This video is a punt for an electronic product called Rapitest. Although it’s an advert it is well worth the 1 min, 26 seconds it take to watch it. It is interesting to learn that a small electronic device can tell you this much about the environment in which you have planted or are planning to plant lawns, shrubs, flowers trees and even plants in containers.

As the spokesperson rightly says, “Healthy soil and the correct soil for the plant in question are key to successful gardening and lawn care.” This little device tests a whole range of factors, including the soil quality. First it measures light so you can be sure you are planting the plant in the right spot. Then it tests fertility so you can see whether composting is required. It also tests the pH so you can ascertain if the soil is acid or alkaline. Some plants are sensitive to pH. Finally it tests moisture. Is the soil too wet, too dry, just right? I like this last feature for house plants, or any plants in containers, which are notoriously susceptible to dying of thirst. This Rapitest electronic soil tester is a neat device for keen gardeners who like accuracy and dislike failure.

Soilman, the presenter on this video, could stand only 58 seconds of demonstration. The reason for this was a large bag of chickensh..t. Yes, that’s what it takes to really get your compost heap into the stratosphere. Soilman, a gardener of British origin judging from his accent and sense of humor, opened the bagfull of chickensh..t his Mom donated him — “Thanks, Mum,” he said — and with visible paroxysms of revulsion emptied the bag into the compost bin. Reeling, he managed to say: “Anything that smells that bad must be good.”

Soilman then advised that you need to spread it all around, and then tried to follow his own counsel, but was unable to do so. “I can’t really,” he said in a strangled voice, “It’s all congealed and disgusting. The smell is outrageous.” He staggered backward from the bin and then rallied somewhat to deliver this parting shot was: “It (chickensh..t) is packed full of nitrogen so don’t put it on anything until it has rotted down well or it will burn the plants. You have been warned.”

Indeed we have.

Well here’s a little piece of fertilizer wisdom from Yolanda Vanveen. In a video on the Flower Garden Basics, she argues that many alternatives to fertilizer on the market are simply fashionable and not very effective. In a video just two minutes long, Yolanda of Expert Village tosses out fishmeal, bone meal, body fluids and all those delights we spread over the garden, calling them mere passing fads. After being caught out by coco peat some years ago (it was no good for her plants so she used it as mulch) Yolanda believes in compost. Period.

This video is not about figuring out when the compost pile has gone (when it’s gone it’s gone) but when your compost heap is ready to be used to fertilize the garden. In 1 min, 40 secs learn how to tell when the compost is good enough to spread. The bad news is that good compost takes 6 weeks to 6 months to “mature”, depending on the weather, the materials added and many other factors.

“It’s ready when there is no recognizable material left in the compost,” says the anonymous gardening enthusiast. “It should look like dirt but it’s not dirt; it’s 100% organic compost made from decomposed plant material. Not a lot of minerals in there but it’s great for your garden. Spread 5 gallons of the compost on each 4×8 foot bed once or twice a year and it will be really good for your soil.” Okay.

This is a couple of minutes well-spent with an anonymous person from Expert Village who says: “Whether you garden or you don’t garden, you should make compost. It is a great thing to do and removes your compost from the waste stream.” Okay. She recommends a certain type of composter. It’s like a huge plastic bag and is in fact made of recycled plastic with holes punched in the sides. Get one cheap from your local dump or town office.

Then start making compost. Don’t worry about smells: if you build a compost pile the right way there won’t be a problem. It will have a very nice fragrance actually, kind of nutty. The way to do it is to have a wide variety of stuff (peelings, vegetable leaves, eggshells etc.) in layers and the pile must not be too wet, so mix it with dried leaves, weeds or whatever. I like this bit: you should churn in a shovelful of compost to get the whole thing going. It reminds me of making yogurt!

A Garden and Home expert from ExpertVillage.com tells us clearly and concisely this important information as part of a larger section on Learning Organic Garden Composting Online. The bottom line is that compost takes a long time to develop, about six months to two years, depending on the carbon/nitrogen ratio and how often you turn the compost. It is ready when there is no recognizable matter in it any more. In other words, your kitchen scraps, weeds, straw or whatever else you have added to the bin should have decomposed entirely and become beautiful natural organic compost.

If, like me, you want to believe that throwing potato peelings into the hedge is the same as feeding the shrubbery, then you will be chastened by this introduction to bokashi. Bokashi is the stuff that transforms kitchen waste into useful compost.

Neal Foley is the Podchef and in this video of roughly 6 minutes he really gets into the chemistry of making compost. He gives a demonstration of how to make fermented wheat bran (bokashi) that you can add to the kitchen waste bucket to help transform useless slops into a non-odorous and effective compost.

