composting Waste agency bins promote composting Contra Costa Times - CA,USA... for us is showing that you can avoid or minimize the problems about odors and flies that worry people," said Bart Carr, composting program coordinator for the ... Composting Tips

• Add as much material as possible at one time.
• Add a mix of lush green material and tough brown material.
• Keep the pile mosit but not waterlogged. Cover the compost pile if necessary.
• Build air into the heap, by placing branches or plastic pipes with holes drilled into it.
• Do not put into the compost pile cooked kitchen waste or meat scraps.
• No deseased plants or pest-infested plants.
• Manure from pigs, dogs, and cats. They may contain diseases that affect humans.
• Weeds with a high seed content.
• Metal and plastic objects.
• Roots of invasive weeds.

Tulips and Daffodils starting to push through the soil

Tulips and Daffodils starting to push through the soil

It's almost spring! Of course Mother Nature still has the last word. Eventhough, my daffodils and tulips are starting to push through the soil, it is back to cold weather again. It's always exciting to see the bulbs that you planted in the fall start to come up. Here are some tips to keep your tulips and daffodils blooming for a long time.

Tulips - unlike many of their spring-blooming bulb counterparts, aren't reliable perennial. The first year they come on strong. The second not so showy and the third, just some leaves. Keep the tulips going longer by doing the following:

• Choose long-lasting species. Bulbs that are described as species or botanical tulips. These come back year after year. Look in the catalog descriptions that use the word perennials.
• Keep the bulbs good draining soil.
• Deadhead spent blooms so that energy can be diverted from flower and seed production back into the bulb. Leave on the foliage until they turn brown and can be with a gentle tug pull from the bulb in the ground. You can also plant annuals around the leaves to hide the maturing bulb. What I do also is put fresh compost and mulch around the leaves cover them over. This saves a step and the leaves will add to the compost.
• When you plant the bulbs in the fall, plant tulips deeper (9 inches). Shallow planting encourages bulbs to split into smaller bulbs.

Daffodils - with care they will bless your garden for years. About every three years dig up your bulbs and spilt the clump and spread the extras to another part of the garden. If you find your daffodils aren't blooming but their foliage looks great. You may have been over fertilizing. To solve the problem go easy on the fertilizer and give them a shot of a low-nitrogen organic fertilizer made for stimulating root development. Or, scratch in a little wood ash from the fireplace. Potash will help the bulb replenish itself and be back blooming it's yellow head once again.

If you see light and dark spots of extensive gray blotches on leaves and flowers you have botrytis blight. Dig up the bulbs to prevent the spread of blight to other bulbs. If blight recurs a second spring, try treating with wettable sulfur.

Methods of Composting

Composting

The most fundamental part of organic gardening is to recycle nutrients and organic matter back into the soil by making compost. Most of the items that you use in the compost is waste that many people pay to have hauled away.

Making Compost

There are two ways to build compost piles. One is to build a pile in layers so that it heats up. This method can take a couple of months.

Making a hot compost pile is a little more complicated because it is usually built all at once in layers to ensure a good even mix of green and brown organic matter and manure. Start with a layer of small woody branches and sticks at the bottom. Next, a layer of green, succulent organic matter, such as grass clippings, kitchen waste, and weeds (the heat will kill weed seeds). On top of this layer add your manure. Add a thin layer of soil, and top of this add straw of other semi-rigid brown organic matter. You can continue adding layers to the pile in the same order: green organic matter, manure, soil and brown organic matter until you get to the top of your bin or container.

Check the temperature of the compost regularly and keep an eye on the moisture content of the pile. You do not want the pile to become waterlogged, but wet. If the pile to too dry, water it liberally to keep the compost working.

The other way is to make a cool compost pile by continually tossing whatever organic matter you have into the pile. This can take as much as a year or more.

Start a pile by laying small woody branches and sticks at the bottom of the pile. This will allow air to infiltrate. Add garden debris, grass clipping, and kitchen waste to the pile. Consider adding an activator, such as manure. The combined effect of turning the pile and an application of activator will speed up the process of a completed compost.

Can you apply compost in the Winter?

Finished compost is a versatile material that you can apply freely at any time of year without fear of burning plants.

Compost

Know your soil chemisty for depleted soil

Know your soil chemisty for depleted soil

What is the quickest way to bring an old used garden spot back into quick production?

Spade in organic matter in the fall. In the spring, apply superphosphate, hoe, rake, and plant. Apply natural fertilizer just before planting, and again during summer.

