Gardening ZoomGrow your own organic garden

Before we humans arrived on the earth, the earth had been recycling on its own through natural composting. Composting is the nature’s way to recycle organic materials back into the soil. Through natural recycling, the soil becomes richer and the life circle continues. The dead plants are transformed into nutrients for the new plants to grow.

Farmers throughout the history have all utilized this to farm. Since the 20th century, we have become depended upon chemical fertilizers to grow our food.

You can make a difference and compost your yard trimmings and food scraps and turn them into fertilizer and grow your food and vegetables in your own backyard.

People always wonder how often they should water the garden? It really depends on where you live and how much rain fall you receive and how dry is climate is. But there is one simple rule. One deep watering is much better than watering several times lightly. So if you sense that you need to water your garden, then do it longer and deeper to an average 4 to 6 inches. This way encourage healthy root development. It ‘ll also saves you time and energy.

Did you know that most lawns need about 1 inch of water each week, but in the summer hot months, you might need to water an inch every 3 days. Which also applies to gardens. If you want to measure how deep you have watered, just pay attention to how much water is running off the garden of lawn.

Source: U. S. Department of Agriculture

Compost is basically a mixture of decomposed organic materials that include plant and animal matter. This might sound disgusting. But when it comes to making your own compost, I wouldn’t use dead animals. Humans have been using compost as early as early Roman era. Pliny the Elder (AD 23-79) referred to compost in his writings. The process is very simple. You can do it in your own backyard.

The beauty of composting is that you will reduce organic waste by ten folds. Any vegetable, newspapers, tea bags, etc. can be used as compost. I wouldn’t use meat or animal products. Start by preparing a large container and place it on your kitchen counter. Put in vegetables such as carrot peels, tomatoes seeds, orange peels in the container. After a few days, empty it out in a designated area in the backyard. You can just pile them up, or dig a large hole. Let the compost decompose in the area. Make sure it’s far from the house if you don’t like the smell. But in most of time, it doesn’t smell.

After a few weeks or a few months, use your compost in the garden.

Gear up to protect yourself from lawn and garden chemicals, equipment, insects, and the sun.

• Wear safety goggles, sturdy shoes, and long pants when using lawn mowers and other machinery.
• Protect your hearing when using machinery. If you have to raise your voice to talk to someone who is an arm’s length away, the noise can be potentially harmful to your hearing.
• Wear gloves to lower the risk for skin irritations, cuts, and certain contaminants.
• Protect yourself from diseases caused by mosquitoes and ticks. Use insect repellent containing DEET. Wear clothing treated with permethrin, long-sleeved shirts, and pants tucked in your socks. You may also want to wear high rubber boots since ticks are usually located close to the ground.
• Lower your risk for sunburn and skin cancer. Wear long sleeves, wide-brimmed hats, sun shades, and sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Gardening can be a great way to enjoy the outdoors, get physical activity, beautify the community, and grow nutritious fruits and vegetables. Whether you are a beginner or expert gardener, health and safety are important. Emergency room visits due to injuries related to lawn and garden equipment occur each year.

Below are some tips to help keep you safe and healthy so that you can enjoy the beauty and bounty gardening can bring.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Compost contains nutrients, but it is not a substitute for fertilizers. Compost holds nutrients in the soil until plants can use them, loosens and aerates clay soils, and retains water in sandy soils.

To use as a soil amendment, mix 2 to 5 inches of compost into vegetable and flower gardens each year before planting.

In a potting mixture, add one part compost to two parts commercial potting soil, or make your own mixture by using equal parts of compost and sand or perlite.

As a mulch, spread an inch or two of compost around annual flowers and vegetables, and up to 6 inches around trees and shrubs.

As a top dressing, mix finely sifted compost with sand and sprinkle evenly over lawns.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Surface Area

If the microorganisms have more surface area to feed on, the materials will break down faster. Chopping your garden debris with a machete, or using a chipper, shredder, or lawnmower to shred materials will help them decompose faster.

Volume

Compost piles trap heat generated by the activity of millions of microorganisms. A 3-foot by 3-foot by 3-foot compost pile is considered a minimum size for hot, fast composting. Piles wider or taller than 5 feet don’t allow enough air to reach the microorganisms at the center.

Moisture and Aeration

The microorganisms in the compost pile function best when the materials are as damp as a wrung-out sponge and have many air passages. Extremes of sun or rain can adversely affect the balance of air and moisture in your pile. The air in the pile is usually used up faster than the moisture, so the materials must be turned or mixed up occasionallly to add air that will sustain high temperatures and control odor. Materials can be turned with a pitchfork, rake, or other garden tool.

Time and Temperature

The most efficient decomposing bacteria thrive in temperatures between 110F and 160F. Thus, the hotter the pile, the faster the composting. If you achieve a good balance of carbon and nitrogen, provide lots of surface area within a large volume of material, and maintain adequate moisture and aeration, the temperature will rise over several days.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Anything that was once alive will naturally decompose. However, some organic wastes should not be composted at home.

DO compost these items: grass clippings, leaves, plant stalks, hedge trimmings, old potting soil, twigs, annual weeds without seed heads, vegetable scraps, coffee filters, and tea bags.

Do NOT compost these items: diseased plants, weeds with seed heads, invasive weeds such a quack grass and moring glory, pet feces, dead animals, bread and grains, meat or fish parts, dairy products, grease, cooking oil, or oily foods.

Making It Work

To prepare compost, organic material, microorganisms, air, water, and a small amount of nitrogen are needed.

Organic material is leaves, grass clippings, etc. that you are trying to decompose. Microorganisms are small forms of plant and animal life, which break down the organic material. A small amount of garden soil or manure provides sufficient microorganisms.

The nitrogen, air, and water provide a favorable environment for the microorganisms to make the compost. A small amount of nitrogen fertilizer can add sufficient nitrogen to the compost. You can purchase nitrogen fertilizers at many hardware stores, feed stores, or nurseries.

Air is the only part which cannot be added in excess. Too much nitrogen can kill microbes; too much water causes insufficient air in the pile.

Biology

Bacteria are the first to break down plant tissue and are the most numerous and effective compost makers in your compost pile. Fungi and protozoans soon join the bacteria and, somewhat later in the cycle, centipedes, millipedes, beetles, and worms complete the composting process.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

What is Compost?

Compost is a dark, crumbly mixture of decomposed organic matter, such as grass clippings, leaves, twigs, and branches.

How Does Composting Work?

Even the first-time composter can make good quality compost. Like good cooking, composting is part science, part art. Attention to the following parameters will help you get started.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

• Select plants that grow well in your area and are suitable for the climate conditions in your yard (sunny/shaded areas or wet/dry soil).
• Plant ground covers, such as English Ivy and Asian Jasmine, in shaded areas where grass is difficult to establish and maintain.
• Consult your local nursery for ground covers that grow well in your area. Ask about landscaping plants that mimic nature and consume little water.

Aesthetics

Plant windbreaks of trees or shrubs to reduce soil loss from blowing wind and also to provide habitat and shelter for wildlife. Windbreaks reduce the wind around your home and serve as a sight and sound barrier.

Source: U. S. Department of Agriculture