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Making Compost - Black Gold for Your Organic Garden

The best and most refined of organic matters is compost, which is organic matter and/or manures that have decomposed until they resemble loamy soil. Thoroughly decomposed compost contains lots of humus — the beneficial, soil-improving material your plants need. Whether the original source was grass clippings, sawdust, animal manure, or vegetable scraps from your kitchen, all organic matter eventually becomes compost.

Making your own compost is probably the simplest way to ensure high quality compost and save some money. It's really not as complicated as you may think: The many commercial composting bins and containers on the market make it a mess-free and hassle-free process.

A well-constructed compost pile — built with the proper dimensions and maintained correctly — heats up fast; decomposes uniformly and quickly; kills many diseases, insects, and weed seeds; doesn't smell; and is easy to turn and maintain. Conversely, a pile just thrown together rarely heats up and, therefore, takes longer to decompose. This type of cold composting doesn't kill any diseases, insects, or weed seeds; may smell bad; and definitely looks messy.

Containing your compost pile makes it look neater, helps you maintain the correct moisture, and prevents animals from getting into it. You can build your own, as shown in Figure 1, or buy a commercial home composting unit. The advantages of a commercial composter include the availability of a wide range of attractive sizes and shapes and ease of use. Choose from box-shaped plastic and wooden bins and barrels or elevated and easy-to-turn tumblers, as shown in Figure 2. Store-bought bins are costly, however, and produce only small quantities of compost at a time, especially compared to a homemade bin that's built from scrap lumber or wire.

Figure 1: Build a simple wooden bin to hold your compost pile.

Figure 2: Commercial composters help you make compost yourself.

Here's what you need to know to build a good compost pile:

1. Choose a shady location, out of the way, but still within view so that you don't forget about the pile.

The soil under it should be well drained.

2. Make a bin.

Create a wire cylinder that's 3- to 4-feet in diameter or build a three-sided box (similar to the one in Figure 1), that's 4 to 5-feet high and wide.

3. Add brown materials.

Add a 6-inch layer of "brown" organic matter — such as hay, straw, old leaves, and sawdust — to the bottom of the container.

4. Add green materials.

Add a 2- to 3-inch layer of "green" organic matter, such as green grass clippings, manure, table scraps, or even high-nitrogen fertilizer, such as cottonseed meal, on top of the brown layer.

5. Repeat these layers, watering each one as you go, until the pile is 4 to 5-feet tall and fills the bin.

A smaller pile won't heat up well and a larger pile can be difficult to manage.

6. Within two days, mix the layers together thoroughly.

Particle size should be varied, smaller particles hasten decomposition.

7. Cover the pile with a tarp to keep rain away and preserve moisture.

If the pile gets too soggy or too dry, it won't heat up.

Not all organic matter is good for the compost pile. Following is a look at what to add to a pile, what not to add, and in what ratios to add it:

* What to add to the pile or composter: What you put in the compost pile is up to you — just remember that it needs to be from an organic material. Here's a short list of possibilities:

• Hay, straw, pine needles

• Leaves

• Kitchen scraps (egg shells, old bread, vegetable and fruit scraps)

• Animal manure, except for dog, cat, pig, or human

• Old vegetables, flowers, or trimmings from trees and shrubs

• Sawdust

• Wood chips

• Weeds

• Shredded black and white newspaper. (In the past, color printing used heavy metals in the ink. Most color printing now uses soy-based inks, but it's better to avoid them in the garden altogether to be on the safe side.)

* What not to add: Some items don't belong in your compost pile. While hot compost piles can kill off many diseases, weed seeds, and insects, it's not a sure thing, and some of these unpleasant guests may survive to invade your garden again. Certain materials can also invite unwanted wildlife to the pile or spread human diseases. Avoid adding the following to your compost bin:

• Kitchen scraps like meats, oils, fish, dairy products, and bones. They attract unwanted animals, such as rats and raccoons, to the pile.

• Weeds that have gone to seed or that spread by their roots, such as quackgrass

• Diseased or insect-infested vegetable or flower plants

• Herbicide-treated grass clippings or weeds

• Dog, cat, or pig feces.

* Let's talk ratios: In composting corners, you often hear about the C/N ratio or carbon to nitrogen ratio. Basically, all organic matter can be divided into carbon-rich (brown stuff) and nitrogen-rich (green stuff) materials. Using the right mixture of brown to green stuff when building a compost pile encourages the pile to heat up and decompose efficiently. Although nearly any combination of organic materials eventually decomposes, for the fastest and most efficient compost pile in town, strike the correct balance (C/N ratio) between the two types of material — usually 25 to 1 (that is, 25 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen).