For any garden - Pay attention to soil chemistry The chemistry of the soil is one of the most critical factors to the success, or lack of success, in the home garden. If the soil in your area is poor, chances are you will be unable to grow those beautiful blooms until the soil has been amended to provide the nutrition the plants need. One mistake many gardeners make is to assume that the soil chemistry will be the same all over their property. It is important to have each part of your property you plan to use for flower growing tested, especially if the areas are far apart. This can be particularly important if part of your property lies on a downhill slope, or if it has been used for other purposes in the past. It is also important to take into consideration such things as the slope of the land and the type of soil in your area. A thorough soil analysis will give you a good baseline to go by and a great way to monitor the quality of the land as your garden grows. Know what your plants require Chances are you already have some plants in mind for your new garden, and if so it is important to understand what those plants need in order to thrive. While most common varieties of annuals, perennials and bulbs will grow in a wide range of conditions, some other varieties can be a bit more demanding. If you plan to grow roses in your garden, for instance, it is a good idea to know the pH level of your soil, and amend it if necessary. Most roses are acid loving plants, and therefore they may not grow properly in soil that is very alkaline. The good news is that alkaline soil can often be brought into balance by adding a good quality humus and working it through the soil. If the humus alone is not sufficient, the addition of sulfur to the soil can often help turn the soil more acidic. Watch the nutrition The nutrients contained within the soil are also vital to the success of your garden. For instance, if the levels of phosphorus, nitrogen and other organic matter is not high enough, your plants may not get the nutrition they need to grow and bloom. Nutrients can be added to poor soil through the use of humus, or by using a good, high quality organic fertilizer. You can see why soil chemistry is such an important first step toward growing the perfect garden. Growing the best flowers in town is a worthy goal. Be sure your soil is up to the task.

Know your soil chemistry for depleted soil

organic flowers

Virginia team discovers growing cut flowers is fun and profitable American Farm - Easton,MD,USA... couple sells its flowers and about 100 species of produce at the Richmond and Williamsburg Farmers Market. Their certification as USDA Organic Market Growers ... New angelonias headed for your local garden center Fort Wayne News Sentinel - Fort Wayne,IN,USA... Their spiky flowers are a welcome sight in the world where round flowers seem to dominate. Plant them in well-drained, well-prepared beds rich in organic matter ... Consider organic gardening Belmont Citizen-Herald - Lexington,MA,USA... risk if you use chemical pesticides and fertilizers on your lawn, flowers or vegetable ... simple steps you can take to establish and maintain an organic lawn care ...

Starting your seeds the right way

With Springtime just around the corner, it is time to think about starting your seeds. When it comes to gardening, gardeners are of two minds. While some gardeners prefer to buy young seedlings and transplant them in the garden, other gardeners prefer the control and the sense of accomplishment that comes with planting flowers and plants directly from seeds. Planting from seed has a lot to recommend it. For one thing, although transplanting seedlings can provide a good head start for the gardener, it can also introduce problems like disease or insect infestation to an established garden plot. Planting from seed helps gardeners to avoid these problems. It is not difficult to plant from seed, but it is vital to read and follow the instructions on the seed packet for best results. As with other types of gardening, it is important to follow the instructions carefully. It is also important to protect the seeds and the delicate seedlings as they grow. Whenever you plant seeds, it is a good idea to use a quality growing tray. It is important to choose the right growing tray, and you can get recommendations from your local nursery or garden center on the best type of tray for your needs. After you have the tray and the seeds in hand, the next step is to fill that growing tray with a high quality seed mixture. This type of product is also called a seed starting mix, and it is similar in consistency to potting soil. Another advantage of the seed starting mix is that it is sterile, and free of diseases and garden pests. After the growing tray has been prepared, the seeds should then be placed in the seed starting mix. The rule of thumb when planting seeds is to plant them at least twice their own depth. In some cases, such as with very small seeds, you may want to simply dust the seeds with a light coating of seed mix, since if they are buried too deep they may not be able to sprout. After the seeds have been planted in the tray, they should be labeled, using either sticks printed with a waterproof marker or actual nursery labels. Do not use the seed packets as labels, since they will quickly disintegrate from moisture as the seeds are watered. Only a misting sprayer should be used to provide water to the newly planted seeds. If you use a hose or watering can, you could inadvertently dislodge the seed medium or uncover the seeds. The growing tray should be covered in order to prevent the moisture from evaporating. A covered tray will also encourage the germination of the seeds. Here is a quick tip. Save your eggshells to start your seeds. You can also use the cardboard eggcartons that the eggs come in. When it is time to plant just put the eggshells or the eggcarton sections right into the ground.

Great articles about composting

Beginning of March busy time at the NanCochrane Times - Cochrane,Alberta,Canada... As a closing note, this month's feature book -- now available at the Town of Cochrane's Conservation Resource Library at the Nan -- is Basic Composting. ... Biopolymers - A Bridge to Zero-Waste CommunitiesBusiness Wire (press release) - San Francisco,CA,USA22, 2006--The introduction of biopolymers, combined with a growing infrastructure for composting them, may reduce the estimated 94 percent(a) of all plastic ...

Organic flower and garden tips.

Welcome to my organic flower and garden blog. Here you will learn about organic flowers and gardening.