Eco friendly solutions in St Maarten / Sint Martin
After a quiet July, August was a busy month for the Green SXM Pilot Compost Project. The first batch of compost has been almost entirely used up, and chamber 1 of the composter is now full with batch 2. Once again, the compost is hot (above 140 degrees Fahrenheit) , and aerated using forced air from a blower, reducing the frequency of turning the pile.
Continue reading “Batch 2 is Cooking – Green SXM Pilot Compost Project: Month 3”
When starting out with small compost piles, you can follow ‘rule of thumb’ measurements rather than calculating the carbon to nitrogen ratio. Simply add one part green to two parts brown, and your compost should be roughly balanced.
Continue reading “Calculating Carbon to Nitrogen Ratios”
The area in front of the compost bins is either muddy or dusty, with a few opportunistic weeds inbetween. To help control this, we decided to add sargassum mulch.
Sargassum is best collected by hand just above the surf line – anything above is usually already smelly and full of flies and gnats.
As we were mulching a path, the sargassum wasn’t rinsed. We applied it 6” thick, working in small patches as collecting seaweed is a heavy job!
Continue reading “Sargassum Mulch – Green SXM Pilot Compost Project: Week 7”
St Maarten, we have a garbage problem. The St Maarten garbage dump is a dangerous eyesore and the toxic mess frequently catches fire – polluting our air and shutting our businesses & schools.
Continue reading “The Garbage Dump”
