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Composting
Tips & Techniques [ Home ] [ Up ] [ Going Bananas! ] [ Healthy Garden Soil - Composting; how, when & why ] [ Recycle Kitchen Wastes Using a Home Worm Bin ] |
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Bananas are called the "world's most perfect
food" in a television commercial and that holds true for the garden as well. The primary reason for giving
bananas such a distinction for the garden is the very high potassium content,
even in the banana skins. The banana fruit itself is normally eaten but if a couple of bananas in the bunch
get too ripe to eat, that squishy, brown fruit is potassium "gold" for
the garden. More such treasure can be found in the produce department of the grocery store. No, I'm not suggesting you buy bananas at regular or even sale prices but
most larger grocery stores deeply discount produce that is overly ripe,
including bananas. Even bananas that are completely brown inside and out that would not be eaten are still
excellent potassium fertilizer for your garden, flowerbed or container plants. I have found overly ripe bananas on the clearance rack for as little
as 5 cents a pound, which is significantly cheaper than any off the shelf
potassium fertilizer. Using the bananas, fruit or peels, in the garden is easy. Personally, if I have only one peel from a banana just eaten, I simply toss the peel under the leaves of dahlias growing outside the kitchen door. The peels blacken and crumble on their own within a couple of days so they don't create an insect problem. A technique presented on a television show quite a while back involved drying the peels in the oven, set to about 180-200 degrees, any higher will destroy nutrients. In practice, the drying takes 20-30 minutes for a full cookie sheet of peels. I personally like the fragrance wafting through the house but beware, the banana peels will burn if left too long or the temperature is too high, so keep an eye on them.The peels are done and ready for the garden when they are black and still retain just a bit of moisture but crumble easily with fingers. The crumbled peels are then worked gently into the soil around the plants in your flowerbed, garden or containers. When I have a large amount of peels or overly ripe, whole bananas from the grocery, I use a blender or food processor to prepare bananas for use in the garden. Just chop up the bananas, peel and all, into one-inch chunks and liquefy small batches in a blender, adding a small amount of water if needed. When you have a pitcher full of the fragrant goo, it’s time to go out to the garden. Pouring the goo on the surface of the soil will create a smelly mess and attract unwanted insects so grab a hand trowel or cultivator. I normally use this method prior to any planting so a 3-4 inch deep trench is dug where a row of seeds will be planted and the goo is poured the length of the trench then covered over with soil. Wait a couple of days for the goo to soak in and the soil organisms to begin working before planting in that row. Bananas are not the only produce to look for on the clearance rack, just about any vegetable or fruit will provide your compost bin or garden with valuable nutrients. Summer is the time for corn, especially in Indiana, and the ears are often shucked by the customer right there in the store so the store provides a container for the husks. Don't just walk into the store and grab the bag of husks out of the trashcan, ask a produce department employee or manager first. I've never been refused but expect them to watch or check the first couple of times that you haven't tossed a couple ears of corn into the bag. Once you have permission, don't expect the employee to do the work, take it upon yourself to pull the bag, clean up any husks on the floor and put a new bag into the container so that the favor you are asking becomes a favor to them. Other produce is often cleaned in store, such as cabbage and lettuce, before being put out for customers and those trimmings can sometime be recovered if you have developed a good relationship with the produce department manager. Another beneficial aspect of clearance produce can be as a source for seeds. Melons and squash, especially unusual varieties, often end up on the clearance rack so the seeds are easily harvested before the remainder is eaten or composted. If the grocery store you patronize is large enough to have a delicatessen department that prepares fresh fruit salad and such, ask the manager if the fruit scraps and peels can be saved for you in a sealed container that would normally be disposed of anyway. Such favors require building a relationship as a customer and you must be diligent about picking up the container perhaps even daily but the additional organic material for your compost bin or direct use is a precious commodity worth a little bit of effort. Copyright © 2003, Marty Smith
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BANANA Fruit Facts Complete Guide to Bananas History of Bananas - Banana Recipes - How to Grow Bananas - Banana Trees Washington Banana Museum The International Banana Club and Museum |
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In the soft, warm bosom of a decaying compost heap, a transformation from life to death and back again is taking
place. Life is leaving the living plants of yesterday, but in their death these leaves and stalks pass on their vitality to
