COMPOST
the life of your garden
IF you have an ample supply of good rich compost you have
gardeners dream.
It has many uses, and all of those uses will
result in better gardening. However, composting can be time
consuming and hard work. You place a reasonable value on your
time, so spending hours and hours turning compost piles doesn’t
qualify as a worthwhile exercise, at least in my book.
Nonetheless, you must compost, but do so on your own terms.
HERE IS HOW TO DO IT.
Build two composting bins. Each bin is five feet
wide, five feet deep, and four feet high. Build the bins by
sinking 4” by 4” posts in the ground for the corners, and then
nailed 2 by 4’s and 1 by 4’s, alternating on the sides. Leave
2” gaps between the boards for air circulation. The 2 by 4’s
are rigid enough to keep the sides from bowing out, and in
between each 2 by 4 Use 1 by 4’s to save a little money.
The bins are only 3 sided, and leave the front of the bins open so
they can be filled and emptied easily.
START by filling just one of the bins. I put grass
clippings, dried leaves, and shrub clippings in the bins. try not to put more than 6” of each material on a layer. You
don’t want 24” of grass clippings in the bin, you should
alternate layers of green and brown material. If necessary,
keep a few bags of dry leaves around so you can alternate
layers of brown waste and green waste. When we root cuttings
we use coarse sand in the flats, so when it’s time to pull the
rooted cuttings out of the flats, the old sand goes on the
compost pile. In or little backyard nursery we also have some
plants in containers that do not survive. Rather than pulling
the dead plant and the weeds out of the container, and then
dumping the potting soil back on the soil pile, we just dump
the whole container in the compost bin, this adds more brown
material to the mix, and is a lot easier than separating the
soil and the weeds.
Build two composting bins. Each bin is five feet
wide, five feet deep, and four feet high. Build the bins by
sinking 4” by 4” posts in the ground for the corners, and then
nailed 2 by 4’s and 1 by 4’s, alternating on the sides. Leave
2” gaps between the boards for air circulation. The 2 by 4’s
are rigid enough to keep the sides from bowing out, and in
between each 2 by 4 Use 1 by 4’s to save a little money.
The bins are only 3 sided, and leave the front of the bins open so
they can be filled and emptied easily.
START by filling just one of the bins. I put grass
clippings, dried leaves, and shrub clippings in the bins. try not to put more than 6” of each material on a layer. You
don’t want 24” of grass clippings in the bin, you should
alternate layers of green and brown material. If necessary,
keep a few bags of dry leaves around so you can alternate
layers of brown waste and green waste. When we root cuttings
we use coarse sand in the flats, so when it’s time to pull the
rooted cuttings out of the flats, the old sand goes on the
compost pile. In or little backyard nursery we also have some
plants in containers that do not survive. Rather than pulling
the dead plant and the weeds out of the container, and then
dumping the potting soil back on the soil pile, we just dump
the whole container in the compost bin, this adds more brown
material to the mix, and is a lot easier than separating the
soil and the weeds.
Once the bin is full, the rules of composting say that
you should turn the material in the bin every few weeks. There
is no way that you have time to do that, so this is what to do.......
you should turn the material in the bin every few weeks. There
is no way that you have time to do that, so this is what to do.......
Pack as much material in the bin as you can, before you start
filling the second bin. Pile the material as high as you possibly can, and even let it spill out in front of the bin.
filling the second bin. Pile the material as high as you possibly can, and even let it spill out in front of the bin.
Then cover all the fresh material with mulch or potting soil,
whatever brown material you can find. Then when you are out working
in the garden you set a small sprinkler on top of the pile and
turn it on very low, so a small spray of water runs on the
material. This keeps the material damp, and the moisture will cause
the pile to heat up, which is what makes the composting action
take place.
whatever brown material you can find. Then when you are out working
in the garden you set a small sprinkler on top of the pile and
turn it on very low, so a small spray of water runs on the
material. This keeps the material damp, and the moisture will cause
the pile to heat up, which is what makes the composting action
take place.
Once you have the first bin completely full, start
using the second bin. As the material in the first bin starts
to break down, it will settle, and the bin is no longer heaped
up, so just keep shoveling the material that you piled in front
of the bin, up on top of the pile, until all the material is
either in the bin, or piled on top of the heap. Then just
leave it alone, except to water it once in a while. The
watering isn’t necessary, it just speeds the process.
using the second bin. As the material in the first bin starts
to break down, it will settle, and the bin is no longer heaped
up, so just keep shoveling the material that you piled in front
of the bin, up on top of the pile, until all the material is
either in the bin, or piled on top of the heap. Then just
leave it alone, except to water it once in a while. The
watering isn’t necessary, it just speeds the process.
.
Keep a pile of potting soil on hand at all
times. But you can really do the same thing by just buying two
or three yards of shredded mulch to get started, and piling it
up near your compost bins. If you do this, you will always
have a supply of good compost to work with.
times. But you can really do the same thing by just buying two
or three yards of shredded mulch to get started, and piling it
up near your compost bins. If you do this, you will always
have a supply of good compost to work with.
