Composting For Kids - A Fun, Engaging, and Addicting Activity That Creates Eco-Heroes

Composting is not only an adult project, but one in which the whole family--especially kids--can dig in and take an active role in saving the earth. Composting for kids brings together the kid-friendly elements that are necessary for any kid endeavor to succeed, including simplicity, short intervals, and straight-out fun.

Compost ABC's

Composting is simply the decomposition of organic matter. It can be leaves in the forest or tomatoes from the salad we ate yesterday. Using microbes and air, compost breaks down into simple organic matter to further fuel the fertility of the soil.

With composting for kids, they learn some necessary lessons like the value of recycling and being able to reduce waste. Kids will think before tossing something in the garbage, "Hey! We can compost this!"

Harness Natural Curiosity

When I was a kid I loved going into the woods and turning over a rotten log to see what kind of insect surprise I would find. The same can be done in the compost pile or compost bin that you are using for your composting project. Pill bugs, centipedes, and scores of other insect unidentifiables will make your youngster shout with glee. The yuckier the better. Kid's minds are afire with curiosity for the natural world and composting for kids is a great way to kindle that imagination in a fun and scientific project.

Cue Microbes

Compost is full of microbes that our eye cannot see and our ears cannot hear. Kids will be enthralled--especially if mom or dad can get excited, too.

Cue the Worms

Kids love worms. They love dangling them and staring at them from different angles; they love letting them wiggle around in their palms; they love just staring at them as they tunnel through compost. Composting for kids is an activity where your kitchen composter can turn into a red worm composting farm. You can make it a family project and build a worm bin out of a plastic, 20 gallon storage bin or you can get one of the nifty stackable red worm compost bins--either way you do it, the kids will have a blast raising worms to eat garbage.

3 Tips To Get Your Youngsters Crazy For Composting

1. Entrust the compost to the kids--whether it be putting the kitchen compost in the compost pail or using the tumbling composter (or if you have a no-kidding-around kid they could even turn the compost pile). Kids like responsibility and knowing a duty belongs to them. Of course, you will have to make it a game by building it up in their mind that there is value attached to this project. If you entrust them with an adult or grown-up job, they will step up to the plate

2. Keep a compost journal or sketchbook. Have the kids keep track of what's going on in the compost.

3. Make a compost movie. The more close-ups of mini-monsters, the better.

Composting for kids can be a valuable family experience, but also one that extends out into the world and makes a difference. The kids will have a blast making the earth smile.

If you liked this Composting for Kids article, check out this Worm Factory Review.

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Aquaponics - How to Grow Vegetables Quickly

Aquaponics - how to get a setup running and producing. This is probably the most pertinent question raised when we think of growing fish and vegetables side by side. Aquaponics is indeed the art of growing vegetables as well as fish with the use of very few resources - mainly water that is already available in your fish tank. In short, it is the practice of utilizing the waste coming from your fish tanks to provide nutrients for your vegetables.

It is a fairly simple as well as a completely organic way of growing your favorite vegetables without having to worry about soil cultivation or fertilization, not to mention the use of harmful synthetic fertilizers. In an aquaponics system you only need to feed the fish and you could even make up your own fish food.

Aquaponics - How to make use of your existing fish tank?

Before delving into the details of Aquaponics, let us see how the water from your fish tank comes in handy for growing vegetables. We all know that fish produce a lot of waste, which creates ammonia, which is harmful to the fish if allowed to build up, (a major reason why we need to replace the water at regular intervals in a normal setup unless there is an effective filter system in place) In an aquaponics system the plants do the filtering. However the plants cannot make use of ammonia. What happens is that bacteria will grow naturally in the tank water and they change the ammonia into nitrates. The nitrates work as a natural fertilizer for all types of vegetables thus providing a unique opportunity to grow fresh vegetables with the help of the natural waste produced by the fish.

Research has revealed that the process of growing plants with the help of water from fish tanks helps the vegetables grow at a 50% faster rate than normal. Thus you get the opportunity to see your favorite vegetables grow within a very short period of time. This is not all - now the same water can be recycled back to the fish tank filtered and so keep a clean environment for the fish to live in. .

Aquaponics - How to get started with:

The fundamental practice of starting off with Aquaponics is pretty simple. You need fish tanks and tanks for plants to grow in. There are ready made kits available in the market, though you can easily design and make your own system. Whatever you do, the basic answer to the question of how to get started with aquaponics is that you need to know

1. What you hope to achieve,

2. The available space,

3. The type of system you want to build.

Aquaponics once established do not take much of your time to look after. Whatever system you opt for, the fish tanks are always at a lower level than the grow beds as then the water from the beds can naturally flow back into the fish tanks. Remember that the water is recycled and because of that aquaponics uses only about 2% of the volume of water that would be used in your home garden.

