The advantage of the small-scale GROW
BIOINTENSIVE method is that backyard composting is
easily feasible. When you use compost crops without
digging in the crop residues, the growing process will
put nitrogen into the soil and make it possible to grow
plants, such as corn and tomatoes which are heavy
nitrogen feeders. And the plant residues are valuable in
the compost pile.
Materials to Use Minimally or Not at All
If you need to use manures and/or less desirable
materials in your compost pile, they should make up
only one-sixth of your pile by volume so their less
optimum e<ects will be minimized. Some materials
should not be used in the preparation of compost,
including:
- Plants infected with a disease or a severe insect attack
where eggs could be preserved or where the insects
themselves could survive in spite of the compost pile’s
heat. - Poisonous plants, such as oleander, hemlock, and castor
beans, which harm soil life. - Plants that take too long to break down, such as
magnolia leaves. - Plants that have acids toxic to other plants and
microbial life, such as eucalyptus, California bay
laurel, walnut, juniper, and cypress.