Vegetable Garden | Potager Montage NatGreeneVeg Spring 2009
European potager themed vegetable garden. Part of the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden in Nathanael Greene Park, Springfield, Mo. Growing heirloom vegetables, fruit, flowers, and herbs. 2300 sq ft & organically grown. Includes raised bed Square Foot Garden, wildlife habitat, vertical structures, grafted tomatoes, low tunnel cloche, & companion planting. Will be a four season harvest this year. Produce donated to Ozarks Food Harvest.
Gardener Hotline: 417-862-9284
Kitchen Garden Newsletter: http://cli.gs/OurKG
Contact: NatGreeneVeg @ gmail.com
Duration : 0:9:38
The Compost Tumbler as Efficient Equipment in Your Garden
Compost is consisting of waste materials like dried leaves, kitchen food scraps, vegetable and fruit scraps, dead flowers, and other perishable and decaying items. These materials are then used as part of the decomposition process. The process is done by mixing them and keeping them damp by adding water, soil, and the combination of these waste materials. The whole pile is then turning about every other week and in two months time it produces rich good compost.
A good gardener can create his own way of making this rich and good compost by using a compost tumbler. This tumbler is an excellent piece of equipment that can aid the self-sufficient gardener in making the waste materials into beneficial fertilizers for the garden. It provides both benefits to the gardener as well as to the environment as a whole. It gives a good sense of balance between nature and the ecosystem.
A compost tumbler has a lot of advantages as compared with other compost systems available in the market. Some of the common features of the tumbler include the easy locking latch, double wall construction and the vents. It is effortless to turn, and you can quickly transport it to your garden. It is garden equipment that provides a speedy, neat and clean processing of the compost materials.
These different compost systems are designed to meet your expectations. Some examples that are available in the market are the tumbleweed, spinning horizontal typed, envirocycle spinning tumbler composter bin and a lot more. Most of these items are made of superior quality materials and the best composting technology available. This compost tumbler makes composting fast and effective.
You do not have to squander a lot of money in buying costly fertilizers because the tumbler is the answer to all your garden needs. And one of the best reasons for purchasing one is that it not only helps in conserving the environment, but it saves more time, energy and money. Imagine making the plants, vegetables, and fruits in your garden healthy looking, bountiful and abundant by owning a compost tumbler.
You might need organic plant food and fertilizers for your growing plants. One good way to furnish these is to secure compost tumbler that will help you produce what you need for your plants and at the same time help you cut costs on expenses. Having this will prove beneficial in the long run. Visit www.ourcrazydeals.com to know more about it.
Can you compost in a basic 32 gallon garbage can?
I have a patio garden and invest a lot of money in soil every year. I usually use a blend of Miracle Grow soil, the clean cow manure, and some of the cheaper potting soil. Since I spend so much on the soil every season, can I store it for the winter, in the trash can, and if I added some kitchen scraps, leaves, normal compost stuff and some worms, would it be usable compost in the spring? I don’t have the money to buy one of the composters that you can find on-line. They are $150.00 plus. Will this be a viable way to save the dirt, and compost some to make it better for the next season?
Hello Mrs. V
I was always to poor to know any other way. I have been gardening for 60 years. I don’t know why people love to spend so much money on gardens. I use nothing but natural ingredients. I use no chemicals or pestcides. I think people forget they eat whatever they put on their plants or in the soil.
I just finished canning 23 quart jars of tomatoes. For Christmas gifts, our relatives and friends receive a big basket. Inside is a red and white checked table cloth, 1 jar mixed yellow and red tomatoes, 1 jar pickled beets, 1 jar pickled green cherry tomatoes, 1 jar carrots, 1 jar plum jam, 5 Ruby Red Gradefruit, 10 lemons, and 15 Mandarin Oranges. They love us at Christmas. I also have nine fruit trees. My garden is 20ft x 20ft. You see why I have two 55 gal compost drums.
You sound like you need help on making a good compost bin. Since you are new at compost, it may be easier for you to start with a plastic bin. A 32 gal is just find.
Make sure your bin is away from the house. Compost bins will give off odors. Cut out the bottom and add holes around the sides. You must vent. Place two or four inch bricks shaped like the letter "U or V" on the ground. Place your bin on the top of the bricks. You can shovel compost out of the open end of the bricks when your compost is ready.
Layer in your soil, your vegetable and grass cuttings, dead plants, egg shells, and coffee grounds. Never meat or cooking oils. I mix my compost with chicken manure. Chicken manure is by far the best. Therefore add chicken manure every (about 2 cups) few inches. Keep the mixture lightly moist. You will never buy soil again. A 1cu. ft. of chicken fertilizer will cost about $4. I hope I helped. Good luck to you and your family, from Los Angeles.
