The Benefits of Composting – Organic materials buried in landfill sites contribute to about 38 per cent of Canada’s total greenhouse gasses. Soil erosion can create new sources of pollution when nutrients, sediments and chemicals are carried into waterways. Recycling and composting of organic materials makes a positive environmental difference by reducing pollution and the need for chemical fertilizers.
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What is Compost ?
Gardeners have used compost for centuries to improve their soil and help plant growth. Incorporating compost into light, sandy soil helps it hold both moisture and nutrients while adding it to heavy soil improves drainage. Compost is a natural fertilizer and soil conditioner made from organic materials such as kitchen scraps and garden waste. When put into a pile, these materials naturally decompose, turning into a rich, soil-like material called compost or humus. Composting binds soil particles together, improves water retention and provides essential organic matter for the soil, which is of fundamental importance to its heaths, vitality and fertility.
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Composting Basics
The single most important ingredient for healthy and productive soil is compost. All composting requires three basic ingredients. Browns (Carbon) – materials such as dead leaves, branches, twigs, cardboard and paper provide carbon to your compost. Greens (Nitrogen) – grass clippings, vegetable waste, fruit scraps, and coffee grounds provide nitrogen. Water – the right amount of moisture combined with greens and browns is important for compost development.
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| What Not To Compost And Why | ||
| Black walnut tree leaves or twigs release substances that might be harmful to plants. Coal or charcoal ash might contain substances harmful to plants. Dairy products (e.g., butter, milk, sour cream, yogurt) and eggs create odour problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies. Diseased or insect-ridden plants might survive and be transferred back to other plants. Fats, grease, lard, or oils create odour problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies. Meat or fish bones and scraps create odour problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies. Pet wastes (e.g., dog or cat feces, soiled cat litter) might contain parasites, bacteria, germs, pathogens, and viruses harmful to humans. Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides might kill beneficial composting organisms. | ||
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How To Create Compost
Piling 4 to 8 inch thick layers of green and brown materials in a composting structure is a good way to start. Adding an additional thin layer of soil on top of each green and brown layer plus a bit of water optimizes the decomposition process.
Regular turning of the material every 4 to 7 days with a shovel or pitch fork helps distribute air and moisture evenly and ensures efficient composting. As the compost starts to mature, it may need to be turned less often.
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While most of the moisture in a compost pile should come from rain, it may need to be watered occasionally to help keep it moist. When the pile becomes soggy or it starts to emit odour it needs turning or more brown materials added to remove excess moisture.
Uses For Compost
The Benefits of Composting and its applications are endless. Compost can be used around a home to add nutrients to lawns, trees, shrubs, vegetable garden, potted plants and more.
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1. Amending Soil – Compost can be used to improve soils everywhere in a garden and it should be done before planting, in spring or early summer. The soil should be dug in or tilled to a depth of 2 to 4 inches.
2. Compost Tea – Compost tea can be used as liquid fertilizer on your garden plants. Making this ‘tea’ is simple as it only requires a shovel of compost placed in a burlap sack and steeped for 2 to 5 days in water.
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3. Lawn Top Dressing – Lawn top dressing is quite literally a top layer of compost added to grass. Once added to the top of the lawn, it will work its way into the soil as the grass begins to grow. Top dressing should be added during the spring or at the end of the growing season to create healthier soil that will hold water better and keep grass vibrant green.
4. Mulch – Compost is an ideal mulch alternative that can hold moisture and add nutrients when spread around trees, shrubs, and plants. Added once or twice annually, the compost will be regularly boosting the soil’s fertility.
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Composting Structures
The first step to composting is determining where to place a compost heap or bin. An outdoor location with partial shade and removed from animals, including pets and wildlife is ideal. To save space, keep a yard looking neat and speed up composting time, compost should be contained in some type of structure.
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Unenclosed compost piles usually spread out and become unsightly. Enclosed structures encourage faster composting as the outer portion of the pile acts as an insulator that creates higher temperatures near the center. The style of structure depends on how much space is available.
There are many types of manufactured structures available through garden centers or they can be ordered online and delivered to your door. Do-it-yourself structures can be made from cement blocks, brick, wood, woven wire fencing, metal posts or other materials. Wood should be painted to resit rot but not pressure treated with a harmful wood preservative..
It is up to you to decide which composting method fits best your lifestyle. Fortunately, composting is incredibly easy, environmentally friendly and it is a treat for your garden. For more information about the The Benefits of Composting, ask the friendly and knowledgeable staff at Nicholas Alexander – Vernon’s New Home and Garden Center of Choice !
