How Does My Garden Grow?

I recently received my 2010 Burpee Gardening catalog and had a load of fun perusing the more than 75 new varieties of plants it contained. Seventy five! I’m trying to decide what I want to plant this year in my garden…what worked well last year, what wasn’t so great, and some new stuff that looks promising!

My most favorite garden vegetable has got to be tomatoes. We usually have four plants that give us a nice crop throughout the growing season, with extras to give to neighbors and friends. I don’t can or freeze them, but I’ve thought recently that I may want to do that. This is mostly because I add tomatoes to so many of my recipes, and it’d be nice to know that they are organic and home grown yummy. So if I do want to freeze some, perhaps I want to add one or two plants. I’m sure there’ll be Early Girls and Better Boys, probably a Beefsteak, and I see that Burpee has a new variety called Tye-Dye Hybrid Tomato. It’s got better disease resistance, is bicolor and non-acidic. Yum!

Next on my list are the green beans that we love so much. A new, Burpee exclusive is the Beananza Bush Bean. Burpee says they’ll grow for twice as long as most beans, so I’ll add them to my list as well. Snap’em, rinse’em, steam’em and eat! I think we’ll need twenty plants at least…maybe thirty for freezing these too.

Beets, beets, beets. Gotta love’em. I think I like the greens as much as I like the roots. Chicago Red Hybrid is ready in 49 days, according to the catalog, with disease resistant leaves. My mother-in-law likes to pickle beets, and that will keep them on the shelf for months after harvest. I like them that way, too, but prefer them steamed until tender, then sliced and sautéed with a little chopped onion and butter…mmmmmm.

And to round out the garden, I’ll be planting two zucchini plants and two acorn squash plants. Burpee Hybrid zucchini matures in 50 days and is “still the standard variety for over 40 years”. High yielding on compact bush plants sounds like the ticket. Add to that the Acorn Table Queen takes 80 days to harvest, but is an Heirloom variety. I’m adding garden space on the north side of my house (the front) and plan on putting one of the squash plants there next to the driveway. I’ll get sun all day, and I can pick right when I get home. I like my zucchini sliced and grilled, with olive oil and some lemon pepper.

Planning a garden is such fun, but no where near as enjoyable as eating the 100% organic, picked and prepared on the same day garden veggies. I’m extra excited about the garden this year, too, because we have been composting all winter long and have lovely dark rich compost to till in to our garden soil and mulch on top to keep the soil airy and moist in our dry Colorado heat. All the nutrients from the BiOWiSH™ Compost Boost that we’ve been adding to the compost will bring an added boost to the soil. And this year, we’ll be ‘fertilizing’ with BiOWiSH™ for added size and top performance. Take a look at what it did for hydroponic lettuce (three weeks old!).

A Healthier Home

I’ll read just about anything that mentions gardening, composting, sustainable living, helping our environment. Could be that I’ll eventually end up skimming through the main part of the article, but on the other hand, it may be that I’ll delve deeply into the heart of it to glean every idea put forth. Wanting to know what others of like mind are thinking and suggesting as ways to improve our lifestyles is a driving force for me.

Knowing this about me, it will not surprise you that on my way to checking my email today I happened upon and read word for word an article by Debra Lynn Dadd about ways we can make our homes healthier. The author listed ten ways to do so;  the numero uno way Ms. Dadd said we could make our homes healthier was to “nix ammonia” as a means of cleaning glass in our homes. Hurray for Ms. Dadd! I heard about this “alternative” cleaner a couple of decades ago and use it religiously…not only to clean glass but for my wood floors and to kill bacteria when I clean my humidifier. One part white or apple cider vinegar to one part water in a spray bottle for window and glass cleaner. One-quarter cup vinegar to one gallon of water cleans my wood floors, and I use full strength vinegar to clean my humidifier.

Another way Ms. Dadd suggested that we could make our homes healthier was to use organically grown produce. Her reasoning was that most (if not all) non-organically grown produce available in our grocery stores is heavily sprayed by the growers with pesticides and herbicides. And we know from scientific studies that these poisons can cause cancer. Ms. Dadd suggests buying organic fruits and vegetables that are in season for a healthier home. But we don’t have to just buy it. We can grow it ourselves! We can reduce our reliance on oil and gas, and decrease emissions by cutting out the need to transport that produce to the market. Growing and eating our own garden produce is one of the best ways to reduce our carbon footprint that I know of. Tasty too!