You will need a pump to put a fixed amount of water into the beds so that the plants always get an adequate amount of water with their required nutrients and to send it filtered back to the tank. In some systems the roots of the plants remain submerged in the water, while in another the water is pumped to the plants and allowed to drain.

Aquaponics is beneficial in three ways

You get fresh vegetables,You get fresh fish andIt will save you quite a bit of money.

Aquaponics are highly suitable for areas where the water supply is very limited as it uses very little water. it would be highly suitable in third world countries to help to provide much needed food. For us learning how to setup an aquaponics system is also very useful as it will provide us with cheap fresh vegetables and cheap fresh fish. Especially when because of weather conditions the price of vegetables goes skyhigh. If we have a functioning aquaponics system that will not affect our budget. You can go to my website http://www.aquaponicsblog.org/ there you will find a lot more useful information and you can also sign up for a free mini course.

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Greenhouse Shapes and Styles

The main purpose of a greenhouse is to grow plant life in a balanced and maintained environmental climate. While the purpose of a greenhouse is always the same the style and shape can vary a great deal. From plastic to glass, large to small there are many different styles you can choose from.

In many cases the season in which you will use your greenhouse will determine what style or shape you ending up going with. Some styles are meant for cold weather while others are best used during very hot summers. The ability to use your greenhouse year round will be determined by the materials you use as well as the structure size and airflow allowed.

Greenhouse Shapes:

The Rigid Frame: This traditional style is built to look like a tiny see through house. It offers plenty of air flow and height for plants to reach their maximum growth potential. The support comes from the exterior walls and has no support beams so a large foundation is required for stability. The rigid frame shape is great for year round use since it is very strong.

A-Frame / Post & Rafter Style: Both of these styles are designed for use in areas with very high winds. They have very strong constructed frames which is great for year round use. The one downfall to choosing an A-frame or Post and Rafter style is that construction materials can be very expensive.

Quonset Hut: The most distinct of the shapes the Quonset style uses bent metal tubing as the frame and is shaped in a circular fashion. Most Quonset greenhouses are covered in plastic sheets since glass would be too expensive and difficult to bend. This style has far less headroom and air circulation than the other two and is usually best used seasonably.

Greenhouse Support Styles:

Unsupported: This style is what most people picture when they think of a greenhouse. They do not rely on any other structures for support and can stand alone in a yard or garden. Unsupported styles usually allow for better sunlight since you can control where there location is and don't have to rely on a pre-existing structure for support.

Lean-To: This style gets its name because one side of the structure relies on a home or barn for support. They generally take up less room than an unsupported style however makes access to water and electricity much easier.

Even Span: Most often used with the Quonset hut shape an Even Span greenhouse has one end attached to another structure. In some cases you will see this with an A-Frame or Post and Rafter style but it is not the usual.

By researching the different shapes and styles you can decide what type of greenhouse best suits your needs. Depending on how much space you have, money to spend and style you prefer there are many different greenhouses you can choose from.

Want to find out more about Greenhouse's Then visit Jonathan Miranda's site Build a Greenhouse Easy.

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How To Kill Slugs

When it comes to garden pests then there can be few that are more annoying than slugs and snails. Indeed they are the scourge of most vegetable gardens. Unchecked they can decimate most vegetable and salad crops literally overnight.

So let us address the most common pest of the two and that is slugs. Slugs just love damp conditions, and as many of us do the sensible thing and water our vegetable plants at the end of the day, thus avoiding any risk of leaf burn that can occur when watering in the morning, then we provide an ideal environment for slugs to come out in and attack our vegetable plants at night.

They attack everything from cucumbers to tomatoes and every vegetable in the alphabet in between.

However slugs are relatively easy to get rid of, you just need a little persistence.

Firstly you can use slug pellets but care needs to be taken that when scattering them on plants such as potatoes that the pellets do not get stuck on the leaves, as not only can the pellets effect the potatoes but also to be effective slug pellets need to be on the ground. The simple mechanics are that whilst the slugs will climb up plants and attack them, they have to go across the ground to reach the plants first!

Slug pellets will need putting down every time after it rains as they become ineffective after a downpour of any length.