Shredded bark, left in a pile will eventually breakdown
and become great compost. The potting soil to use is about
80% rotted bark. Make potting soil by purchasing fine
textured, and dark hardwood bark mulch, and just put it in a
pile and let it rot. The secret is to keep the pile low and
flat, so that it does not shed the rain water away, you want
the mulch to stay as wet as possible, this will cause it to
breakdown fairly quick.
and become great compost. The potting soil to use is about
80% rotted bark. Make potting soil by purchasing fine
textured, and dark hardwood bark mulch, and just put it in a
pile and let it rot. The secret is to keep the pile low and
flat, so that it does not shed the rain water away, you want
the mulch to stay as wet as possible, this will cause it to
breakdown fairly quick.
Keep a pile of rotted bark mulch near my compost
bins. When both bins are completely full, empty the bin
containing the oldest material by piling it on top of my rotted
bark mulch. Make sure the pile of rotted mulch is wide and
flat on top so that when you put the material from the compost
bin on top of the pile, the compost material is only 5 to 10
inches thick. The mulch pile might be 12’ wide, but it may only
be 24 to 30 inches high. Once you have all the compost on top of
the pile, then go around the edge of the pile with a shovel,
and take some of the material from the edges of the pile and
toss it up on top of the pile, covering the compost with at
least 6” of rotted bark. This will cause the compost material
to decompose the rest of the way.
bins. When both bins are completely full, empty the bin
containing the oldest material by piling it on top of my rotted
bark mulch. Make sure the pile of rotted mulch is wide and
flat on top so that when you put the material from the compost
bin on top of the pile, the compost material is only 5 to 10
inches thick. The mulch pile might be 12’ wide, but it may only
be 24 to 30 inches high. Once you have all the compost on top of
the pile, then go around the edge of the pile with a shovel,
and take some of the material from the edges of the pile and
toss it up on top of the pile, covering the compost with at
least 6” of rotted bark. This will cause the compost material
to decompose the rest of the way.
Once you get this system started, you never want to use
all of the material in the pile.
Always keep at least 2 to 3
cubic yards on hand so you’ve got something to mix with your compost. If you use a lot of compost material like this, then you should buy more material and add to your pile in the late summer or fall, once you are done using it for the season. Around here many of the supply companies sell a compost
material that is already broken down quite well. This is what to buy to add to my stock pile. But try to make sure that you have at least 3 yards of old material on hand, then add another 3 yards of fresh material to that. Then in the spring empty one of the compost bins and add the compost to the top of the pile.
all of the material in the pile.
Always keep at least 2 to 3
cubic yards on hand so you’ve got something to mix with your compost. If you use a lot of compost material like this, then you should buy more material and add to your pile in the late summer or fall, once you are done using it for the season. Around here many of the supply companies sell a compost
material that is already broken down quite well. This is what to buy to add to my stock pile. But try to make sure that you have at least 3 yards of old material on hand, then add another 3 yards of fresh material to that. Then in the spring empty one of the compost bins and add the compost to the top of the pile.
The pile of usable compost will be layers of material, some more composted than others. Kind of like a sandwich. So what you do is chip off a section of the pile from the edge, spread it out on the ground so it’s only about 8” deep, then run over it with my small rototiller. This mixes it together perfectly, and I shovel it onto the potting bench.
Having a pile of rotted compost near your compost bins is great because if you have a lot of leaves or grass clippings, you can throw some rotted compost in the bin in
order to maintain that layered effect that is necessary in order for the composting process to work well.
order to maintain that layered effect that is necessary in order for the composting process to work well.
Sure this process is a little work, but it sure is nice to have a place to get rid of organic waste anytime you like.
Then down the road when you have beautiful compost to add to your
potting soil, "
a few words on.....FERTILISERS
When used in reference to fertilizers, the word organic generally means that the nutrients contained in the product are derived solely from the remains or a by-product of an organism. Cottonseed meal, blood meal, fish emulsion, manure and sewage sludge are examples of organic fertilizers. Urea is a synthetic organic fertilizer, an organic substance manufactured from inorganic materials.
Then down the road when you have beautiful compost to add to your
potting soil, "
a few words on.....FERTILISERS
When used in reference to fertilizers, the word organic generally means that the nutrients contained in the product are derived solely from the remains or a by-product of an organism. Cottonseed meal, blood meal, fish emulsion, manure and sewage sludge are examples of organic fertilizers. Urea is a synthetic organic fertilizer, an organic substance manufactured from inorganic materials.
When packaged as fertilizers, organic products have the fertilizer ratio stated on the package label. Some organic materials, particularly composted manures and sludges, are sold as soil conditioners and do not have a nutrient guarantee stated on the package, although small amounts of nutrients are present.
Some organic fertilizers are high in one of the three major nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, or potash,) but low or zero in the other two. Some are low in all three macronutrients. A few organic products can be purchased "fortified" for a higher nutrient analysis. The ingredients used to fortify organic fertilizers are organic materials; for example, rock phosphate to increase phosphorus, or greensand to increase potash.
