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Table of Contents
1) Editor's Comments:This week we're going to look at a topic we haven't often covered - compost. We'll also look at some timely items such as deicing salts, winter watering, our reader mailbag and more. As always, if you do have questions, suggestions or ideas, do not hesitate to drop us a note. Tom Krueger Rex Gregor "Exotic & Unusual Seeds from Around the World" 2) Making and Using Compost:
Generally, compost is a blend of recycled garden, yard or household wastes that have been broken down into crumbly organic matter. The time you spend in making this compost and then applying it to your garden will return to you improved soil and plant health. Composting is the best way to dispose of garden or kitchen waste. It will supply you with a free supply of organic fertilizer and soil conditioner. Finished compost has beneficial organisms within and this will deter plant pathogens from infecting your plants. Making compost is a lot like cooking – you mix the ingredients, stir it occasionally, and then let it cook. But with a compost pile, the source of heat is not electricity or gas – it is organisms like bacteria and fungi that live in the soil and will break down the dead plant tissues. These organisms work best when given warmth, moisture and plenty of oxygen along with the correct balance of carbon and nitrogen. Composting can either be a fast and labor intensive procedure or it can be a slow, simple procedure -- it all depends on the method you use. You don't need to purchase any fancy materials or equipment to start composting. All you need is a level, well drained site. If you don’t mind the appearance, you can make a heap or you can build a bin out of boards or cement blocks. It is best to choose a shady, well drained spot for your compost pile. For your convenience, you may want to locate the compost pile in a corner of your garden. Compost can be made from a variety of materials including vegetable scraps from the kitchen, grass clippings, fallen leaves and any soft plant trimmings -- all are good choices. If you have access to animal manure, like chicken, rabbit, cow, or horse, you can add this to your compost pile. You should avoid including fats, bones and any meat scraps -- these will attract scavengers to your pile. You should also avoid composting manure from humans, dogs, or cats – this material can carry disease organisms. Also, do not add diseased plant material to your compost pile. The temperatures will not get high enough to kill some viruses. Dispose of infected plant material with your household trash. Our preferred method compost pile creation is called "hot, fast composting." This does take some extra work, but you will get faster results - sometimes within two weeks. The key to hot composting is getting a good balance between high-carbon and high-nitrogen ingredients. High-nitrogen ingredients are materials like fresh grass clippings, kitchen scraps, and manure. High-carbon ingredients include brown woody materials such as fallen leaves, straw, and newspaper material. All organic material will break down more quickly when it is in small pieces. Thus, a leaf shredder or a lawn mower will chop materials like leaves, hard stems, bark, twigs, or newspapers. Build a pile by alternating layers of high-nitrogen materials with high-carbon materials. As you are building, try to have equal volumes of each. If your ingredients are fairly dry, sprinkle each layer with water as you build. The materials should be moist but not soggy. A properly built compost pile will be warm to touch in a few days. You can even use a thermometer to monitor the pile's progress. The temperature should stay near, but below 160° F. (71° C.). Higher temperatures may kill the composting organisms. In a few days, when the pile begins to warm, you should turn it using a garden fork. The more frequently you turn the pile, the more quickly the pile will break down. If the pile does get too hot, don't turn it, let it set for a few days and add some cool water. If you use this technique, you should have finished compost in two to five weeks. You will know when the compost is ready to use -- the temperature stabilizes and the materials are no longer recognizable in their original form. *** 10% Savings Through January 14, 2004 *** The discount will not show up in your shopping cart -- we will take care of it for you before finalization of your order. (No other discounts apply.) 3) Humor for Today:Two construction workers were sitting in a bar one day, drinking a few beers. The bartender noticed that they were intent on something on their table, but couldn't see what it was. Suddenly, both men jumped up, high-fived each other, and shouted, "Fifty- five!" Curious, the bartender went over to see what they were doing. "Did somebody win a bet?" he asked. One of the construction workers replied, "No, but we stopped at Toys R Us on the way over and got a puzzle. It says right on the box '2 to 4 years,' but we got it done in fifty-five minutes!" 4) Deicing Salts and Plants Don't Mix:
Also, if you have a dog, deicing salts can be hazardous to their feet. Deicing salt can cause paws to dry and crack. If you do take you dog out in areas where road salt or deicers have been used, soak or wash your dog's paws in warm water and dry them thoroughly 5) Winter Watering Houseplants:
We've run several articles in the past about watering methods for houseplants. Feel free to look through our past issues, or simply drop us a note and we'd be happy to forward the articles to you. Cold Climate Gardeners are passing
up an excellent resource if they don't take a look into the Minnesota
State Horticultural Society. Visit them today. We recommend them
highly. 6) Quote for Today:"If the English language made any sense, lackadaisical
would have something to do with a shortage of flowers." 7) Reader Mailbag: Storing BulbsI bought tulips, daffodils, crocus, and hyacinth. They differ in the way to get them thru the Maine winter without being planted. Can you give me some suggestions?You can try placing the bulbs in a cool dry place until you are able to plant them next spring. The tulip, daffodil, crocus and hyacnth should be planted in late fall before the ground freezes. We are afraid at this point that you might not be able to save them. Althought, we know several gardeners who place their bulbs in their freezer, then plant them in early spring after the ground thaws. In our experience, this method is not very successful. But rather then losing all of them, it is worth a try. You might want to try both methods. If you do place them in a cool dry place, make sure they don't go through any freeze/thaw cycles -- keep them as cool as possible without freezing. If you use the deep freeze treatment, place them in a double paper sack in the freezer and plant them as early as possible in the spring. Good luck. 8) Plant Spotlight: Candlebush (Cassia didyobotrya)The Candlebush is a yellow flowered plant which takes its name from its striking erect clusters of flowers. While the flowers are yellow, the buds at the top end of the clusters are almost dark purple. They standout beautifully against a background of green leaves that when touched, smell like peanut butter. Cassia didymobatrya originates from tropical Africa, where it grows as a small tree that can reach a height of about ten feet. The plant needs a warm sunny environment and they are a hungry plant, and must be watered frequently. The blooming season can be prolonged well into the late fall months by regular deadheading. The plant will not produce seeds when cultivated or container grown inside. Indoors, they grow best under grow lights. And since they won't produce seed, they must be propagated from cuttings or grown in their natural habitat to produce seed. In spite of the fact you need to watch for aphids, candlebush is one of the world's most beautiful flowers. Indeed they are worth growing as a container plant and theyare worth the many compliments you will receive. You can find the Candlebush on our Houseplants page. SO525 Candlebush Cassia (Cassia atata) 9) Subscribe/UnsubscribeThis newsletter, the Green Thumb Times, is sent out only to those who have requested a FREE subscription by signing up at http://rexseedco.com or specifically asked to be added, or are a valued customer of Rex's Seedco. PRIVACY: Your email address is held in the strictest of privacy. It is never traded or sold to anyone else. To subscribe to The Green Thumb Times Click Here or send email to subscribegtt@goalsmint.com To unsubscribe Click Here or send email to unsubscribegtt@goalsmint.com Tom Krueger, Editor and Publisher Rex Gregor, Contributing Editor Please feel free to forward The Green Thumb Times to a friend. Rex’s Seedco has searched the world for quality
growers of garden seeds. Many of these farmers bring together ancient
wisdom and modern science so people everywhere may have good health
and enjoyment in life. We are dedicated to providing the best wherever
they are found.
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One topic we haven't touched on very often is compost. Did you know
that compost can be the key to success for all kinds of gardening?
If you have a problem with slippery sidewalks in your neck of the
woods, be careful where you toss or sweep deicing salts. Avoid using
salts around landscape plantings. In particular, arborvitae, holly,
hemlock, pine, beech, and dogwood can be severely damaged by an accumulation
of salt in their root zones. If salt comes into contact with tender
root tissues, it can dry them out, and cause root death. Use alternative
deicers such as sand, sawdust, or urea fertilizers that are much more
plant friendly.
Now that days are shorter and daylight is not as prevalent, we wanted
to give you a friendly reminder -- you need to water your plants less.
They aren't doing as much (if any) growing, so their fertility and
moisture needs decline. As we said many times, the number one killer
of houseplants is overwatering!