the coming generations of future seasons. Here in the dank, moldy pile the wheel of life is turning. Compost is more than a fertilizer or a healing agent for the soil's wounds. It is a symbol of continuing life. Nature herself made compost before man first walked the earth and before the first dinosaur lifted its head above the primeval swamp. Leaves falling to the forest floor and slowing moldering are composting. The dead grass of the meadow seared by winter's frost is being composted by the dampness of the earth beneath. Birds, insects and animals contribute their bodies to this vast and continuing soil rebuilding program of nature. The compost heap in your garden is an intensified version of this process of death and rebuilding which is going on almost everywhere in nature. In the course of running a garden, there is always an accumulation of organic waste of different sorts - leaves, grass clippings, weeds, twigs - and since time immemorial gardeners have been accumulating this material in piles, eventually to spread it back on the soil as rich, dark humus. The Purpose of Composting: Gardening and farming disrupt the natural pattern of the return of plant matter to the earth. Compost is the link between modern agriculture and nature's own method of building soil fertility. In addition to returning rotting vegetable material to the soil, there are two major reasons for making compost: - to render certain materials such as manure and garbage pleasant to handle - to increase the nitrogen content of low-nitrogen materials such as sawdust, straw and corncobs The high heat of composting rapidly "cooks" the smell out of manure and garden waste. This is a significant gain because gardeners are often reluctant to use those materials "fresh". The composting process also increases the nitrogen content of the pile. Microorganisms "burn off" much of the carbon, reducing the cubic bulk of the heap but correspondingly increasing its nitrogen portion. Organic matter is valuable to the soil only while it is decaying. Even finished compost is actually only partly decayed. It continues to break down in the soil, providing food for increasing populations of microorganisms upon which your plant health depends. Pound per pound (kg per kg) compost is the finest soil conditioner to be had. |
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How To Make Compost: Making compost is not difficult and can be easily done at home. Essentially, the basic methods call for layering natural ingredients in heaps in mixed proportions, providing necessary air and moisture and turning the heaps to provide bacterial action on all parts of the heap. Just about any organic matter can be used. Weeds, fruit and vegetable peelings, grass, garden clippings, dead flowers, sawdust, woodchips, coffee wastes, nutshells, shredded leaves, and more can all be used provided they are chemical, pesticide and herbicide free. Also, do not use feces, or dead animals. In short, think to yourself, "Do I really want to eat this?". Compost can be made either in open piles or in bins. Piles are more easily turned, but bins have a better appearance in the garden. Bins also have the advantage of better moisture and temperature control. Personally, I have found beginning with a pit in the garden seems to work best, as it attracts earthworms to help with the breakdown of the materials, plus you can turn it easily. 1. Whichever method you choose, select a sunny spot and begin by putting down a 6 inch layer of plant wastes such as spoiled hay, straw, sawdust, plant leaves (shredding them first helps) garden clippings, or wood chips 2. Add a 2 inch layer of manure and bedding 3. Follow with a layer of topsoil, approximately 1/8 inch thick. Urine-impregnated topsoil is particularly valuable but find out what the animals have been eating as hormones, antibiotics, and chemicals etc, will end up in your soil and then in your food. 4. On top of this layer of soil spread a sprinkling of lime, phosphate, bone meal, rock, granite dust, or wood ashes to increase the mineral content of the heap. Lime is not added if an acid compost is wanted. 5. Water the pile, and continue the process of laying. Do not trample on the heap as if it is matted down, aeration will be impeded. Within a few days the heap will begin to heat up and start to shrink in size. The heap is turned with a pitchfork 2 - 3 weeks after being made, and again at about 5 weeks of age. Care is taken during turning to place the outer parts of the heap on the inside so that they can decay fully. Do not turn the heap too frequently, as it needs to build up heat for the decaying process. Keep the pile moist, but not wet, and let nature take its course. The compost will be finished after about 3 months. |
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When To Apply Compost: The main influence on timing, rate and method of applying compost is its condition, age, and degree to which the composting process is complete. Fully mature compost resembles - indeed, it is - supersoil, a light, rich loam. If half completed so it still retains some fibrous material, it will continue to decompose and generate heat. Such compost should be permitted to finish composting. Never place it near growing plants. However, if you have unfinished compost in the fall of the year, it is safe to apply it. It will finish up in the soil and be ready to supply growth nutrients to the first spring plantings. The preferred time to apply fully matured compost is a month or so before planting - or, if you are a successive cropper, planting two or more crops to the same parcel of land each session, just before planting. The closer to planting time it goes on, the finer it should be shredded or chopped, and the more thoroughly it should be hoed or tilled into your soil. If compost is ready in the fall but not intended for use until spring, it should be kept covered and stored in a protected place. If it is kept for a long period of time during the summer, the finished compost should be watered from time to time. |