This last method of cleaning up our living spaces made me think of one of the reasons I fell in love with my husband! The first time I met him he told me about the organic garden he cultivated. It was love at first bite when he shared some home grown organic corn on the cob! Making your own organic compost is the right way to start down that path to organic gardening. And, of course, composting also reduces our carbon footprint by reusing our kitchen waste instead of sending it off to the landfill or reduces water usage by not running that waste through the garbage disposal. At BestComposters.com we want to make it easier than ever to have an organic garden and enjoy those fresh vegetables and fruits. We love our tumbling composter, since all we have to do is add our composting materials and give it a couple of cranks on the handle. Spinning the materials inside the tumbler gets air to the compost and helps those wonderful organisms to break things down more quickly. And by adding BiOWiSH™ Compost Boost (six sachets per $13.99 packet, one sachet per month) to the tumbler according to package instructions, we don’t have to be so careful in adding the exactly proper mix of nitrogen (40%) and carbon (60%). It’s 100% organic and biodegradable, reduces odors and helps in the nutrient absorption of the plants. Using BiOWiSH™ Compost Boost also reduces the amount of time it takes to achieve the finished batch of compost, so we can make twice as much! Our garden is going to love us, and our home will be a healthier place. Thanks for getting me thinking, Debra Lynn Dadd!

BiOWiSH™ Compost Boost and Jora Composters

There seems to be a great deal of interest in a series of tumbling composters out of Sweden called Jora.  It's a reasonably priced series of  composters, which is one reason I think people are looking for them on the web.  Another reason they are gaining in popularity is  because they're one of the few types of composters that are insulated.  After all, they were designed in Sweden!  Land of the mid-night sun and all, so they were designed to continue to work all year long.  Even in cold climates, gardeners can expect their compost in a Jora to reach 75 degrees in the winter time.  Those kinds of temperatures can help a batch of compost decompose and be garden ready in about six to eight weeks!

Another nice feature of these composters is their two compartment system, which was designed to allow one side of the composter to mature while the other side is emptied.  Add all this to the fact that the stand that the composters are set on is made for an average garden wheelbarrow to fit underneath it when it's time to empty the compost out.

The fact that these composters are insulated, as I've said, make it viable to produce compost all year through.  But there's a way to speed the process up even more.  Here's how:  the manufacturer recommends the addition of sawdust or wood pellets as a carbon energy source to help the micro organisms break down the composting materials.  But I think that an easier, inexpensive, 100% organic additive that works more efficiently is BiOWiSH™ Compost Boost.  You won't believe how quickly the addition of this product gets the compost heated up and breaking down.  I really can't say enough about BiOWiSH™ Compost Boost.  One of it's features is that it's harmless to humans and the environment.  You know me by now, I guess, so you know that this is a HUGELY important feature!  The other feature that I'm jazzed about is it's odor removal.  It doesn't just cover up odor, but virtually eats it, and in so doing, will reduce concerns for pests interests in the compost.  If the batch doesn't smell like food, it won't draw the attention of rodents and flies.

A single packet will last six months, too!  All that is necessary is to add one of the six filter bags to sixteen ounces (1 pint, or 500 ml) warm water and let it set for about 15 minutes to give the microbes time to fully activate.  Then pour the whole thing into the batch of compost and mix it in.  Of course, this is a simple thing to do with a Jora, because, again, they're tumbling composters so all that is needed is a turn or two of the handle on the side. Then step back and let BiOWiSH™ Compost Boost do it's thing.  Within a day the temperature in our batch of compost was up to  121 degrees Farenheit!  Forgot to mention that this was in December in Colorado, with outdoor temps in the mid to low 30's.  When I figure out how to put together my 1 minute videos taken with my cell phone, I'll attach it so that you can see for yourself.  In case you don't believe me...

Ideas for Blogs

I've usually got some ideas floating around in my head for things I want to write about, especially about gardening, composting, and living with less impact on our environment.  I write them down in my planner, or on the computer.  I think most of them have been pretty ok, but then I was thinking about reading, listening to NPR, or even catching the news on TV...I try to be well informed!  Then I thought that it might be a good thing to comment on things that I've learned via those media or others here in the blog.  Of course, they'll have something in common with my theme for this blog, and not, for example, be about Haiti, a new Republican Senator in MA, or the space program!  This will also get me off the hook a little when I am pressed for time and can't research an article before writting it.  After all, I'll be writing more about what I learned, questions the content brought up in my mind, and what I thought about the content.  What do you think?  Do you want to share some ideas for blogs with me?  Do you want to share about something you might have heard or read about?  I know you're out there, so let me hear from you!

How Much Effort Do I Need to Put Into Composting?

So the last time we were together we considered spatial concerns about composting. We can now think about how much, or little, effort we want to put into our composting.


Whether composting utilizing a batch system, or a compost bin, tumbling or stacked, you’re going to want to put into it as many kitchen scraps as you produce, right? I know I do, because I’ve always felt strongly that one should try to reduce the amount of water one uses (ie. Garbage disposal, in this case) and the amount of refuse one sends off to a landfill. Reduce your impact! If I had a million dollars, I’d have wind power and solar power generating my home’s energy. I’d drive one of the newest technology in fuel efficient vehicles. Heck, I’d probably even build my home out of newspapers, tires or hay bales. But I’m not a millionaire, so I do what I can within my capacity. I like to compost all my kitchen scraps every day. So that means taking them out to the composter every day.