Table 1 shows which common compost materials are high in carbon and which materials are high in nitrogen. Notice that the softer materials, such as fresh grass clippings, tend to be higher in nitrogen than hard materials, such as sawdust. Mix these together to form a pile with an average C/N ratio of 25-to-1 to 30-to-1, and you'll be well on your way to beautiful compost. Use the following ratios as guidelines. Actual ratios vary depending on the sources of the materials and other factors. And speaking of sources — be sure that your compost materials haven't been contaminated with pesticides or other chemicals.

Table 1: Carbon/Nitrogen Ratios of Various Materials

Material and C/N Ratio

Table scraps, 15:1

Grass clippings, 19:1

Old manure, 20:1

Fresh alfalfa hay, 12:1

Fruit waste, 25:1

Corn stalks, 60:1

Old leaves, 80:1

Straw, 80:1

Paper, 170:1

Sawdust, 500:1

Wood, 700:1
Quick and easy compost recipes

To make the most compost in the shortest amount of time, try some of these proven recipes. For each recipe, mix the ingredients thoroughly and follow the directions in the next section, "Keeping your pile happy." Depending on weather and compost ingredients, you should have finished compost within one to two months.

* Recipe #1: Four parts kitchen scraps from fruits and vegetables, 2 parts chicken or cow manure, 1 part shredded newspaper (black ink only), and 1 part shredded dry leaves.

* Recipe #2: Two parts kitchen scraps, 1 part chicken manure, and 1 part shredded leaves.

* Recipe #3: Two parts grass clippings, 1 part chicken manure, and 1 part shredded leaves.

Keeping your pile happy

A hot pile is a happy pile. If you follow the method of just throwing everything together, the pile will rarely heat up. If you follow the method of building the pile carefully with a balanced C/N ratio, the pile will start to cook within a week. Now you need to keep it cooking. Here's the procedure:

1. Keep the pile moist by periodically watering it.

Dig into the pile about 1 foot to see if it's moist. If not, water the pile thoroughly, but not so that it's soggy. The pile needs air, too, and adding too much water removes air spaces. If you built the pile with moist ingredients, such as kitchen scraps, it won't need watering at first.

2. Turn the pile when it cools down.

Using a garden fork, remove the outside layers and put them aside. Remove the inside layers into another pile and then switch. Place the outside layers in the center of the new pile and the inside layers along the outside of the new pile.

3. Let it cook again.

How hot it gets and how long it cooks depends on the ratio of C/N materials in the pile and whether you have the correct moisture levels.

4. When it's cool, turn it again.

You should have finished compost after two to three turnings. The finished product should be cool, crumbly, dark colored, and earthy smelling.

Sometimes, a compost pile never heats up, smells bad, or contains pieces of undecomposed materials. Chances are that one of the following conditions occurred:

* The pile was too wet or dry.

* You added too many carbon materials and not enough nitrogen materials.

* The pieces of material were too big or packed together. Shred leaves, branches, and pieces of wood to decompose more quickly.

* The pile was too small.

You can find lots of compost aids on the market. Bioactivators — packages of concentrated microbes — are one of the most popular because they can speed the decomposition process. These microbes occur naturally, however, and many are already present in a well-constructed compost pile. Save your money and use microbe-rich compost materials instead.
Gardening Glossary
annuals

Plants that complete their entire life cycle within one growing season. The plant germinates from seed, grows and blooms, and then produces seed and dies.
Gardening Glossary
biennials

A plant that take two growing seasons to complete its life cycle. It germinates and grows leaves and stems in the first year; produces flowers and fruit (seed) in the second, and then dies.
Gardening Glossary
bolt

When a plant flowers or produces seed prematurely.
Gardening Glossary
cold frame

A wooden or concrete block box in which you can grow plants or hold dormant during the cold winter months.
Gardening Glossary
cole crops

A family of vegetables, including broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and Brussels sprouts. They thrive in cooler weather.
Gardening Glossary
complete fertilizer

Any fertilizer that contains all three of the primary nutrients, N-P-K (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium). Phrase is based on regulations governing the fertilizer industry. Does not mean that the fertilizer literally contains everything a plant needs to thrive.
Gardening Glossary
deadheading

The practice of pinching or cutting off spent flowers
Gardening Glossary
evaporative-pad humidifier

A humidifier in which fans blow across a moisture-laden pad that sits in a reservoir of water.
Gardening Glossary
harden off

