A Rotten Idea

Compost is easy (well, sort of) if you use my method. Start by building a bin (as large as you like) from cinder (concrete) blocks. Fill that with the materials you wish to compost. Everything that will rot is a potential ingredient. To name a few: peelings, eggshells, bones, bits of meat, hair, pasta, bodies of irritating dogs, shells from shrimp and other crustaceans, coffee grounds from Starbucks (and other outrageously priced coffee places), stuff that’s already begun decomposing in the back of your refrigerator, animal manure, and if you are not too persnickety, your own manure (I don’ personally doo this).[1] All this plus weeds (before they seed) leaves, grass clippings, ground-up prunings, etc, are added to the bin (add composting worms if you wish). If conditions were right, you will open the bin a year later and be rewarded with rich, dark material of which little, except the eggshells, shells and bones, will be recognizable.

I begin my composting operations in April or May in my region of Texas and begin opening and sifting the compost a year later.

When you get ready to open the bin, use the blocks to build a new bin beside the old one. As you sift the compost from the old bin, throw what hasn’t decomposed (except for the plastic, foil, rocks and other junk that always somehow gets into the mix) into the second bin. This will “seed” the new compost bin with microbes from the old one. Forget about turning the compost[2] unless you are in a hurry (unwise), like to sweat (unnecessary), or don’t have enough work to do in the rest of your garden (unbelievable). So, fill your bin and allow the microbes and worms to do their job. You will probably never make enough compost for your needs, but it will be far richer than the compost you buy.

Pictures in order: 1. Opening the bin of finished compost 2. Stacking the new bin 3. Sifting the compost through a 1/2 inch screen into a wheelbarrow

Until next time, eat your veggies…Nonnie and Pop said so!

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[1] I recommend the Humanure Handbook with certain reservations. It is very well researched and enlightening but the author takes a few shots at Christians and other religious groups which, for me, detracts from his main theme.

[2] You will have compost faster, but not necessarily better, if you just make a “compost pile” (I do this with collected leaves and grass clippings) and turn it at regular intervals. I will combine this with compost from the bin — good stuff!

Tomato Seedlings

It is February and, if you live in my zone, you need to start your tomatoes immediately. Last year I was overseas and had to settle for store-bought seedlings. They produced well, but we’ve been spoiled by our soft-skinned, wonderfully-flavored third-generation heirlooms. As you can see, the seedlings are looking very good indeed.

In a couple of weeks, I will transplant these into larger containers where they will grow until I set them in the tomato bed. That bed is, at this moment, filled with a cover crop consisting of a mixture of weeds and Hairy Vetch (a legume which enhances the soil’s nitrogen content). When I get ready to set my tomato plants in, I will cut the cover crop off at ground level, leave the tops on the bed and plant my seedlings through them. Then I will cover every thing but the seedlings with a couple of inches of mulch

One secret to healthy tomato seedlings such as these is mycorrhizae which you can read more about here. Mycorrhizal preparations can be purchased from any good organic supplier. It usually comes in the form of granules which can be sprinkled on the roots of transplants. They work in a symbiotic relationship with most plants except the brassica and eucalyptus families.

This year I filled my trays about two-thirds full and then sprinkled the mycorrhizae over the surface of the soil. Then I topped them up and put the seeds in. As the seeds germinate and the roots grow down they will be colonized by the mycorrhizae.

I’ll get back to basic garden preparation in the next post. In the meantime, eat your veggies! Nonnie and Pop said so.