The Facts on Waste

You may be astounded, like I was, to find that approximately 3 thousand TONS of garbage are added to our landfills each year! The EPA further estimates that almost a ton of waste is generated by each person in the US each year, and that 70% of that can be recycled and composted. That's a heck of a lot of what could be wonderful soil amendment that's instead getting added to the landfill each year!
I know that it's easier to throw it out than to compost it, but the benefits, to me, far outweigh the drawbacks. After all, nobody wants a landfill in their neighborhood; the smell, pests, the eye sore, decreasing property values, etc. And most of us these days are fairly good at conserving our water resources, but don't realize that about 3 gallons of water is used each time we run the garbage disposal to grind up kitchen waste. Instead of building better bigger landfills and wasting precious water, we could be making our own compost that will provide our gardens and lawn with a valuable boost of natural fertilizer. We can also be sharing this activity with the next generation, spending time with the children in our lives and teaching them how to better care for our world and ourselves.
Composting can be accomplished many different ways. My grandparents had a pile next to their garden that they added to each day. I don't remember them every turning it, so it may have taken quite a while to break down. A three sided apparatus can be put together with almost any materials: cinderblocks, old pallets, cyclone fencing, almost anything that you can build with can be used to build an area for compost. It just needs to allow for air circulation and a surface to keep things together. This method is inexpensive, but you'll need to put your back and arms into it, turning it over with a pitchfork or a compost 'tiller'. You'll almost most likely be dealing with pests...the kind that like decomposing food. Ick! Finally there are bins commericially available that can be sealed up pretty tight to keep pests out, but there would still be the issue of having to manually turn it at least once a week.
Or you can splurge a little and get yourself and your family a tumbling composter. www.BestComposters.com has a selection of the finest tumbling composters available anywhere. An easy turn of a handle and you’re providing your compost with the aeration that it needs to keep all those wonderful organisms happy and heated up. You'll be helping reduce the amount of trash added to landfills, reducing the water consumption and waste, and making some great soil amendment that will help your garden and lawn prosper! Come on in and order yours today!

Creating a Seed Starter Pot Out of Newspaper

I found a cool video to watch that teaches how to make starter pots for seeds out of newspaper that is well put together and includes simple  six step-by-step instructions. I'm certainly going to try them this year, since I know I'm going to be starting those new variety of tomatoes from seed. Plus it's great when newspapers can be used and reused!


All you need is black and white print newspaper, a straight sided glass or jar, soil and seeds. You'll note that in the video, the presenter suggests using a full sheet of newspaper. I think that makes for a very sturdy pot, but a half a sheet is just as good for purposes of starting seedlings, and the newspaper will break down much quicker in the ground.

Speaking of the pot in the ground, when you watch the video, you'll note that it's recommended that you take the newspaper off before planting. I personally don't think that's a good idea, because no matter how careful you are, the delicate roots of the seedling are going to be disturbed by the removal. Instead, I recommend a good soaking of the root ball/newspaper pot, then carefully poking through the newspaper at 1/4 inch intervals around the pot and then planting the whole thing.

And when you plant your seedlings, remember to use organic compost mixed into the garden soil for the nutrients the plants need, and the water retaining properties of the amended soil.  The nutrients will be in slow release mode and will continue to nourish your seedlings as they develop.  The compost will reduce the need to water by helping the soil naturally retain the moisture in the soil.

So here's the link for this how-to video: ehow.com seed starting newspaper pots
 
Happy Composting!

For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to recycle (my mother must've been one of the original recyclers...she used to reuse aluminum foil like crazy!!) And I think I was one of the first 1,000 contributors to WWF. Then when I had children, I probably drove their father to distraction with my efforts to make the world a little less formidible, poluted, for our kids by paying my trash collector to recycle. I've conserved water by putting bottles filled with water into the tank of all our toilets. I rode my bicycle when it wasn't fashionable, ate organic, and used biodegradable soaps. Guess I could've been called a granola head.
With all the media coverage on Global Warming, energy conservation and living green, you're probably thinking about joining in, or increasing your commitment to the “Green Movement”. One of the easiest and cost effective ways to do so is to use biological cleaning products. To clean your carpet, remove laundry stains, deodorize your bathrooms or trash receptacles – check out BiOWish ™ – Cleaner/Deodorizer for complete odor removal and cleaning. It is an advanced enzyme based technology that is 100% organic and safe to use. The way it works is not like a soap, cleaning the stain. Instead it's enzymes 'eat' the stain. I had a stain in my dining room carpet that just kept coming back! I tried several different chemically based cleaning products, but after a few weeks, the stain would reappear. But with one treatment with BiOWish ™ – Cleaner/Deodorizer it’s been gone, really gone, for over a month with no sign of a come back. And then on Christmas day, my daughter's pup cut her paw on some lawn edging and tracked the blood inside the house and onto the carpet. I could tell that my sister-in-law didn't think the stain would ever come out. I got out a spray bottle and mixed up a batch of BiOWish ™-Cleaner/Deodorizer. My daughter works for a carpet cleaning company and I don't think even she thought the blood stains would come out. But when I sprayed the stain I heard her say "Wow!" and I knew she'd be hooked! As she said, the blood stain "just disappeared". My husband wishes we'd had a video camera to film it...I'm tempted to reenact it. Maybe the blood bank will let me have a little blood to do a demonstration with? I'll let you know.
To clean your home, office, or remove laundry stains naturally and organically, try BiOWish ™ – direct from http://www.bestcomposters.com/page/398177366