The process of acclimating plants grown indoors gradually to the brighter light and cooler temperatures of the outside world.
Gardening Glossary
hardiness

The ability of a plant to survive is called its hardiness.
Gardening Glossary
humus

A stable end product of organic-matter decomposition that's believed to increase microbial activity in soil, improve soil structure, and enhance the root development of plants.
Gardening Glossary
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)

An effective bacteria that attacks only the larvae of caterpillar family insects. It is safe to other insects, animals, and humans.
Gardening Glossary
macronutrients

Mineral nutrients that plants need in the largest quantities: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur.
Gardening Glossary
mulch

Organic or inorganic material placed over the surface of soil, usually directly over the root zone of growing plants. Used to conserve moisture, kill weed seedlings, modify soil temperature, provide attractive covering to garden beds.
Gardening Glossary
organic matter

Once-living stuff like compost, sawdust, animal manure, ground bark, grass clippings, and leaf mold (composted tree leaves). Used to enrich soil and improve soil texture.
Gardening Glossary
perennials

Any plant with a life cycle of three or more years. Herbaceous (non-woody) perennials include flowering plants and herbs, mainly. Woody perennials include trees and shrubs. Longevity depends on the plant and growing conditions.
Gardening Glossary
pH

The measure of soil's acidity. Soil with low pH means it's too acidic; soil with high pH means it's alkaline. Most plants grow best in soil with a pH value between 6.5 and 7.2. Neutral soils measure 7.
Gardening Glossary
photosynthesis

The process through which plants take nutrients from the air and from the water in the soil to produce sugars that fuels the plant's growth.
Gardening Glossary
primary nutrients

Nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium are the three nutrients plants need in the largest quantities.
Gardening Glossary
root crops

Plants with edible underground roots such as onions, carrots, beets, potatoes, turnips. Most root crops are cold-weather crops.
Gardening Glossary
self-blanching

A type of cauliflower with leaves that naturally curl over the head and exclude light. Requires cool temperatures for leaves to curl effectively.
Gardening Glossary
sets

Small onion bulbs, about 1/2-inch wide, that were started from seed the previous year. Grow onion sets with the pointy end up.
Gardening Glossary
side-dressing

The act of adding a small amount of fertilizer around or "on the side" of plants after they're growing.
Gardening Glossary
succession planting

Planting small, 2-to-4-foot patches of plants every two weeks throughout the growing season so that you can harvest a crop over an extended period of time.
Gardening Glossary
thinning

The act of cutting the least robust seedlings in your garden to give the healthier plants more room to grow.
Gardening Glossary
vining crops

Crops that grow on vines, such as cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and winter squash. They usually require support (staking, trellising, etc.) to keep them off the ground.

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Comments (12)

