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Organic Gardening at its Best – Composting

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Organic Gardening at its Best – Composting

Many gardeners are reluctant to begin composting yard waste and kitchen waste. Composting takes too much time and energy, it’s a dirty chore, the piles are ugly, smelly and attract flies and vermin or there’s no room in a small yard or garden for a big pile of compost.

These concerns or objections are not unreasonable. Big compost piles can become big projects. But small compost piles made up of only fallen leaves and twigs or a daily small bucket full of kitchen waste are very manageable even when yard or garden space is at a minimum. And the time and effort are rewarded with fresh compost teeming with beneficial microorganisms and fungi that can be turned into the soil, into raised beds and added to container plants.

The rapid composting method described here takes only two to three weeks to create fully decomposed compost and is best used for composting fallen autumn leaves and small twigs: it’s a one-season process. It takes a little longer for a pile of kitchen waste to fully decompose, but composting kitchen waste can be done throughout the year.

Leaves/Grass clippings

To start rapidly composting fall leaves, collect enough leaves to form a 2-cubic-foot pile of only leaves and very small (1- or 2-inch diameter) twigs or bits and pieces of twigs. If you have grass clippings, ad them to the pile. Avoid adding leaves from diseased trees or those with heavy pest insect infestation. These leaf piles won’t generate enough heat to kill disease pathogens or pest insect eggs. Keep the pile evenly moist (you’ll want to place it near a water source) and turn it with a rake or shovel every few  days – the leaves won’t be heavy. Don’t add any more leaves to that pile; start a new pile or two if you want more compost. That’s the entire process, very simple, very easy. Within just two to three weeks, the first 2-foot pile of leaves should have turned into a black, crumbly, sweet-smelling compost. A black tarp or plastic might be advisable if winds are high in your area.

Kitchen waste

For kitchen waste composting, you’ll need a container with a tight-fitting lid that you can place on the kitchen countertop or in the sink. The pails are carried by most home stores or can be purchased online. Stainless-steel buckets are sturdier and a little easier to keep clean than ceramic. Pails with a carbon filter insert for the lid will keep down any odors; kitchen waste can get stinky, especially in the summer heat.

It’s a good idea to start the kitchen waste compost pile with a half bag of commercial compost to mix, if immediately available in with the first containers of waste. Add vegetable and fruit peelings, skins and pits, spoiled fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds and unbleached coffee filters, tea bags, and empty eggshells. Don’t add any grease or other fats, bones, meat or dairy. Keep this pile moist but not soggy and turn it every time you add another container of kitchen waste, chopping large pieces into small pieces with a shovel. When the pile reaches an optimal size, stop adding waste and start another pile. Avocado pits and corncobs will take a little longer than cherry tomatoes to decompose, but within four to six weeks you should have finished kitchen waste compost ready for the garden.

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10 Steps to A Beautiful Organic Garden

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10 steps to a beautiful garden

Have you ever painted a picture from scratch? You had to have a plan before starting. The same is true of planning and planting a garden. By planning, you should gain satisfaction when relaxing or entertaining in your garden.

You will gain great satisfaction in designing your garden plans before you begin. The time and effort you put into planning and executing the design that is totally you will add to the enjoyment of your garden for many years.

Where do you begin? Here are ten steps that should help with the process. This outline will work with either a flower or vegetable garden. Good luck and I promise it will be well worth your efforts.

1. An important question is why do you want a garden?

Will this be a flower or vegetable garden? If a flower garden, will you also plant vegetables within the garden space? Who else might enjoy the garden? If there are others in your home, ask their opinion of how the outdoor space should be used.

2. Visualization.

Once you have determined your why you want a garden and how it will be used, let your imagination run wild. What features do you want? A birdbath? A bench or pergola?  Drip irrigation for ease of watering?

If you decide on a flower garden, will it be formal or informal? What features will you place in the garden? Water fountain, bird bath, statuary, yard art, etc.?

3. What are your must-have for the garden?

What is essential to your garden? List them, so you don’t forget anything. Do you want a privacy fence or hedge? How about a retaining wall if on a slope? Will you need a path to or in the garden? Think about your children and pets,

What is essential to keep in your yard? Doghouse, sandbox, existing fountain, trees (think about the sun).

4. Inventory what you already have.

To begin with, where will you place your garden in your yard? Will it be large or small? Is it flat or sloping? How about sunlight? Soil type? Availability of water. If a flower garden, what about the view of the garden and from the garden?

5. Budgeting for the garden.

After you determine your wants and needs, then it’s time to estimate your cost of money and time. Once you calculate your estimated cost, then you determine which features you will place in your final plans; plants, fountains, ponds, benches, etc.

Remember gardens require time and money. Will you be able to give time to maintain the garden on an ongoing basis? How much time can you and will you send to the garden? Will you be able to afford a caretaker to look after the garden?

