Decayed flowers can be added to your compost.
Compost is formed when organisms in the soil break down plant material and cause it to decay. Nitrogen added to the compost speeds up this process. A correctly built compost pile turned on a regular basis may produce humus in as little as six weeks. While humus can be used to fertilize flowers, it can be partially made from decaying flowers as well. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Cut down any dead flowers in your garden with gardening shears.
2. Separate out any stray seedlings or diseased plants. Do not add these to the compost pile, as they can sprout or pass on diseases to other plants that receive the final humus. Set the remaining flower clippings aside.
3. Choose a spot for your compost pile outdoors in the shade and away from your house to minimize odor problems. Form the first layer from organic material such as branches, twigs and leaves to create a layer through which air can circulate. Water this layer and tamp it down slightly with a pitchfork or shovel.
4. Add a layer of nitrogen-rich fertilizer, manure or grass clippings to the compost pile. Water this layer and tamp it down slightly with a pitchfork or shovel. Add a layer of soil and then another layer of organic material that includes the flower clippings. Water these layers and tamp them down gently.
5. Continue to add layers of organic material such as flower clippings and soil to the compost pile as you get new materials. Keep turning over every three layers together with a pitchfork or shovel on a regular basis until the compost pile is 3 to 5 feet high and has turned into crumbly brown humus. The more you turn the layers, the faster the compost will develop into humus, reports the University of Missouri Extension.
Tags: compost pile, flower clippings, organic material, pitchfork shovel, with pitchfork