1.
Posted by Ian Bagshaw MARCH 02, 2009 | 02:08PM
CAn you tell me why we have a lot of white fly and no worms in our compost bin? Does it have to be in a shady area or if it is in the sun can we do any thing to help it?
(Report comment)
2.
Posted by chris MARCH 28, 2009 | 04:25AM
I was wondering if I could use sawdust on my feilds as organic matter.I am a farmer and am looking at ways to put back nutrients in my soils. I have a large amount of saw dust avalible to me and was wondering if i was to spread it thinly over the soil about 5 cm thick if it would help in any way. It would be ploughed and turned into the soil at the end of the crop. I wonder if you could please give me some info as to how this may or may not benifit my soils many thanx
(Report comment)
3.
Posted by Sheryl APRIL 02, 2009 | 01:39AM
Now that was some good reading. I just gotten into gardening and last fall I made a indoor worm bin and it worked. I was so proud and happy. This newsletter is great and thanks.
(Report comment)
4.
Posted by Fran JUNE 04, 2009 | 10:05PM
Is dust etc from the vacuum bag, with inorganic materials removed, good for compost?
(Report comment)
5.
Posted by barbara JUNE 16, 2009 | 02:34PM
I would like to answer Chris (comment 2) on his query. No, it is not a good idea as firstly, it takes a very long time to break down and become one with the soil and secondly, it becomes a mat on top of the soil after the first few wettings thereof. Where it is beneficial, is to improve the condition of clay soil, but rough sand works better. However, anything organic is better than nothing and even sawdust will eventually benefit the land.
(Report comment)
6.
Posted by Sue JUNE 25, 2009 | 10:06AM
Thank you for the proper way to composte. This in depth article alerted me to the fact that there needs to be a correct ratio of matter to successfully composte properly. This is a great way to reduce household waste for the good of the environment and help your plants and flower gardens as well.
(Report comment)
7.
Posted by Pat Mercedes JULY 01, 2009 | 05:16PM
This is a great article and comes to us just in time for planning purposes. I am interested in finding people who may have done gardening and composting on a larger scale (community gardens and the like) as I would like to tap into their experience with same. Please get in touch with me at patmercedes@sbcyahoo.net
(Report comment)
8.
Posted by Patrick SEPTEMBER 03, 2009 | 10:26AM
Is it OK to compost the activaded carbon from a fish aquarium filter?
(Report comment)
9.
Posted by Shal OCTOBER 04, 2009 | 10:35PM
To CHIRS's question... I don't think it is good idea to add 5cm thick layer. When saw dust composts, it takes away nitrogen from soil, and your plants will starve of nitrogen. You probably can sprinkle little when plantation is there. Best is let it compost and use it or add just little in fall to improve the soil property (to retain moister, drain better), but this is slow process and takes many iteration. Anyway, farming is require patient. Good Luck.
(Report comment)
10.
Posted by Denise OCTOBER 08, 2009 | 07:55PM
I am concerned about the banana slugs I am finding in the compost bin. Should I put slug bait around the outside of the bin? Or, are they beneficial to the whole composting process?
(Report comment)
11.
Posted by steve JULY 08, 2010 | 10:34PM
i am a scout leadr, and this year we will be composting. what would be the top 5 brown and top 5 green materials that would be easy for 5 - 7 year olds to access?
(Report comment)
12.
Posted by Joan AUGUST 27, 2010 | 00:07AM
To the scout leader: I've done both bin composting and vermi-composting with children. Since I live in Colorado and we have cold temps much of the year, so we have to accelerate the process whenever possible. I save my food in a blender in the fridge, add whatever liquid I have, and when full of food, top it off with water and blend then pour into the bin. I usually get a combination of food scraps but the blending really speeds up the decomposition and adds moisture. I save my shredded leaves for the carbon layers. I like using a handful of rabbit food (alfalfa is nitrogen) on the layers which really heats up when properly moistened. Starbucks will give you bags of coffee grounds (nitrogen) which is nice too. I can use the blender also for the vermi-compost if it's not too watery. Whole bananas add a lot of potassium to the finished product. I like using shredded and moistened brown paper grocery bags for the bedding and use moistened egg cartons on top to keep in moisture. I"m not sure about Top 5. For children it's probably going to be whatever mom has in the fridge or they collect with you at the store from the produce manager. If you don't like the blender container in your fridge, you can throw everything into a ziplock in the freezer. The freezing process expands the cells which also aids in the decomposition factor.



Read more: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/making-compost-black-gold-for-your-organic-garden.html#ixzz19HxtT000

Making Compost - Black Gold for Your Organic Garden

The best and most refined of organic matters is compost, which is organic matter and/or manures that have decomposed until they resemble loamy soil. Thoroughly decomposed compost contains lots of humus — the beneficial, soil-improving material your plants need. Whether the original source was grass clippings, sawdust, animal manure, or vegetable scraps from your kitchen, all organic matter eventually becomes compost.

Making your own compost is probably the simplest way to ensure high quality compost and save some money. It's really not as complicated as you may think: The many commercial composting bins and containers on the market make it a mess-free and hassle-free process.

A well-constructed compost pile — built with the proper dimensions and maintained correctly — heats up fast; decomposes uniformly and quickly; kills many diseases, insects, and weed seeds; doesn't smell; and is easy to turn and maintain. Conversely, a pile just thrown together rarely heats up and, therefore, takes longer to decompose. This type of cold composting doesn't kill any diseases, insects, or weed seeds; may smell bad; and definitely looks messy.

Containing your compost pile makes it look neater, helps you maintain the correct moisture, and prevents animals from getting into it. You can build your own, as shown in Figure 1, or buy a commercial home composting unit. The advantages of a commercial composter include the availability of a wide range of attractive sizes and shapes and ease of use. Choose from box-shaped plastic and wooden bins and barrels or elevated and easy-to-turn tumblers, as shown in Figure 2. Store-bought bins are costly, however, and produce only small quantities of compost at a time, especially compared to a homemade bin that's built from scrap lumber or wire.

Figure 1: Build a simple wooden bin to hold your compost pile.

Figure 2: Commercial composters help you make compost yourself.

Here's what you need to know to build a good compost pile:

1. Choose a shady location, out of the way, but still within view so that you don't forget about the pile.

The soil under it should be well drained.