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- pickled beets in compost?
Need advice from experienced worm composter – I’m overrun with pillbugs?
I have been successfuy doing vermiculture for 5 years. Suddenly I have a zillion pillbugs in the bedding. I use a several layered, ventilated plastic composting bin. I know they came in with the small amount of dirt I add for grit when I re-did the bedding – but how do I get rid of them?? I’ve tried hand picking, but they multiply faster than I can pick. I don’t want to use poisons.
what if your finished compost is infested with sow or pill bugs and you want to use it where seedlings are growing? Do you have to start all over again? No. Spread the compost in a thin layer on a tarp in direct sunlight and leave it there to dry. The bugs will bail out quickly.
http://www.organicgardening.com/feature/0,7518,s1-3-79-361,00.html
corn cobs attract sowbugs..spider that eats them exclusively:
http://www.ghorganics.com/page9.html#Sow%20or%20Pill%20bugs:
While sowbugs will nibble on young seedlings and roots, they prefer decayed matter, moist wood, moist decaying vegetation, fallen fruit, manure, carrion, other sowbugs and their own feces. Their coprophagous habits are due in part for a need to extract extra nutrients from their food and to recapture copper, a much-needed metal that is used to carry oxygen in their blood. For the most part sowbugs are beneficials that break down organic matter much like earthworms. These harmless scavengers do not bite, sting, transmit disease nor do they bother clothing or food.
http://www.northcoastjournal.com/041201/garden0412.html
so copper might be an attractant too.
it also says:
they can come in several different colors like tan, pale orange, light gray and even purple or lavender. That is due to molting, but they soon turn dark as their new shell hardens.
While molting is vital in the growing process of all crustaceans, with sowbugs it…
that last part means two things..Neem might work and it might not. I say it might because since sowbugs moult they are candidates to be victims of neem. but since they are crustaceans instead of insects i wonder if it removes them from being candidates of neem.
they are the ONLY land crustacean. and they have gills. <this is a big reason they are doing so well in ur worm bed, because it is moist.
neem is a poison, which you did not want, BUT neem might be an exception because worms happen to love it. they are said to actually proliferate more profusely with it than with regular food<<that doesn’t sound possible (i have a worm colony too!) but:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=neem+earthworms&ei=utf-8&fr=b1ie7
^^that’s lots of links and we did see one hit that says it might be bad. this page kind of says what we heard about the good stuff:
http://www.wormdigest.org/index.php?option=com_joomlaboard&id=2163&catid=4&func=sb_pdf
a little off topic, but>>the use of it as a fertilizer is kind of alarming because it is said to impart good protection on the plants, suggesting they take some of it up. but it causes temporary infertility in test animals (temporary until they stop eating it). <<that is alarming if it is being incorporated into food crops. It is generally thought harmless on food crops because it breaks down in 50 – 100 hours if exposed to light, water or air. I wonder if it’s properties are preserved in castings created by worms fed on it.
back on topic..
if u look into, keep in mind that what u want is the neem extract, raw leaves or cake, not the oil or soap. the oil and soap have been made in such a way that they do not have the chemical that disrupts the molting process.
so other than all of that, the only other idea we have is doing a deep dive. i mean the pillbugs are said to dig a few inches into the soil but worms can probably go much deeper. so if u made only the bottom of the bin hospitable u may be able to starve out or skim off the top dwellers?
here is a page that has a few worm forums on it. so u can ask around maybe:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=vermiculture+forum&ei=utf-8&fr=b1ie7
My First Garden, Compost and Rain Barrel System
This year we jumped on the band wagon of going green starting with our own vegetable garden and rain barrel system. This video shows you how a made my garden beds, Compost and Rain Barrels and the cost on how much it was to make the rain barrel system.
Duration : 0:10:2
Worm Composters Vs Compost Tumblers?
Which is the most efficient composting way?
I’ve been researching this question myself and ended up choosing worm composting. A compost tumbler if filled completely with a good mix of ingredients and regular tumbling can be one of the quicker methods of generating compost. There were several reasons that I didn’t choose this method: 1) I would need two tumblers, because once it is full, you can’t add anything until it is done composting. I don’t have room for two. 2) It requires more effort as spinning it needs to be done at least every few days. 3) A tumbler doesn’t really go well on my small porch and for sure not in the house. Oddly enough, worm bins can do so easily.
