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Sheet Composting Instead Of The Compost Pile?
from:Many people are familiar with the traditional method of composting in a great heap or pile formation, but there are other alternatives. One such alternative, sheet composting, can give you the same advantages of having a composting pile without actually having to have a composting pile. So how does this process of utilizing decayed organic matter work when you do not throw it all into one big heap? Read on and learn more.
The Difference
Sheet composting is different in its very execution. The materials that would typically go into a compost pile are scattered in a thin layer over the area meant to benefit from the resulting compost.
They are then mixed into the soil or tilled in with any number of garden tools designed for that purpose. The materials that are spread should be broken down or shredded into small pieces to aid the decomposition process.
Many materials can be used in sheet composting. Some examples are grass clippings, garden clippings, and remnants of food that are plants. This sounds like an ideal way to go about doing your composting, but there are some risks.
Risks Of Sheet Composting
Sheet composting can have its drawbacks. Materials that contain carbon that are used in your sheet composting efforts may actually remove nitrogen from the soil to accomplish their decomposition. Lowering the nitrogen content of the soil can affect the soil’s ability to properly nurture plant life.
Substances that are high in nitrogen may release too much of this into the surrounding soil. This, too, can have adverse effects. The whole process of decomposition may take a lot longer in this manner than it would in a traditional compost pile. This is something to keep in mind.
The Easy Way
This is an extremely easy way to perform the act of composting because you just allow it to happen as it would naturally. There is no tending to a compost pile after the materials have been tilled into the soil. You just need to let nature work its magic and supply you with compost.
This method does take longer than the method of the composting pile, but with the minimum of effort and pleasing results, it is definitely an option to consider. As long as you remember to include your materials that include both carbon and nitrogen, separately of course, then you will be on your way to rich, fertile soil.
Sheet composting is a method of composting that requires minimal effort. It may not be the same as the traditional pile, but how much more traditional can you get than letting nature do the work for you the same way it would do the composting itself?
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