Keep Your Island Green with Composting
On a relatively closed ecosystem like a private island, owners are often uniquely aware of the value of recycling, reusing and cutting down on waste. When creating too much trash involves a trek to a mainland dump or the loss of valuable landfill space, composting becomes a necessary activity. And not only does composting make your island more eco-friendly, it also provides a handy way of creating rich garden fertilizer.
Good compost has a careful balance of “browns” and “greens”, or materials rich in carbon and nitrogen, respectively. Brown materials include fallen leaves, twigs, and bits of wood, all of which are often gathered up anyway in island clearing and maintenance. The green types of refuse needed for successful compost can be organic food castoffs like fruit and vegetable peels, tea bags, seaweed and lawn clippings, all of which decompose quickly, especially if chopped up a bit prior to being added to the pile. It is recommended that the best ratio of “browns” to “greens” is about 25-1. This compost guide provides a thorough list of all of the types of materials that make for nutrient-rich compost:
While compost can be created in a very low-tech manner, there are products available to speed up the process (and minimize odors, too). The Tunbleweed composter is a large bin that can be rotated to help facilitate decay, and with daily rotation produces about 4 loads of compost in the time it takes a stationary bin or pile to produce one. In hot summer months, you can have dark, healthy compost for your garden in as little as three weeks.
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For those opting for a stationary compost method, this tool is invaluable in ensuring your compost gets the air needed to properly decay. The Turning Garden Tool is a long device with 7-inch “wings” at the end that spread out to move your compost pile around with minimal effort.
Like many types of low-lying waterfront property, islands may be prone to collecting pools of water that can not only disturb the island’s use, but pose a serious health hazard. Whether caused by storms, erosion or just naturally-occurring, these tepid pools can form a breeding ground for disease-carrying insects such as mosquitoes and flies. Swamp or marsh areas of the island may also be undesirable aesthetically, or interfere with intended construction. Getting rid of excess water is a simple project that requires some help from a durable water pump.
One of the most creative new uses for solar panel technology, a number of backpacks and bags have come on the market that not only look great, but will actually recharge cellular phones, MP3 players and other small electronic devices. The bags are outfitted with durable collection panels and batteries to store surplus energy, and are a perfect fit for long hikes or island vacations on less developed islands.
When relaxing on an island, boring old plastic deck chairs simply won’t cut it. Combining the island-chic of a hammock with a collapsible and easily set up frame, and coming in a multitude of sizes and styles, swing chairs are the perfect low-maintenance vacation furniture. With all of the comfort of a traditional hammock, but without the potentially motion-sickness inducing swinging, the stationary 4-point hammock is a portable and easy option for relaxing and sunbathing: