. A compost...

How I made my compost bin/box. It is relatively easy if you have a basic knowledge of hand tools.

Increased interest in organic, sustainable gardening has revived use of simple animal manure as an effective and safe fertilizer. Chicken manure is cheap and easy to obtain, whether you keep your...

For fast and efficient hot composting, you need to know how to load your compost bin. According to the Washington State University (WSU) Master Gardening program, properly loading with a mixture...

Creating a composting wormery is a great way to speed up the composting process, and to recycle organic wastes and food scraps into usable and potent fertilizer. A wormery can be created easily...

Compost is decomposed vegetative material that enriches garden soil. A traditional compost pile is housed outside, requires regular maintenance, and can smell quite pungent. One alternative to the...

Composting with worms, also called vermiculture, is a simple way to compost fruit and vegetable scraps at home. Red wriggler worms require only bedding, moisture and food. Once established in...

Composting with worms (vermicomposting) produces some of the best fertilizer that can be found. It allows people that don't have the space for a regular compost bin to still compost their waste....

Does the thought of starting a compost pile intimidate you? It is a little work, but well worth the effort. Your fruit and vegetables will be so much more flavorful if they have been composted. ...

Composting is one of the easiest and most rewarding activities you can undertake in the garden. It improves the overall health of your soil and provides valuable nutrients for your plants....

Compost, compost, compost… organic gardening means using compost. But where do you get it? Stores have some in bags, but the cost seems a lot for your needs. Why not make a compost bin of your...

Whether you're an organic gardener looking for an easy way to recycle and replenish your garden, or you simply want a cheap source of excellent fertilizer, a compost bin is a useful addition to...

A compost bin is a structure that holds compost and facilitates the decomposition of organic matter through proper aeration and moisture retention. Bins can be made from several different kinds of...

Worm farms are a great way to enrich your normal compost. The worms feed on rotten vegetables or other garbage in a compost pile, adding nutrients to the soil and eliminating the bad smell of...

Set up a homemade compost bin to turn waste into fertilizer. Spread compost over a garden to add nutrients to the ground instead of buying fertilizer. Store-bought fertilizers often contain...

Yard and food waste, two primary materials for compost bins, account for 23 percent of waste in the U.S. according to the EPA. Placing these items in a compost pile not only reduces the amount of...

Compost is very important for your garden. It provides all the natural minerals and nutrients your plants need to grow. Composting is very hard work and time consuming, depending on the size of...

Composting is a great way to recycle lawn and yard organic waste, kitchen scraps (non-meat or grease) and coffee filters and grounds. Composting breaks down these organic materials into wonderful...

Starting and maintaining a compost bin at home is a way to turn yard and vegetable waste into valuable nutrients for your garden. Compost is created by the breakdown, or rotting, of organic...

Vermicomposting, also called vermiculture or worm composting, is a great way to get started with composting. Even if you live in an apartment or have limited outdoor space, vermicomposting is a...

Composting is a natural process in which yard and food waste are decomposed by bacteria, fungi and other organisms. The compost can then be used as an additive to your soil or as a mulch in your...

You finally did it. You overcame the “Yuck” factor and started a small earthworm bin. Turned out it wasn’t so bad. It doesn’t smell at all unpleasant, and your worms composted a lot of kitchen...

The good thing about compost is that it can be made quickly and easily in your own backyard with little or no expense. While there are expensive compost tumblers on the market, you can build a...

With a growing interest in green living, many gardeners are using compost bins. Compost is decomposing organic material, such as food scraps and dead leaves, which breaks down over time into a...

One of the fastest compost methods is vermicomposting. One pound of worms can tackle one pound of scraps in a day, giving you quick results for virtually no work at all. If you aren't interested...

Whether you're motivated by the thought of reducing the amount of trash you send to the landfill, the prospect of turning trash into nutrient rich soil, or a combination of the two, composting can...