6. Focal point/points in your garden.

In floral gardens, you will want to have an eye-catching focal point that will capture your visitor’s attention for a moment. What do you want your visitors to see first? Did you include a beautiful water feature? An arbor for a shady retreat? A blossoming tree or red maple?

7. Now it’s time to draw up your design.

Gather all the information you have collected so far. This will include all your wants and must have items. Remember, you want to create a space that is both satisfying and functional. THIS IS YOUR RETREAT.

First, begin with your property lines and where the house sits on the lot. I use graph paper to sketch out the space by the foot. No matter if you only have space for 10 foot or a 100-foot garden, you need a diagram for either a vegetable or floral garden.

Things you’ll need: a tape measure, ruler, pencil and good eraser. You might also want tracing paper to use on top of your rough draft. Use your list of must-haves and wants when drawing your plans to scale. Show the approximate position of the wants and must-haves to see if they will fit. At this point you can make as many scaled drawings, placing your wants and must have features in different places. I would make several drawings as you might combine two drawing later.

8. Now is the time to begin selecting plants and features. (floral garden)

Here, the material and color you use will produce the atmosphere of your floral garden. It can add movement and clear appeal to your garden. What do you want, bright and bold colors with strong contrast? Or do you want warm or cool colors with soft hues? 

Although plants comprise a large part of a garden, hardscape features add to the texture of any garden – a wood arbor, brick borders and paths, statuary and benches.

As you complete your layout, consider what material best suits your hardscape features. Each element needs to compliment the whole. Example, if you wish to create a terrace constructed of the same material as the house joins the two. On the other hand, railroad ties in or around the garden create a chaotic feeling, and they will eventually decay and take away from the natural beauty of your garden.

9. Now, let’s make a scale drawing.

In step 7 we created a rough draft of the garden and focal points. Now is the time to take your list of trees, plants, and shrubs and place each exactly where the feature will go on the scale drawing. This drawing will serve as your blueprint to place the walkways, arbors, water features. It will also contain your placement of plants, shrubs, and trees.

Remember, it is important to have sufficient information to help create the best possible garden designed on paper. If your scale drawing is sufficiently scaled, you should be successful.

10. Final Important Step: Execute this plan.

Check with your city government about local building code requirements. You want to ensure you comply with all local ordinances before you dig the first hole. Some features such as decks, patios and retaining walls may require a permit. Once any required permits are in place, you are ready to begin.

If all of this seems a bit scary, don’t panic. Just follow these directions, step by step and let the garden unfold. You can make this happen, and you will be a successful gardener.

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The Beautiful Fall Colors

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The Beautiful Fall Colors

What causes the change in leaves?

Have you ever wondered what caused the color of leaves to change? Living in Texas most of my life we only have a small, quick change before the leave fall to the ground. I have never witnessed the prolonged changes to the leave in the Northeast. The pictures are spectacular of the orange, red, purple and yellow hues in the leaves. I understand there is a chemical process that takes place in the trees when the temperature begins to change from warm to cold.

During the warmer months in the spring and summer, the trees take in the sunlight to make and store energy in the form of chlorophyll, resulting in the green leaves and growth of the tree. The trees turn this energy into water and CO2 or Carbon Dioxide, converts it into carbohydrates.

Also present in the new leaves are yellow and orange colors which are concealed by the color green.

How does the Chlorophyll break down?

The extent of daylight hours and temperature changes occur during the fall. The leaves do not continue their process of making the food. When the Chlorophyll production stops, the green in the leaves begins to disappear. The hidden orange and yellow color are then visible, leading to the fall colors.

At this time chemical change can occur. Different colors may develop through the anthocyanin pigments. Mixtures of these anthocyanins pigments may give us various pigments, depending on their pH. These may appear red, purple, or blue leaves and are some of the colors of autumn leaves..

Fall leaves vary in colors. These colors are caused by a mixture of remaining amounts of chlorophyll reside plus the hidden pigments of the fall leaves.

What other changes may take place?

Other changes occur during fall. As the colors change, a layer of cells develops and sever the tissue at the leaf base. The tree seals the cut and leaves behind a scar.

The Northen broadleaf trees shed their leaves in the fall. Some of the oak trees and a few other species may remain on the tree until new growth begins again. in the South where winters are milder, some of the broadleaf trees are evergreen. The leaves may keep their green color.

Some trees lose their leaves, but others do not.

Conifers are of major importance as the source of softwood, and also supply resins and turpentine. These include pines, spruces, firs, and cedar trees. These Conifers are evergreen in both the north and south.

Did you know that weather affects color intensity? Three things to consider.

Rain, sunshine, and temperature affect the degree and length of fall color. Temperatures above freezing will produce maples with bright red leaves. On the other hand, an early frost will weaken the bright colors. Overcast days with rain will increase the intensity of fall colors. The best days to enjoy bright fall colors would be clear, dry, and cool but not freezing.

Enjoy the bright colors as they will only last a short time.