Patriot Products 5F Manuel d'utilisateur télécharger pdf (Page 16)

❻ WHAT TO DO WITH THE STUFF

NOW THAT IT’S ALL

CHIPPED & SHREDDED

The chips, shreds and mulch you make are valuable organic materials for

your lawn and garden. Put them to good and immediate use—even if you

are not an avid green thumb-er.

Landscape & Garden

Use the reduced materials to make a garden path and to edge saplings or

shrubs. An inch or so holds in moisture, moderates temperatures and erosion,

and reduces weed and turf growth. They also protect exposed root systems

and tender bulbs from unpredictable elements.

Composting

Whole books have been written on the subject. A good compost pile will not—

contrary to popular opinion—smell like a landfill and attract critters. One rule

of thumb for a proper pile is, “Equal weights of green and brown help to break

the microbes down.” (Note well the word

weights, as opposed to parts!)

Your basic compost pile is a three layer salad that is 4’ x 4’ x 4’. Simply

put it in a pile, or dig a pit or a trench. Some fancy containers speed things

along and look nicer.

Things you can’t use? Animal wastes, bones and meat scraps.

BROWN, 3” - 5”

Some old leaves or twiggy brush on the bottom helps air

enter the pile.

GREEN, 3” - 5”

Leafy, non-woody stuff. Include grass clippings and kitchen

scraps. But no meat, fat or dairy products.

SOIL OR COMPOST STARTER, 1”

This layer of micro-organisms does the dirty work. If you’re so inclined,

a handful of granular fertilizer jump starts it, feeding the organisms.

Wet the pile as needed to keep the center the consistency of a damp

sponge. Continue to add layers until it is up to four feet high and

deep. Turn the pile once a week or so with a shovel or pitch fork.

Turning and wetting the pile is what the pros call “fast” or “hot”

composting, with temperatures inside the pile reaching 160° F.

How Long Until Soup’s On?

Depending on how well it is tended, in two to four weeks the

compost is ready for use in your garden. Better still, you can’t

“spoil” the recipe. If offending odors emerge, it may be due to too

much moisture, green materials, or critter droppings. Mix in more

brown, turn the pile often, or cover it with plastic to keep it dry.

Bitten by the Bug?

• “The Rodale Book of

Composting,” by the editors of

Rodale Press.

• “The Mulch Book,” by Stu

Campbell (Storey Publishing).

•“Worms Eat My Garbage,” by

Mary Apelhof (Flower).

•“Yardening,” by Jeff and Liz

Ball (MacMillan).

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Patriot Products 5F Manuel d'utilisateur Page 16

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