Archive for » April, 2009 «

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009 | Author: admin

Win a Free Kitchen Compost Scrap Keeper

It’s Earth Day and here at Composters we decided to celebrate by giving away one our red or white Ceramic Kitchen Scrap Keepers (or stainless steel if you prefer) as well as Home Composting Made Easy by Dr. C Forrest McDowell and Tricia Clark-McDowell and a Rott Wheeler Quick Compost and Worm Guide.

Entering is simple, just take a quick glance at our contest rules:

1. In order to enter, you must link back to this post OR link to your favorite Composters.Com product on your own blog/tumblr/twitter/myspace/etc… so long as it is PUBLIC and I will be able to view it.

2. Comment here, linking back to where you linked us, so I can find it.

3. On 4:00PM Pacific Time, May 15th, I will close comments and draw one person to win all three items at random!

4. You may enter as many times as you want, but each entry must be posted at a place. And please, no spamming. That’s not what this is about. We just want to get the word out about our company, as well as our blog and ESPECIALLY this contest.

5. United States and Canada only, please. I really would like to expand this more, and hopefully next time I can.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask and good luck!

Edit: How to insert link: copy and paste the following into your blog/website:

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 | Author: admin

Compost Soil

The benefits of using compost in your beds instead of just soil include less waste, less weeds, healthier plants with less diseases, and less harmful chemicals that damage your plants in the long run. Each benefit will improve the quality and life of your plants, and in turn make your gardening experience more enjoyable.

  • Healthier Plants, Richer Flowers: Compost is made up of micro-organisms, worms, arthropods and humus, which provides soil with organic matter. It contains macro and micro nutrients, which are absent in chemical fertilizers. It neutralizes the soil, bringing pH levels to optimum range. It aerates the soil, and brings healthy bacteria, fungi, and insects to the soil. Composting also improves drainage, which is vital when growing flowers. It improves absorption and enhances soil quality. All of these are important for healthy plant growth. Your flowers will be richer and brighter, leaves a tad greener, and your garden friendlier to all kinds of organisms.
  • Stronger plants from your compost will be less susceptible to diseases and bugs: You will find it unnecessary to use toxic and harmful pesticides and fertilizers that do more harm than good to your plants and garden. The micro-organisms present in your compost are enough to protect from diseases and pests.
  • Compost means less weeds: Replacing soil with compost or mixing compost in your soil means less density, which makes it easy to pull out weeds, if any grow at all. Weeds are significantly less in compost than they are in bare dirt. The less time you spend weeding, the more time you have to plan out a beautiful spring, summer, or winter flower garden. You will have more attention for the plants themselves, rather than the weeds surrounding them.
  • Less Yard Waste: If you happen to make your own compost, then it means less organic waste from your kitchen and yard. You can make better use of your yard trimmings and fallen leaves. It is convenient to have your own compost so that you spend less time and money on trying to buy compost or fertilizer in the market. Also, when you have your own compost, you can monitor the ingredients, make sure that it is 100% organic, and tailor it to suit your own needs.  You can use waste from the kitchen – vegetable and fruit skins, spent tea leaves, etc. to make your compost pile richer.  Less waste means less trips taking out the garbage. Make sure you keep your compost pile or bin away from scavengers. Keep it covered to maintain moisture levels and keep out air. If you have a child, this is an excellent way to educate him or her in living sustainably, reducing waste, and caring for the environment.

compost in flower garden

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 | Author: admin

Rain barrel is a very easy way to extend the benefits of a rainfall. A lot of water that is consumed goes for watering gardens and lawns. This potable water can be saved if one could use an alternate source for watering the gardens. A rain barrel is usually made from 50-gallon food drums. And an average rainfall of one fourth of an inch is sufficient to fill the 50- gallon drum using the roof and the gutter system.