Here’s the point at which we can really discuss ‘effort’. Do you toss the scraps into a tumbling composter, shut the door and give it a few turns to give those organisms some fresh air? Or do you take a pitchfork and dig in to your compost pile, turning with arm, shoulder and back muscles, it to refresh the organisms? I’m fortunate enough to have a tumbling composter so that, while I’m doing my part, and I’m making great compost for my garden, it’s pretty easy to do.

How Much Space do I Need to Compost?

When (not if!  I believe that eventually we’ll all be composting in our efforts to live sustainably.) you decide to compost, there are two important things to consider. One is the amount of space that you have to work in, and the other is how much, or little, effort you want to put into it. Take heart! With the right equipment—and a small amount of effort—you can continually create an copious capacity of compost quickly and easily in a limited amount of yard, patio or roof space. Let’s first consider this question of space.

                     

To Batch, or Not to Batch                                              

If you’re going to batch compost, you’ll need space for:

· one batch of working compost, and

· one area to stockpile materials for the next batch

· Additionally it’s nice to have a spot where you can lay some tarp down and spread the ‘finished’ compost for a little airing. It’s not that it has a bad odor! This pile should smell like rich, fertile soil.

Depending on how large of a batch, or pile of compost that you want to work with, you’ll want a space no smaller than two by two feet. Most I’ve seen run larger, to as big as I’ve seen, six by six foot. Storage can be a bucket or the size of a trash can. We do our share of tree trimming, so we’ve usually got a space designated for branches to be chipped up for mulch or compost. The area for airing your compost will need to be no smaller than a three by three foot space, but can take up a twelve by twelve foot tarp. How big is your garden? How much compost will you need?

Continuous Composters

Whether you choose a tumbling composter, a cone shaped composter, a drum shaped composter, or a tiered, box shaped composter, you’ll need a space for it anywhere from three feet in diameter up to a three by five foot spot. We put our leaves, shredded newspaper and leaves into a trash container set next to our tumbler. And our ‘finished’ area is an area approximately six by six feet.

Pond & Fountain Deux

When first using BiOWiSH Pond & Tank Conditioner to clean out the algae in your backyard pond, fountain, or indoor fish tanks, you'll be amazed at the way it cleans out the goo!

The first application will bring the biology of the water back to life. This can cause short-term darkening of the water as the bottom sludge gains buoyancy. This is all part of the accelerated decomposition process. Over the course of 1-2 weeks, you'll see the water becoming progressively clearer, as blue green algal growth is removed and sludge or waste accumulation is eliminated.

This product is completely safe to use around, and even beneficial to humans, animals and plants. BiOWiSH Pond & Tank Conditioner is used in many, many commercial applications where it is directly applied to animal's drinking water, aquaculture production water, crops, hydroponics waters and general water treatment. The product is 100% organic and non-toxic. You can check out a video of this treatment by clicking this YouTube link.

In this age of global warming and with the concerns we all share for our Mother Earth, you won't find another effective natural way to clean your water features like BiOWiSH Pond & Tank Conditioner. This is the positive and beneficial choice to make!

Soil Testing Part Deux

This is a follow up on my Jan. 8th post about wanting to check the chemical makeup of the soil in my garden. So I went online and searched for "soil testing kits" and found that there are a good number of companies out there offering kits, for prices varying from $4.95 to almost $20, to professional soil testing kits in the hundreds of dollars. Your local nursery and most likely your neighborhood hardware store will carry something that is usable and reasonably priced. Then I looked up how to do a soil test. Here's what a local store's website had to offer:
You need some supplies, such as:
- a clean bucket
- a garden trowel
- a clean container
- enough newspaper to spread out and let the soil samples dry out a little

Once the supplies are ready I'll:

1. Thoroughly clean the tools that I am using to collect the soil samples.
2. In the area that I'll be planting in, I'll dig five holes 6"-8" deep.
3. I'll take a 1/2" slice of soil along the side of a hole and place it in the bucket.
4. I'll repeat this process for all holes.
5. I'll collect samples from different areas that will be growing similar plants.
6. And I'll mix the soil in the bucket, then spread it on a newspaper to dry out. I'll need to collect a pint of soil for my sample

Helpful Hints:

• The best time to test soil is in the late fall or early spring. This gives you the time to make adjustments to the soil before you plant your garden, since soil corrections may take a few months to become effective.
• Wet soil can give a false test reading. Be sure to take the sample when the soil is fairly dry. You may want to check your soil more than once to verify your results.