2. Make a bin.

Create a wire cylinder that's 3- to 4-feet in diameter or build a three-sided box (similar to the one in Figure 1), that's 4 to 5-feet high and wide.

3. Add brown materials.

Add a 6-inch layer of "brown" organic matter — such as hay, straw, old leaves, and sawdust — to the bottom of the container.

4. Add green materials.

Add a 2- to 3-inch layer of "green" organic matter, such as green grass clippings, manure, table scraps, or even high-nitrogen fertilizer, such as cottonseed meal, on top of the brown layer.

5. Repeat these layers, watering each one as you go, until the pile is 4 to 5-feet tall and fills the bin.

A smaller pile won't heat up well and a larger pile can be difficult to manage.

6. Within two days, mix the layers together thoroughly.

Particle size should be varied, smaller particles hasten decomposition.

7. Cover the pile with a tarp to keep rain away and preserve moisture.

If the pile gets too soggy or too dry, it won't heat up.

Not all organic matter is good for the compost pile. Following is a look at what to add to a pile, what not to add, and in what ratios to add it:

* What to add to the pile or composter: What you put in the compost pile is up to you — just remember that it needs to be from an organic material. Here's a short list of possibilities:

• Hay, straw, pine needles

• Leaves

• Kitchen scraps (egg shells, old bread, vegetable and fruit scraps)

• Animal manure, except for dog, cat, pig, or human

• Old vegetables, flowers, or trimmings from trees and shrubs

• Sawdust

• Wood chips

• Weeds

• Shredded black and white newspaper. (In the past, color printing used heavy metals in the ink. Most color printing now uses soy-based inks, but it's better to avoid them in the garden altogether to be on the safe side.)

* What not to add: Some items don't belong in your compost pile. While hot compost piles can kill off many diseases, weed seeds, and insects, it's not a sure thing, and some of these unpleasant guests may survive to invade your garden again. Certain materials can also invite unwanted wildlife to the pile or spread human diseases. Avoid adding the following to your compost bin:

• Kitchen scraps like meats, oils, fish, dairy products, and bones. They attract unwanted animals, such as rats and raccoons, to the pile.

• Weeds that have gone to seed or that spread by their roots, such as quackgrass

• Diseased or insect-infested vegetable or flower plants

• Herbicide-treated grass clippings or weeds

• Dog, cat, or pig feces.

* Let's talk ratios: In composting corners, you often hear about the C/N ratio or carbon to nitrogen ratio. Basically, all organic matter can be divided into carbon-rich (brown stuff) and nitrogen-rich (green stuff) materials. Using the right mixture of brown to green stuff when building a compost pile encourages the pile to heat up and decompose efficiently. Although nearly any combination of organic materials eventually decomposes, for the fastest and most efficient compost pile in town, strike the correct balance (C/N ratio) between the two types of material — usually 25 to 1 (that is, 25 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen).

Table 1 shows which common compost materials are high in carbon and which materials are high in nitrogen. Notice that the softer materials, such as fresh grass clippings, tend to be higher in nitrogen than hard materials, such as sawdust. Mix these together to form a pile with an average C/N ratio of 25-to-1 to 30-to-1, and you'll be well on your way to beautiful compost. Use the following ratios as guidelines. Actual ratios vary depending on the sources of the materials and other factors. And speaking of sources — be sure that your compost materials haven't been contaminated with pesticides or other chemicals.

Table 1: Carbon/Nitrogen Ratios of Various Materials

Material and C/N Ratio

Table scraps, 15:1

Grass clippings, 19:1

Old manure, 20:1

Fresh alfalfa hay, 12:1

Fruit waste, 25:1

Corn stalks, 60:1

Old leaves, 80:1

Straw, 80:1

Paper, 170:1

Sawdust, 500:1

Wood, 700:1
Quick and easy compost recipes

To make the most compost in the shortest amount of time, try some of these proven recipes. For each recipe, mix the ingredients thoroughly and follow the directions in the next section, "Keeping your pile happy." Depending on weather and compost ingredients, you should have finished compost within one to two months.

* Recipe #1: Four parts kitchen scraps from fruits and vegetables, 2 parts chicken or cow manure, 1 part shredded newspaper (black ink only), and 1 part shredded dry leaves.

* Recipe #2: Two parts kitchen scraps, 1 part chicken manure, and 1 part shredded leaves.

* Recipe #3: Two parts grass clippings, 1 part chicken manure, and 1 part shredded leaves.

