Like me, some of you may be thinking of ways to live in a greener, healthier, more environmentally conscious way. For me, eating lots of fresh produce and cooking at home as often as possible allows me to:
a) Know exactly what I put into my body from a nutritional point of view;
b) Cut out processed foods that contain chemical preservatives and artificial ingredients; and
c) Support local farmers who supply organic produce.
As delectable as it is to enjoy the fruits of my labor, I still feel that pang of guilt as my vegetable peelings and trimmings fall into the waste bin, destined for a miserly existence in a landfill – taking up precious space, rotting away next to tv screens, mirrors, and worn out shoes. ย All that micro-organismic goodness going to waste.
The solution? Composting!
Compost is the natural by-product of decomposing organic matter. ย It not only makes for an incredible fertilizer for your plants, but also helps the water retention of your soil, and its micro-organisms can ward off plant disease.
Back in Australia, when I had a backyard and plenty of space to put a spare bin in the corner, it was easy to toss all my discarded vegetable matter and grass clippings in there to get a compost pile going. ย But as a city dweller in NYC, you all know space is much harder to come by, and sacrifice! ย So here is a space conscious way to compost.
It ย is what is known as the “lasagna” method, which as the name suggests, uses a layering technique between nitrogen rich greens (vegetable scraps, clippings, garden trimmings) and carbon rich browns (fallen leaves, shredded newspaper, pine needles, and woodchips). ย It is low cost, and low maintenance. ย And for those of you who are wanting to get a little planter box started, this is a great way to hit two birds with one stone.
Start with your designated planter box – this can be an old fruit crate or milk crate, something that is a bit aerated is best. ย Line the bottom with cardboard or newspaper. ย Then start alternating your brown and green layers, starting with the brown. ย Make sure that your brown layers are twice as thick as your green layers. ย When you are about 6 inches from the top of your planter box, top it off with soil and plant directly into the soil, on top of your compost layers.
Voila! ย You have an inbuilt composting system in your planter box! ย So get your compost on! ย And feel free to send us photos of your own set up to les@greencitychallenge.org
We’d love to see it!