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How To Apply: For general application, the soil should be stirred or turned thoroughly. Then the compost is added to the top four inches of soil. For flower and vegetable gardening, it is best to pan the compost through a 1/2 inch sieve. Course material remaining may then be put into another compost heap. To avoid disturbing roots of established plants, compost should be mixed with topsoil and applied as mulch. This is often termed "side dressing". It serves a double purpose, providing plant food that will gradually work itself down to the growing crop, and as a mulch giving protection from extremes of temperature, hard rains and growth of weeds. For best results, compost should be applied liberally, from 1 - 3 inches per year. There is no danger of burning due to overuse, as happens with artificial fertilizers. Apply compost either once or twice a year. |
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Layered Garden or "Lasagna" Garden For those of you who are short on garden space, you might want to try one of the two methods pictured on the right. The first picture allows for more intensive gardening (more plants for the area available). See pictures at http://www.growitgold.com/resources/soil.shtml 1. Begin by digging a pit of the appropriate size 2. Line the bottom with wire mesh if rodents are a problem in your area The core or bottom of your compost pile garden is made up of twigs, small branches, and other coarse materials Next comes twigs, finely shredded branches, sawdust, etc 3. On top of this, place garden materials such as weeds, lawn clippings, fruit and vegetable peelings from the kitchen, coffee grounds, shredded leaves. It's best to shred the leaves, as too many leaves placed in whole can pack down and prevent natural aeration and decomposition (it might start to stink) 4. Follow with a layer of partially finished compost. 5. Top with fully finished compost mixed with quality topsoil |
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For more gardening information, please visit http://www.growitgold.com/resourceindex.shtml This article has been brought to you by: GROWIT GOLD Garden & Landscape design software. See the slideshow – http://www.growitgold.com About the author: A national and international freelance writer since 1985, Sara has myriad articles and special editions to her name. Main interests include science & technology, and organic gardening. |
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Recycling your kitchen wastes using a home worm bin is an easy, ecologically sound way to dispose of
kitchen wastes. Just think about how much water is used every day when you wash garbage
down the garbage disposal in your sink!
Besides saving water, a worm bin produces an organic compost that can be used instead of chemical fertilizers in your garden and on your house plants. This is a fun and educational activity for youngsters. They will learn something about the biology of worms and also the importance of reusing and recycling to preserve resources. Here are 10 easy steps to setting up your worm bin: 1. Select a container to house your worms. Both wooden boxes and plastic storage bins work well. 2. Determine what size you need based on the amount of waste you generate per week. An average household of 4 creates 6 lbs of food waste per week. They would need a 6 sq ft bin. (2’ x 3’). Keeping your container fairly shallow 12”-18” helps keep the bedding from compacting and makes it easier to handle. 3. Your bin should also have a lid to keep predators out and protect your worms from exposure to light and sudden temperature changes. 4. Drill some holes about 1/8” diameter and about 4” apart in the sides and bottom to provide air circulation and good drainage. 5. If you keep your bin indoors, set it up on blocks and place a tray or thick layer of newspapers under it to catch any excess moisture that may drain out of the bottom. 6. Add damp bedding to the bin. Strips of old newspaper, shredded paper, leaves, or peat moss all work well. Use what you have. Make the bedding about 6” deep. 7. Add the food waste. You can add the food in piles or spread it out into a shallow layer. But cover it with about another 2” of damp bedding. Worms will eat anything that has once been alive including paper. Vegetable scraps, spoiled leftovers from the fridge, cereal, fruit rinds, coffee grounds (including the paper filters), and stale bread all make great worm food. Don’t feed raw meat, dairy products, or pet feces. 8. Each time you add food, stir the bedding up to loosen it and keep it from becoming packed down. It is important to keep the air circulating to allow the rotting process plenty of oxygen. If your bin gets stinky the food is not getting enough air as it decomposes. Frequent stirring will prevent this. Always cover the food with additional damp bedding. 9. You may need to add moisture from time to time in addition to the food. Never let the bedding dry out. Sprinkle lightly with water. Fruit juice is even better. If the bin is too dry, the food will stop rotting and the worms will not be able to eat it. 10.Place your worms into the worm bin. Be sure to dump in all of the old vermicompost that came with your worms. This compost material contains lots of micro-organisms that your bin needs to help keep the wastes decomposing so the worms can eat it. The process is fairly slow at first. You won’t see much change from day to day. The worms will grow if you provide the basics: Moist dark environment Rotting Food (kitchen wastes) Bedding to allow air circulation Stable temperature between 60-75 degrees inside the bin. You can learn more about your home worm bin or order Red Wiggler Worms at our web site: http://www.wormlady.com |
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About the author: Sherry Palmer studied horticulture at South Puget Sound Community College and established a small organic farm, Creekside Gardens, on the land where her parents and grandparents once farmed. She raises Red Wiggler compost worms and promotes recycling of kitchen wastes using a home worm bin. Her web site www.wormlady.com is a great guide to raising worms and offers online sale of Red Wigglers. |
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©2003-2005crazycatmaninorangehat
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