Keeping your pile happy

A hot pile is a happy pile. If you follow the method of just throwing everything together, the pile will rarely heat up. If you follow the method of building the pile carefully with a balanced C/N ratio, the pile will start to cook within a week. Now you need to keep it cooking. Here's the procedure:

1. Keep the pile moist by periodically watering it.

Dig into the pile about 1 foot to see if it's moist. If not, water the pile thoroughly, but not so that it's soggy. The pile needs air, too, and adding too much water removes air spaces. If you built the pile with moist ingredients, such as kitchen scraps, it won't need watering at first.

2. Turn the pile when it cools down.

Using a garden fork, remove the outside layers and put them aside. Remove the inside layers into another pile and then switch. Place the outside layers in the center of the new pile and the inside layers along the outside of the new pile.

3. Let it cook again.

How hot it gets and how long it cooks depends on the ratio of C/N materials in the pile and whether you have the correct moisture levels.

4. When it's cool, turn it again.

You should have finished compost after two to three turnings. The finished product should be cool, crumbly, dark colored, and earthy smelling.

Sometimes, a compost pile never heats up, smells bad, or contains pieces of undecomposed materials. Chances are that one of the following conditions occurred:

* The pile was too wet or dry.

* You added too many carbon materials and not enough nitrogen materials.

* The pieces of material were too big or packed together. Shred leaves, branches, and pieces of wood to decompose more quickly.

* The pile was too small.

You can find lots of compost aids on the market. Bioactivators — packages of concentrated microbes — are one of the most popular because they can speed the decomposition process. These microbes occur naturally, however, and many are already present in a well-constructed compost pile. Save your money and use microbe-rich compost materials instead.
Gardening Glossary
annuals

Plants that complete their entire life cycle within one growing season. The plant germinates from seed, grows and blooms, and then produces seed and dies.
Gardening Glossary
biennials

A plant that take two growing seasons to complete its life cycle. It germinates and grows leaves and stems in the first year; produces flowers and fruit (seed) in the second, and then dies.
Gardening Glossary
bolt

When a plant flowers or produces seed prematurely.
Gardening Glossary
cold frame

A wooden or concrete block box in which you can grow plants or hold dormant during the cold winter months.
Gardening Glossary
cole crops

A family of vegetables, including broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and Brussels sprouts. They thrive in cooler weather.
Gardening Glossary
complete fertilizer

Any fertilizer that contains all three of the primary nutrients, N-P-K (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium). Phrase is based on regulations governing the fertilizer industry. Does not mean that the fertilizer literally contains everything a plant needs to thrive.
Gardening Glossary
deadheading

The practice of pinching or cutting off spent flowers
Gardening Glossary
evaporative-pad humidifier

A humidifier in which fans blow across a moisture-laden pad that sits in a reservoir of water.
Gardening Glossary
harden off

The process of acclimating plants grown indoors gradually to the brighter light and cooler temperatures of the outside world.
Gardening Glossary
hardiness

The ability of a plant to survive is called its hardiness.
Gardening Glossary
humus

A stable end product of organic-matter decomposition that's believed to increase microbial activity in soil, improve soil structure, and enhance the root development of plants.
Gardening Glossary
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)

An effective bacteria that attacks only the larvae of caterpillar family insects. It is safe to other insects, animals, and humans.
Gardening Glossary
macronutrients

Mineral nutrients that plants need in the largest quantities: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur.
Gardening Glossary
mulch

Organic or inorganic material placed over the surface of soil, usually directly over the root zone of growing plants. Used to conserve moisture, kill weed seedlings, modify soil temperature, provide attractive covering to garden beds.
Gardening Glossary
organic matter

Once-living stuff like compost, sawdust, animal manure, ground bark, grass clippings, and leaf mold (composted tree leaves). Used to enrich soil and improve soil texture.
Gardening Glossary
perennials

Any plant with a life cycle of three or more years. Herbaceous (non-woody) perennials include flowering plants and herbs, mainly. Woody perennials include trees and shrubs. Longevity depends on the plant and growing conditions.
Gardening Glossary
pH

The measure of soil's acidity. Soil with low pH means it's too acidic; soil with high pH means it's alkaline. Most plants grow best in soil with a pH value between 6.5 and 7.2. Neutral soils measure 7.
Gardening Glossary
photosynthesis

The process through which plants take nutrients from the air and from the water in the soil to produce sugars that fuels the plant's growth.
Gardening Glossary
primary nutrients

Nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium are the three nutrients plants need in the largest quantities.
Gardening Glossary
root crops