I ended up choosing the Worm Factory 360 even though I know you can make your own bins if you are so inclined. So far the worms (Red Wigglers) are quiet and have no odor and require almost no attention. In about 3 – 4 months I should have some nice compost in my bottom tray and then I should have a tray ready about once a month or so after that. I can add food and paper waste to it any time and it can go for up to a month without any attention, so vacations won’t be a problem.
Either one is a great choice, but one way will probably fit your needs better. Good luck!
What would you say makes up the ‘ideal’ composter?
If you were to buy a compost device what would you want to come from it? How would you think it should work? Should it break the waste up first? Should it be a suitable home for worms?!? What should it be made from… I’m trying to design one and I need lots of suggestions. Oh, and could you give functions for your suggestions? Thanks.
Oh, designing the bin for homework, not for general use!
On gardeners world a few years ago they tested many composters.It was a surprise result.That ugly one that is plastic and you turn upside down every so often as it has legs in the middle of the bin so you can swivel it round.It was the turning that really generated heat to break down matter successfully into compost.So nothing beats turning.
Moving on designing a bin is a waste of time.If you just chuck waste down on the ground it will decompose to compost as it’s nowt to do with the bin.Getting similar matter that rots down at the same pace is vital.Everything will rot down,but a thin twig will take 3 years and vegetable leaves 6 weeks,so they can’t both go in.Orange peel will take about 12 years,but an apple core about 12 weeks.So the skill is combining compatible matter with same pace decomposition and the turning to create air which allows heat to move through the compost.The bin has got bugger all to do with it.l have a bin though in my garden,but this is for aesthetic reasons only.So l made two square bins from pallets,neatly nailed together and wood stained dark brown.Once the first is full,l chuck the lot upside down into the empty one for the turning and then start to fill the empty one.When both are full then the first full one should be compost or mulch so you can empty it and chuck the contents of the other one for turning etc etc.So two bins is a must,good looking,warm location and large sizes,about4ft x 4ft each and 3ft high.No meat or eggs etc as roland rat might give you a fright one day.No orange peel or lemon etc,even if shredded as you might be putting your hand into a wasps nest in august.No garotta,peeing yes,morning pee has twice the nutrients so the first is the most important pee.Worms help turn the compost,but are not essential.Turn the compost using a fork not a spade for greater aeration.Right l could go on but it’s boring as you can’t talk back so l’m off to bed
Tierrapath.com WORM COMPOSTING SYSTEM – Naturally compost kitchen scraps
The Tierrapath.com Worm Composter is a low priced, fun and natural way of composting kitchen/garden scraps. This composting system creates rich soil which can be used for potting plants or growing vegetables. Tierrapath.com can also ship the composter straight to your door. Red wiggler worms (Eisenia fetida) are preferred for most temperate locations, and can also be found on Tierrapath.com
Duration : 0:2:50
Compost Tumbler Producing Substances for Ecological Needs
Compost Tumbler produces organic plant foods which are nutritious and healthy elements containing the essential nutritional substances needed by all plants and soil. As the name suggests, it is a tumbler though a larger one that turns organic wastes and biodegradable materials into nutritious plant foods. The end product of this storage container is an organic plant food known as compost.
This vessel has a lid that can prevent pests from harboring in it as compared to the traditional pit which is quite vulnerable to harmful pests and disease-causing germs. This compost maker is a suitable replacement to the common compost pit which may be found on your garden area or backyard. One of its good features is its portability and size that can be accommodated in any of your garden space.
Basically, living creatures derive food and nourishment from the products of the soil. These plants which are the main sources of food for beings with mouth are produced by the soil. Plants and living beings compose the symbiotic circle of life which is primarily dependent on the produce of the ground. Living creatures like human beings and other forms of lower animals have the need to eat on a daily basis.
Organic fertilizers are undeniably the best source of nutrition for both the earth and its products as they do not have hazardous contents or toxic substances that may be transmitted by the soil to the plants and ultimately to humans and animals. The products of the earth must be nourished to be able to produce sufficient amount of food for the entire food chain of the symbiotic circle. They have to be fed with the healthy and nutritious plant foods to be able to grow healthy and be fit for consumption of all living creatures that feed on them.
Compost Tumbler manufactures organic fertilizers and not the synthetic or chemical counterparts that the plants need. It creates the organic nutritional substances fit for the plants and soil. Chemicals are known to be very hazardous to ecology which can prejudice the existence of living creatures. It creates non-toxic elements which are indeed helpful to the ecological set up.
Worm Garden and Worm Compost: Benefits Offered by Worm Gardening
http://howtowormfarming.com Worm Garden and Worm Compost: Benefits Offered by Worm Gardening. You may think that having a worm garden will only benefits vegetable growers, well, as you will know more, there’s more to it than just having a worm compost.
Duration : 0:2:26