The Rain Catcher Rain BarrelIf one is living in the country, main rain barrels can be installed at various places to collect rainwater and in a city, water collected from the roof can be used to water the plants and the lawn as well as reduce water bills. Apart from the monetary benefits, you will also be helping maintain the municipal water grid and hence help the environment. When you harvest the rain water you are not just saving water you are also reducing the amount of chemicals that run into the water bodies. When rainwater runs on the ground, it collects harmful chemicals like agricultural pesticides, herbicides, petro- chemicals like oil and gasoline, pollution, etc. This water then runs in the gutters and joins the rivers and lakes hence polluting them. When we harvest the rain water, we reduce the quantity of running water to some extent hence protecting the environment and erosion.

The rain water that gets into the water treatment plant is treated with chlorine and other chemicals before it is sent back to us. Therefore by using the rain barrel, we consume pure water, free of chemicals and we also reduce the work done on the water hence conserving energy. Healthy vegetables can be grown with this water. So your savings will not just be because of the reduced water bill.

The Shower Saver Rain Barrel

Plastic, food grade rain barrels are the ones you should choose. The barrels that were used to hold chemicals or wax should be avoided as the chemicals found in the residue may harm the plants and the environment.

Some simple tips can be followed to make the best of the rain barrel.

  • A hose can be connected to the bottom of the barrel to take out water.
  • It should be kept on a flat surface to avoid it tipping over when full.
  • It should be secured using a stick or a rope so that it doesn’t blow away when empty.

An estimate was done and it was reported that 1 inch of rain on a 1000 sq. ft. roof would yield 623 gallons of water. Imagine the amount of water you could collect over a rainy season.

Wednesday, April 08th, 2009 | Author: admin

Drama, our Composters Office Dog

Drama, our Composters Office Dog

You love your pet and you want to do the right thing for the planet, but sometimes, the pet care product manufacturers don’t lend you a hand in this department. Some of the pet care products contain chemicals or environmentally damaging products and you would like a solution to appease your conscience and do the right thing for the planet. Fortunately, eco-friendly pet products, in the form of biodegradable waste bags or eco-friendly collars and leashes, not to mention the option of composting pet waste.

Biodegradable waste bags come as a solution to a very popular problem: using a non-biodegradable plastic bag for a biodegradable product such as pet waste. Whether it’s the waste bag people use to pick up after their dogs or the one used to line cats’ litter box, the use of biodegradable waste bags can open the door to the new age of environmental pet care. The biodegradable waste bags are made of celluloid or other biodegradable materials, mostly corn-extracts, which makes it very easy for them to decompose either in a compost pile or after being buried.

Eco-friendly pet collars and leashes have become more and more popular because of the many fun designs they can

Indoor Outdoor Portable Doggie Potty

Indoor Outdoor Portable Doggie Potty

have, the ease of use and the ease with which they can be cleaned, not to mention the growing eco-awareness of pet owners. Eco-friendly collars and leashes can be made from a variety of green materials, ranging from hemp and other natural textiles to recycled, petroleum-free plastic. Some pet care companies have even developed eco-friendly collars and leashes made out of bamboo, for the renewable material savvy pet or pet owner.

Composting pet waste is a somewhat debated practice because

Pet Pee Converter

Pet Pee Converter

of the potential germs or bacteria that can be contained in animal feces, however, while the composting of cat waste is not entirely recommendable, dog waste has a relatively green light for such things. Cat waste can also be composted if you take certain precautions and if you keep in mind that in order for cat waste to be composted, a minimal 18 months is required. Where dog waste is concerned, things are a little easier because dog waste, while still prone to carry parasite eggs and other pathogens is not as toxic as cat litter. Composting dog waste is a responsible way of getting rid of pet waste without having to resort to petroleum based plastic bags or other eco-dangerous methods. Adding enzyme-active biological compounds into the compost bin in order to speed up the composting process and to get rid of unwanted bacteria is recommended. It’s not recommended that you use the compost resulted from pet waste on food crops, only on ornamental plants, to keep things as safe as possible.

Barney, beagle extraordinaire.

Barney, beagle extraordinaire.