Bokashi takes quite a bit of making. You need to have wheat bran, mineral salts, ceramic powder and molasses and also a rich microbe/kelp mixture standing by. You combine them all with hot water (in the video Neal gives the precise quantities for the ingredients) and then let it stand, airless, for two weeks or longer, “the longer the better” according to Neal.

In the fullness of time you mix your organic kitchen waste with it and let the lot pickle until the food has begun to break down. It’s great — “not stinky”, says Neal — and the compost gets finer the longer it stands. Then you can use it to feed your plants, to feed your animals and to put it down the septic tank to reduce odors.

Now I know why people just buy finished bokashi instead of making it themselves!

This video called “Home Composting – It’s Second Nature” is a great one to watch. If you just want to look at one source before embarking on composting at your home, then this should be it. The video length of 7 minutes 38 seconds covers a great deal of information in such a short time. Several different people speak in the video. The production quality is very good overall. The content is presented in a conversational manner that is easy to understand with step-by-step summaries of what really matters.

If you think composting is difficult, you’re wrong. If fact, according to this video it’s very easy. Compost is a great organic fertilizer, which helps produce healthier and larger plants. It will even help produce more plants.

If you are still not convinced, here is another way to look at it. The average household produces approximately nine pounds of garbage each day. This garbage will inevitably end up in the landfill. You have probably recycled garbage that is paper, plastic and glass. So why should you stop there? You can also recycle your green waste. You are reducing what is going into the landfill. Composting is good for the environment. It is a creative way to recycle your garbage.

When composting, you should be somewhat selective about what you compost. For instance, you shouldn’t use meat products or dog feces. However, it is great to add coffee grinds, lemon peel, and yard trimmings to the compost in addition to fruit and vegetable waste from your kitchen.

According to this video, composting is a process that takes a period of months. That is how long it takes for the plant matter to break down. Apart from a little bit of attention on your part, there is really not much effort involved. It seems like almost anyone can do it.

You should watch this video to learn more about composting. If you do, you will be taken through the easy steps of composting. When you finish watching the video, you will be equipped to begin composting at your home.

This video is called “How to Compost”. It is narrated by David Epstein and presented by www.growingwisdom.com . This video, at 2 minutes 24 seconds, is well worth your time. David does an excellent job of explaining the composting process. It is obvious that he really knows what he is talking about. The production quality is really good as well. You will definitely learn what you need to know to get started when you watch this video.

David explains the process of composting through a composter. In case you don’t know what that is, a composter is a big, plastic, heavy duty, all weather container that looks a lot like a trash can (except that it’s not). You can most likely purchase a composter in your town. If you can’t find one locally, buy one online. The composter is where you place everything that you are turning into compost.

Things that should go in the composter are items such as eggshells, corncobs, and vegetable peels. Don’t place any meat in the composter! There are two types of things that go in the composter: dry goods (such as dry leaves and dead grass) and wet goods (such as grass and vegetable peels)

The process of composting will eventually happen by itself. However, you can and should speed things up by adding compost activator. You need to buy this at the store. Adding compost activator is like adding natural bacteria that will break down the food. You should turn your compost pile every few days so that it can get oxygen; use a stick for this. Don’t forget to keep it wet. In as little as four to six weeks (in warm weather) the process of composting will create great soil for the garden. This is a wonderful soil for planting vegetables.

You should most definitely watch this video! You will be inspired to begin composting immediately. Composting is a great way to recycle your garbage and help the environment. What are you waiting for?

This video entitled “Coffee to Compost” is a promotional video put out by the Missoula Urban Demonstration Project (MUD), which sponsors many projects promoting sustainable development around Missoula. This video is not an educational video – it’s more of an experience instead. Although the video is supposed to be serious, it comes off as somewhat funny. You should watch it for a giggle if nothing else. It definitely has its moments, or seconds to be more specific as this video is only two minutes and five seconds long. All joking aside, there is a serious message in the video about doing something good for the earth, which is always of great value.

The project up for discussion in the video is “Coffee to Compost”. With this program, volunteers go around Missoula on a bicycle equipped with a trailer collecting old grounds from coffee shops. There was even a “dedicated coffee hauler” interviewed in this video (you see, it really does have its funny parts). The program’s biggest donor shop fills two garbage cans each week with coffee grounds. Once the grains have been gathered, they are mixed into the compost bins back at MUD. The compost is then used at the Northside Community Gardens. The coffee grounds are great for the compost. The Coffee to Compost program helps keep over 5000 gallons of coffee waste out of landfills every year. That’s a pretty big feat!

There are things that we can all do to help out. Bring your own coffee cup when going out for coffee. Don’t use lots of Styrofoam because it’s bad for the environment.

This video is worth watching. It puts out a good message – that we should do whatever we can to save Mother Earth. It’s nice to know there are some people trying so hard. They are doing a great job and we can all learn from them.