How to Grind Compost
Compost is a natural additive that many gardeners add to their plants. Adding compost is a good way of returning necessary nutrients to the soil. Making your own compost is as easy as throwing away garbage, if you throw away the right type of garbage. You must grind up some of that garbage before you can add it to your compost pile for decomposition. The type of grinder you use will depend on the type of things you want to add to your compost pile. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Kitchen Waste
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1
Chop up any large or harder food waste, with a sharp knife, before attempting to grind it because large chunks could damage your appliances.
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2
Use a food processor to grind up orange, grapefruit, lemon or lime peels and apple or pear cores. Grind until they cannot be ground any smaller.
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3
Add the ground up ingredients to your compost pile and stir with a pitchfork to mix them in.
Yard Waste
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4
Grind up some of your outdoor yard waste using a wood chipper or a shredder. Grind up bark from trees, small branches, some larger plants that you uprooted such as spent corn stalks and even leaves since these things will take much longer to break down if you do not grind them up.
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5
Send any pieces that come out of the wood chipper still a little too large -- about the size of your hand -- through again to break them down even more.
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6
Add all your ground up yard waste to your compost pile. Stir with a pitchfork until the pile is well mixed.
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Tips & Warnings
When you are using a wood chipper outside, use it as close to your compost pile as possible. This will save you the work of having to transport the ground up waste later.
When you are preparing to grind up your yard waste do not add any weeds that have gone to seed as the small seeds will end up sprouting and spreading throughout your garden. Also do not add any diseased plants as this may cause harm to your healthy plants once you spread the compost.