Whilst slug pellets are highly effective and cheap the only downside is that you cannot really use them if you wish to class your crop as organic, as the chemicals from them will get washed in to the soil and hence they will end up in your vegetable crop.

One solution that is "Organic" is to use slug traps to entice the slugs in to and drown them, you can buy custom made slug traps that come with a powder that you add water to and place in the slug traps. The scent draws the slugs in and then they drown in the trap. Another alternative is to make your own slug traps out of old margarine tubs, they can simply be filled with beer, which is known to attract slugs, and the tubs dug slightly in to the ground.

The slug traps will need checking each morning and emptying of any dead slugs. This disadvantage is that these types of traps will need fresh beer adding on a regular basis after it has rained as an example.

One organic solution that is rarely affected by rain is to place crushed eggshells on the soil around your vegetables, as slugs do not like the spiked eggshells and will not crawl over them. The disadvantage is that whilst the eggshells will keep the slugs away from your plants they will not actually kill the slugs.

Whilst the above two slug killing solutions are practically free, you can choose to place copper rings around the edges of pot plants. The slug actually reacts to the copper and in effect it electrocutes itself and thus they will not cross over the copper.

By using slug traps, eggshells or copper rings then you can still class your plants as organic as none of these slug solutions will affect the vegetables in any way. Of note though is that only the slug traps will kill them, the other methods just deter them.

Table salt is also a very effective way of killing slugs, simply pour it on top of a slug and it will kill them in minutes.

The last solution to recommend for getting rid of slugs is to the method preferred by many serious gardeners and that is to get a torch, some gloves and a jar of liquid to drown the slugs in, and out shortly after it has gone dark and use the torch to highlight the slugs, then use the gloves to pick them up with and drown them in the jar of liquid (Plain water will do but a strong saltwater solution will do the job more effectively). If done nightly over a period of time this will see the number of slugs in your garden decrease considerably.

If you catch slugs then drown them, do not put them in the compost heap or throw them over a fence, as they will crawl back.

I hope you found these tips on how to kill slugs most useful.

If like me you hate slugs then I hope you found this article most useful, and if you did then why not find out How To Kill Snails as well. If you like growing vegetables then why not visit my site packed with free guides on things such as How To Grow Tomatoes and also see my vegetable calendar giving you month by month advice on what vegetables to plant.

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Top Three Reasons Why Garden Sheds Can Improve Your Lifestyle

Below are three reasons why setting up garden sheds can improve your quality of life.

You may insist that there is no reason to spend time learning about sheds and you could buy an off the peg shed kit if you'd like.

If you want a challenge and something that will be enjoyable, you could research for garden sheds online and find some great ideas and instructions on how to build a shed.

Reason 1: It will teach you to not underestimate oneself.

If you don't know anything at all about woodworking or carpentry, that doesn't have to be an issue. You don't have to be skilled to get things done. You'll find lots of books and how-to articles on the net about garden sheds that you could study from.

Reason 2: Challenge yourself. If other people can do it, so can you.

This simple saying can truly work wonders for anyone. Never hesitate to do things you don't believe you're capable of doing. You'll never know how to build a shed if you don't try to. Just think of the others who've done it. If you do some research, you'll come across lots of personal success stories from shed enthusiasts.

Reason 3: Here is a way for you to make the most of your free time, especially when you are online.

What do you do on your free time? If you're quite busy during weekdays, this doesn't mean that you will just sit back and chill out all throughout the weekend. Reports show that the more physical activity you get, the healthier you are. You'll feel and look younger too.

When you find yourself tired of watching television or going down the pub, it is one way to keep yourself occupied in the winter season. You can master new skills and develop talents that you never thought you had, by creating something useful all by yourself. Just like cooking your own food - it's much more worthwhile and you will get exactly what you'd like.

How many hours are you spending time on your PC? What do you surf most of the time? Are you just chatting with friends or browsing not so sensible reports?

You don't have to spend all day searching about sheds. An hour a day is sufficient to gather information. You can study about garden sheds right now, basic woodworking the next day and start browsing at shed plans the day after.

It is not difficult to assemble a shed even if you are a beginner. Yes, it will be a challenge. Think positive and be patient exploring about garden sheds and you'll find what you need.

Familiarize yourself with a variety of shed plans, materials and construction tools being utilized and the building codes that apply to where you live. Refer your ideas to an expert or your local hardware shop and get some recommendations. Don't forget to take notes and draw out a plan. Good luck with your research and do check out as many sources of garden sheds online.

If you are confused of what type of shed to build, please don't wait any longer and find more about garden sheds.

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