Organic fertilizers depend on soil organisms to break them down to release nutrients; therefore, most are effective only when soil is moist and warm enough for the microorganisms to be active. Nutrient release by microbial activity, in general, occurs over a fairly long time period. One potential drawback is that the organic fertilizer may not release enough of their principal nutrient when the plant needs it for growth.
Cottonseed meal is a by-product of cotton manufacturing. As a fertilizer, it produces a somewhat acidic reaction; consequently, it is frequently used for fertilizing acid-loving plants such as azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons. Formulas vary slightly, but generally, cottonseed meal contains 7 percent nitrogen, 3 percent phosphorus, and 2 percent potash. Nutrients are most readily available to plants in warm soils, but there is little danger of burn.
Blood meal is dried, powdered blood collected from cattle slaughterhouses. It is a rich source of nitrogen, so rich, in fact, that it may burn plants if used in excess. Gardeners must be careful not to exceed the recommended amount suggested on the label. In addition to nitrogen, blood meal supplies some essential trace elements, including iron.
Fish emulsion, a balanced, organic fertilizer, is a partially decomposed blend of finely pulverized fish. A strong odor is associated with most brands of fish emulsion fertilizer, but the smell dissipates within a day or two. Recently, deodorized brands have been developed.
Fish emulsion is high in nitrogen and is a source of several trace elements. Contrary to popular belief, too strong a solution can burn plants, particularly those growing in containers. In the late spring, when garden plants have sprouted, an application of fish emulsion followed by a deep watering will boost the plants' early growth spurt.
Manure is a complete fertilizer, but low in the amount of nutrients it supplies. Manures vary in nutrient content according to the animal source and what the animal has been eating. A fertilizer ratio of 1-1-1 is typical. Commonly available manures include horse, cow, pig, chicken and sheep.
The highest nutritional concentration is found in manure when it is fresh. As it is aged, exposed to weather, or composted, nutrient content is reduced. However, most gardeners prefer to use composted forms of manure to ensure lesser amounts of salts, thereby reducing the chance of burning plant roots. Because of its low concentration of plant nutrients, manure is best used as a soil conditioner instead of a fertilizer. Typical rates of manure applications vary from a moderate 70 pounds per 1000 square feet to as much as one ton per 1000 square feet.
Sewer sludge is a recycled product of municipal sewage treatment plants. Two forms are commonly available: activated and composted. Activated sludge has higher concentrations of nutrients (approximately 6-3-0) than composted sludge. It is usually sold in a dry, granular form for use as a general purpose, longlasting, nonburning fertilizer. Composted sludge is used primarily as a soil amendment and has a lower nutrient content (approximately 1-2-0).
There is some question about the long term effects of using sewage sludge products in the garden, particularly around edible crops. Heavy metals such as cadmium, sometimes present in the sludge, may build up in the soil. Possible negative effects vary with the origin of the sludge and with the characteristics of the soil where it is used.
Compared to synthetic fertilizer formulations,organic fertilizers contain relatively low concentrations of actual nutrients, but they perform important functions which the synthetic formulations do not. They increase the organic content and consequently the water-holding capacity of the soil. They improve the physical structure of the soil which allows more air to get to plant roots. Where organic sources are used for fertilizer, bacterial and fungal activity increases in the soil. Mycorrhizal fungi which make other nutrients more available to plants thrive in soil where the organic matter content is high. Organically derived plant nutrients are slow to leach from the soil making them less likely to contribute to water pollution than synthetic fertilizers.
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A LITTLE XTRA.....
ON PEST CONTROL.
]
Safe Pest Control Tips
Pest control must be done with utmost consideration to safety; safety in terms of the plants, animals and humans.
This holds especially true for those with vegetable and organic gardens.
The main purpose of growing vegetables organically will be defeated if they become tainted with pest control chemicals.
Here are a few long-term maintenance tips to make pest control less damaging and more environmentally friendly.
1. Use the physical pest control process.
This may be accomplished through picking grubs off by hand, creating barriers and traps and plugging holes.
Snails can be found hiding in damp places under rocks and towrds the base of those plants with straplike foliage.
2. Apply biological pest control.
Encourage predatory insects such as green lacewings and dragonflies to feed on aphids and other pests that attack your plants.
You can do this by placing a shallow bowl of water in the garden. Dragonflies especially will hover around water.
Bacterial insecticides such as B. thuringiensis could also be used against caterpillars.
3. Only as a last resort should we turn to chemical pest control.
Organic pest control methods can be successful and the ingredients for many of the recipes can be found in the kitchen cupboards. If chemical sprays are really necessary, try and find the least-toxic.
These include insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils, dehydrating dusts, etc.
4. Consider the use of safer pest control substitutes.
Recipes for alternative pest control include the following:
Against Green Aphids and Mites - Mix 1 tablespoon of liquid soap and a cup of vegetable oil. Dilute a teaspoon of this solution in a cup of water and spray on aphids and mites.
Against Cockroaches - Dusts of boric acid can be applied to cracks or entry points of these insects. Bay leaves on pantry shelves could also help in warding off these critters.
Make sure that the chemicals you use are made specifically for the insects you are targeting.
