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Permaculture is a design system which aims to create sustainable habitats by following nature’s patterns. The word ‘permaculture’, coined by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren during the 1970s, is derived as a contraction of permanent agriculture, or permanent culture. The idea of permaculture is considered among the most significant innovations developed by Australians in […]

Herbs & Your Health A Gift From Mother Earth Herbs are some of the most powerful medicines know on earth, and are available without a prescription. These super medicines are one of nature’s cures. As we move towards the millennium, people find themselves taking more responsibility for their own health. Herbs allow people to maintain

Composting Publications Download PDFs to print or view Home Composting—Basic information on composting. Reasons to compost, compost basics, troubleshooting. arrow_red.gif (14×7 — 56 bytes) Download PDF How to Use Your New Earth Machine—Simple directions for using an Earth Machine (the bin sold by Waste Management). Includes information on turning the material and removing compost. arrow_red.gif

Using Compost Finished compost is dark brown, crumbly, and is earthy-smelling. Small pieces of leaves or other ingredients may be visible. If the compost contains many materials which are not broken down, it is only partly decomposed. This product can be used as a mulch, but adding partly decomposed compost to the soil can reduce

Vermicomposting: Composting with Worms Employing worms to make compost is called vermiculture. Manure worms, red worms, and branding worms (the small ones usually sold by commercial breeders) are dynamos when it comes to decomposing organic matter—especially kitchen scraps. The problem is that these worms cannot tolerate high temperatures. Add a handful of them to an

Troubleshooting Compost Problems Making compost is really quite easy, but having too much of a certain material or letting the compost get too wet or too dry can cause problems. Problems Possible Causes Solution Damp and warm only in the middle of the pile. Pile could be too small, or cold weather might have slowed

Seasonal Schedule for Composting The type of storage system or bin is the key to successfully using the materials each season provides. Collect and shred fallen leaves in the fall. No need to compost them as the best use for them now is as mulch for trees, shrubs, and garden beds. Excess leaves can be

Making Compost The two methods of generating compost can range from passive – allowing the materials to sit and rot on their own – to slightly to highly managed. Managing the compost means that you intervene in the process. If your goal is to produce as much compost as possible to use regularly in your

Compost Site Selection Generally speaking any pile of organic matter will eventually turn into compost. A well-chosen site will speed up the process. Look for a level, well-drained area. Locating it close to the back door makes it easier to add kitchen scraps. If you put it too far away, you’ll neglect the pile. In

To save space, hasten decomposition, and keep the yard looking neat, contain the compost in some sort of structure. A wide variety of composting structures can be purchased, or made from a variety of materials. They can be as simple or complex as desired. Yard wastes can be composted either in simple holding units, where