Most gardners know that Compost is the best nutritional and beneficial fertilizer you can give to your gardens. Many Master Gardeners recommend the application of compost as well.
Not all of us know how to compost. The simplest way is to pile your plant refuse in a back corner of the yard and let it sit until next April. The bottom 2/3rds of the pile will be completed compost and you can place the top 3rd on the bottom for next years pile.
For those who would like compost more quickly you will need to have your plant refuse in atleast a 3 foot by 3 foot pile. Flip this pile 2 or 3 times a week adding moisture when necessary. You can purchase a tumbler but remember you need to have enough refuse to generate heat. If your compost pile doesn't generate heat it isn't cooking down and your compost could contain negative pathogens.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Natural Fertilizer
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Urban Vegetable Gardening
Rural populations can supplement their grocery bill with small garden plots; however, Urban dwellers don’t have this luxury. Vegetable gardens for Urban dwellers is still a possibility. Almost any vegetable can be grown in a container: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes, beans, lettuce, carrots, and radishes. Vine crops like squash and cucumbers also do well in containers. Containers can be old washtubs, wooden boxes or crates, gallon sized coffee cans even five gallon buckets. Living in the city does’nt mean you can’t have your own vegetable garden.
Depending on the crops you select the size of the container will vary. Most plants require containers that allow at least 6 to 8 inches of soil for adequate rooting. Smaller sized containers, like coffee cans, are generally ideal for crops like carrots, radishes and herbs. Use medium sized containers like 5 gallon buckets for tomatoes or peppers. Vine crops like beans and potatoes will need something larger such as a washtub. Soil depth and spacing requirements are listed on the seed packets and once your seeds have sprouted you can thin the crop suitable for the container.