Plants with edible underground roots such as onions, carrots, beets, potatoes, turnips. Most root crops are cold-weather crops.
Gardening Glossary
self-blanching

A type of cauliflower with leaves that naturally curl over the head and exclude light. Requires cool temperatures for leaves to curl effectively.
Gardening Glossary
sets

Small onion bulbs, about 1/2-inch wide, that were started from seed the previous year. Grow onion sets with the pointy end up.
Gardening Glossary
side-dressing

The act of adding a small amount of fertilizer around or "on the side" of plants after they're growing.
Gardening Glossary
succession planting

Planting small, 2-to-4-foot patches of plants every two weeks throughout the growing season so that you can harvest a crop over an extended period of time.
Gardening Glossary
thinning

The act of cutting the least robust seedlings in your garden to give the healthier plants more room to grow.
Gardening Glossary
vining crops

Crops that grow on vines, such as cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and winter squash. They usually require support (staking, trellising, etc.) to keep them off the ground.

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Comments (12)

1.
Posted by Ian Bagshaw MARCH 02, 2009 | 02:08PM
CAn you tell me why we have a lot of white fly and no worms in our compost bin? Does it have to be in a shady area or if it is in the sun can we do any thing to help it?
(Report comment)
2.
Posted by chris MARCH 28, 2009 | 04:25AM
I was wondering if I could use sawdust on my feilds as organic matter.I am a farmer and am looking at ways to put back nutrients in my soils. I have a large amount of saw dust avalible to me and was wondering if i was to spread it thinly over the soil about 5 cm thick if it would help in any way. It would be ploughed and turned into the soil at the end of the crop. I wonder if you could please give me some info as to how this may or may not benifit my soils many thanx
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3.
Posted by Sheryl APRIL 02, 2009 | 01:39AM
Now that was some good reading. I just gotten into gardening and last fall I made a indoor worm bin and it worked. I was so proud and happy. This newsletter is great and thanks.
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4.
Posted by Fran JUNE 04, 2009 | 10:05PM
Is dust etc from the vacuum bag, with inorganic materials removed, good for compost?
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5.
Posted by barbara JUNE 16, 2009 | 02:34PM
I would like to answer Chris (comment 2) on his query. No, it is not a good idea as firstly, it takes a very long time to break down and become one with the soil and secondly, it becomes a mat on top of the soil after the first few wettings thereof. Where it is beneficial, is to improve the condition of clay soil, but rough sand works better. However, anything organic is better than nothing and even sawdust will eventually benefit the land.
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6.
Posted by Sue JUNE 25, 2009 | 10:06AM
Thank you for the proper way to composte. This in depth article alerted me to the fact that there needs to be a correct ratio of matter to successfully composte properly. This is a great way to reduce household waste for the good of the environment and help your plants and flower gardens as well.
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7.
Posted by Pat Mercedes JULY 01, 2009 | 05:16PM
This is a great article and comes to us just in time for planning purposes. I am interested in finding people who may have done gardening and composting on a larger scale (community gardens and the like) as I would like to tap into their experience with same. Please get in touch with me at patmercedes@sbcyahoo.net
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8.
Posted by Patrick SEPTEMBER 03, 2009 | 10:26AM
Is it OK to compost the activaded carbon from a fish aquarium filter?
(Report comment)
9.
Posted by Shal OCTOBER 04, 2009 | 10:35PM
To CHIRS's question... I don't think it is good idea to add 5cm thick layer. When saw dust composts, it takes away nitrogen from soil, and your plants will starve of nitrogen. You probably can sprinkle little when plantation is there. Best is let it compost and use it or add just little in fall to improve the soil property (to retain moister, drain better), but this is slow process and takes many iteration. Anyway, farming is require patient. Good Luck.
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10.
Posted by Denise OCTOBER 08, 2009 | 07:55PM
I am concerned about the banana slugs I am finding in the compost bin. Should I put slug bait around the outside of the bin? Or, are they beneficial to the whole composting process?
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11.
Posted by steve JULY 08, 2010 | 10:34PM
i am a scout leadr, and this year we will be composting. what would be the top 5 brown and top 5 green materials that would be easy for 5 - 7 year olds to access?
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12.
Posted by Joan AUGUST 27, 2010 | 00:07AM
To the scout leader: I've done both bin composting and vermi-composting with children. Since I live in Colorado and we have cold temps much of the year, so we have to accelerate the process whenever possible. I save my food in a blender in the fridge, add whatever liquid I have, and when full of food, top it off with water and blend then pour into the bin. I usually get a combination of food scraps but the blending really speeds up the decomposition and adds moisture. I save my shredded leaves for the carbon layers. I like using a handful of rabbit food (alfalfa is nitrogen) on the layers which really heats up when properly moistened. Starbucks will give you bags of coffee grounds (nitrogen) which is nice too. I can use the blender also for the vermi-compost if it's not too watery. Whole bananas add a lot of potassium to the finished product. I like using shredded and moistened brown paper grocery bags for the bedding and use moistened egg cartons on top to keep in moisture. I"m not sure about Top 5. For children it's probably going to be whatever mom has in the fridge or they collect with you at the store from the produce manager. If you don't like the blender container in your fridge, you can throw everything into a ziplock in the freezer. The freezing process expands the cells which also aids in the decomposition factor.