Once I know what condition my soil is in, I can monitor the nutrients - Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potash (K) - which are all needed for plant growth, color and bloom. Nitrogen is essential for leaf growth and green coloration. Phosphorus helps with plant growth, fruit and seed development, and disease resistance. Potash strengthens the plant from the roots up! And pH levels measure the alkalinity or acidity of the soil. Some of these kits come with a listing of plants and what soil requirements they need. Look for that info!

I can hardly wait for those fresh veggies and blooms!

How to Know When Your Compost is Ready to Be Used

We've been composting since the summer and have had a large batch of compost come out of our tumber after only two months. The material in our composter looked like soil and smelled like soil. So, we stored it in an enclosed area in our side yard and started a new batch in the tumbler. The composting class that I took recommended that compost be allowed to sit for 2 -4 weeks to let some of the nitrogen leach out of it before putting it into the soil or using it as mulch. Too much nitrogen can really damage your plants.

Of course how much nitrogen your compost has in it will depend on what you've put into your compost pile/tumber. The right mix of 'greens' and 'browns' is more important than you might realize. This should be 60% 'brown', such as cardboard (shredded), paper towel and toilet paper rolls, newspaper, wood pellets or sawdust, or woody debris from your garden. Make sure that everything is in small pieces, like one inch or less. The 40% 'green' can be kitchen scraps and grass clippings. If the scraps are larger than one inch, cut them into smaller pieces. The more surface area to interact with the bacteria, the better. And, NO citrus, onion or spicy! Then, keeping the compost moist will help the heat producing bacteria do it's job. The compost should feel like a sponge that's been squeezed of all it's moisture to be sure you have the correct amount of moisture. Finally the heat producing bacteria that breaks it all down needs air, so if you've got a compost tumber, give it a turn every day. If you're not so fortunate and have a compost pile on the ground, get out that pitchfork and move the compost from the outside to the inside at least every other week. And, once again, adding a compost boost product that will enhance the production of bacteria will speed up and simplify this whole process!

And when the composted material looks like soil, smells like soil and has set for a little bit, you will really enjoy mixing it into your garden soil or using it as mulch to keep moisture in the soil and to discourage weed growth. I like to put it on pretty thick for this purpose alone.
Happy Composting!

Now that we have been composting like gangbustas since last spring, we have a pile of compost that stands approximately 4 x 4 x 3 feet. We also have compost in our tumbler that will overflow a wheelbarrow. Next step, plan the garden! I know what I like to look at in the way of flowers (I always plant a profusion of different color impatients in the front of my house where it’s shady all the time by the porch. What a lovely way to enter a house, past all that color!). I like a lot of color, and something that I can cut and bring into the house in a cut flower arrangement. My first year with a garden in this house, we got rid of the top two feet of soil (aka CLAY) and replaced it with store bought compost, peat and top soil. Then I threw down some zinnia seeds, watered, and BLAM! I had the most magnificent array of color ever! I keep trying to recreate that, but a lot has changed in my yard since I threw those zinnia seeds out. The biggest difference is the amount of shade in my back yard. It’s on the south side of the house, so it gets pounded by summer sun. So to protect the paint on my house, keep cooling energy costs down, and give us some privacy from neighbors, we planted trees. Oh yeah, the kids needed something to climb and the birds and squirrels needed homes. We lived on the prairie! No trees.

Anyway, so now I have tons of shade in my yard, which is great, but it definitely impacts what plants I can grow, right? Then there’s the soil. I don’t know where it goes, but what I put into that 2 foot trench that we excavated along the back fence is no longer an airy mixture of peat, top soil and compost! The sun has baked it and the plants have sucked the nutrients right out of it.

So I figure I'll first address the soil composition question. Stay tuned to see what I do to answer the question: "What kind of soil to I really have and what will grow in it?"

It's a new year and I'm determined to learn how to video tape with my camera so that I can include video testimonial to my blog, my facebook account and my websites. I made a video yesterday of my compost pile. I know! How exciting, eh? I really wanted to demonstrate how active my compost pile is even in these cooooolddd winter days and nights. Here in Colorado we've been experiencing winter days with temperatures in the upper 20's and lower 30's. Nights have been logging single digit temps to as high as lower 20's. So you can imagine what the average, run-of-the-mill compost bin/tumber/pile might look like....a frozen heap of scraps/leaves/paper/brownish gunk. But (!) not our compost pile! Oh no! Even though our pile is on the north west side of our house and lacking in much sunlight, it's been showing a reading of temperatures of like 120 degrees F and slightly higher! Whoa! That compost is cookin'! And of course I attribute that temperature to the100% organic, powerful enzyme based BiOWiSH™ Compost Boost that we put into the mix on December 22nd, 2009. I'm going to give my niece a call now to find out if she can help me with the splicing and editing of my video. Then, I'll attach it for all of you out there to see!