Read more: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/making-compost-black-gold-for-your-organic-garden.html#ixzz19HxtT000

Agricultural Engineering

Department of Agricultural Engineering UGM Facilitate Farmers to Develop SRI
Submitted by marwati on Tue, 11/02/2010 - 07:08.
in

* News report


Agricultural system by means of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) has been known able to increase agricultural production. In addition, through such methods, environmental sustainability can be well maintained, especially with economical use of water. Seeing the opportunity of the development of SRI farming method, the Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Technology UGM, facilitates farmers in Yogyakarta to develop it.
Lecturer, Prof. Dr. Ir. Sigit Supadmo, M. Eng., said there were more than 300 farmers in Yogyakarta already assisted to develop this system. They also focus on researches on the excellence of the system. "The research also involves the faculty and students," Sigit said at the sidelines of the announcement of SRI’s contest winners and SRI’s collective harvest event at the Jering VI sub-village site, Sidorejo, Godean, Sleman, Thursday (28/10). This activity is a joint work among UGM- SRI Farmers Forum-Central Association of Opak-Serayu River Region.

Sigit explained that the SRI system has many advantages compared with the usual system. The advantages, among others are; the economical use of water, economical use of seed, and more production.

He described the utilization of rice seeds at a relatively young age of about 10 days, thus saving the amount of the seeds. "There are about 42 types of rice varieties being developed for this SRI system. So far the results are pretty good, "said Sigit. Some of the names of rice varieties grown in that location are Maros, Batas Gadis, Pandanwangi, Code, Sarinah, Somali, etc.

Similarly, a farmer from Karangmojo, Sunaryo, said that the SRI system has many advantages. He gave an overview of the economical use of the rice seeds. With SRI, the seeds used are only about 0.5 kg or 1 kg while with non-SRI system, the seeds could reach up to 10 kg.

Meanwhile, the production also increased dramatically with the SRI system. By utilizing only 7.5 kg of seeds, they can harvest up to 1 ton of dry-milled rice. Conversely, with non-SRI system, an amount of 15 kg of seeds will result around 7-8 quintal only. "The benefits of this system is obvious, many farmers in my region in Gunung Kidul have developed it by now since our income automatically increases," said Sunaryo who is also the contest winner of the Gunung Kidul regency.

Previously, Chief Executive of SRI Farmers Forum of Yogyakarta, Nuryanto, said the contest is held annually. The contest in 2010 was followed by 220 participants, consisting of 63 farmers from Bantul, 30 farmers from Gunung Kidul, 74 farmers from Kulon Progo, 35 farmers from West Sleman, and 18 farmers from the East Sleman.

The winners are decided in each district. The grand winner at the provincial level is also determined, this time it is Sugeng from Temon, Kulon Progo regency. "The production could even reach 12.88 tons of rice," said Nuryanto.

Head of Central Association of Opak-Serayu River Region, Ministry of Public Works, Ir. Bambang Harono, Dipl.HE, said the SRI farming system in addition to having the advantages and economical in terms of the use of seeds and water, it is able to reduce social conflict among the farmers in terms of water distribution.

SRI system quite helps the government program in terms of food security. It is also very suitable with the weather and climate in Indonesia. The method that is originated from Madagascar and found about 20 years ago in its development has come under the international spotlight. This is proved by the presence of foreign tourists group from the United States, Nepal, Italy, South Africa, Holland, China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and several other countries to the village of Jering VI, Sidorejo, Godean, Sleman. They are about to witness the organic farming land using the SRI methods. "Along with the Youth Pledge Day on October 28, the young generation shall be able to continue to develop SRI method because it is quite nature-friendly and helps the government in food security programs," said Bambang.
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