Common Garden Pests And How To Get Rid Of Them – Pests are a common occurrence in a garden. The problem with many pests is that they are present all year. In the winter, many of them sleep cozily, waiting for the cool rains and sun to wake them up. Knowing which ones you are dealing with is key for how they can be controlled. As bylaws limit the availability of pest control poisons on the market, following do-it-yourself suggestions are worth considering.
Aphids – Typically found on plant stems and on the undersides of leaves during wet and cool springs but also in dry summers, are tiny pear-shaped insects. Aphids use their piercing mouth parts to suck the sap from your plants leaving a sticky mess which in turn attracts other problems like sooty mold or ants. Aphids occur in a variety of colours from brown, black to gray and green. The insects often spread rapidly over plants forming large colonies. Damaged plant leaves shrivel and curl.
Controlling Aphids – A sharp spray of water can blast them off the plant, the of use sticky-paper bug traps also works. Another option is to use insecticidal soap sprays that you can make yourself or purchase. Just make sure to read product labels and instructions. Ladybugs released on the plant are also a good option as they will start to reduce the aphid population over time.
Slugs & Snails – There are many ways to control slugs and snails. During the day, slugs and snails hide underneath objects, at twilight and at night they feed on your plants. Slugs and snails exist in a variety of shapes, colours and sizes and all are sticky and slimy.
Controlling Slugs & Snails – Control has to be to practiced regularly. Wear gloves to remove them from your garden. Going out with a flashlight in the dark will maximize your picking harvest. Less physical options are traps. Deep containers filled with beer are very effective as thirsty slugs and snails fall in and drown. Spraying slugs with a 50-50 Ammonia / water solution or sprinkling them with salt also works well. Slugs and snails have soft underbellies and they dislike crossing anything sharp. Sprinkle coffee grounds, sharp sand or use a product known as Diatomaceous Earth.
Earwigs – Earwigs do not crawl into people’s ears as old folks tales suggest. They do however have two long pincers protruding at the end of their body, which is where they get their nickname, the “pincher bug”. Earwigs are long, black or brown coloured and they chew holes into leaves causing them to brown and shrivel. Earwig season typically takes place in late spring and early summer. In the colder, winter months, earwigs will stay underground until the ground begins to warm.
Controlling Earwigs – Earwigs are drawn to damp and wet, dark places. Place damp, rolled up newspapers on the ground and dispose of these traps in the morning. Traps made from vegetable-oil filled tin cans placed at ground level are another option. Diatomaceous earth and insecticidal soaps are also effective controls. Wildlife such as toads, frogs and birds will also eat earwigs and control their population.
Caterpillars & Cutworms – Caterpillars are hairy, multi-legged crawling bugs about 1-2 inches, typically found on stems and under leaves. Cutworms are notorious for chewing on leaves and stems of new seedlings at soil level. They feed on foliage leaving large and irregular holes. The gray, green or cream coloured cutworms are often found under leaf debris or in the soil. When disturbed they often curl into a “C” shape.
Controlling Caterpillars and Cutworms – The least environmentally invasive method of controlling caterpillars and cutworms is to cultivate your soil in the fall. This kills overwintering eggs. As both pests are larger, they can also be removed by hand. An old-time method of protecting new transplants with a newspaper or cardboard collar still works well today. If available, you can also spray with products that contain BT or Bacillus thuringiensis. Just make sure to read product labels and instructions. Cutworms and caterpillars are also preyed upon by certain wasps and flying insects.
Spider Mites – Spider Mites are tiny, almost invisible, sucking insects of green, yellow or red colours. They favour plants in warm and dry areas. Yellow dots on leaves and fine webbing are indicators of spider mites presence. They are often found on the underside of leaves and within the interior of the plant.
Controlling Spider Mites – The first line of defense is to increase humidity or moisture. Spray water onto the insides of plants and mist occasionally. You can also release ladybugs or spray with organic horticultural oils and insecticidal soaps.
Ants – Ants can be nuisance but they don’t harm plants directly. They often build their underground nests in dry, sandy soils. Ants farm aphid populations in order to harvest the sticky sap for their own benefit.
Controlling Ants – If ants are a pest in your garden, change sandy soils conditions or lay out ant bait. Pour several jugs of boiling water into accessible nests or sprinkle baking soda around your plants to ensure ants will stay away. You can also use coffee grounds, chili powder, cinnamon, peppermint or black pepper – all deter ants. If the ants in question are large or are finding their way into your home, they may be carpenter ants that require a call to a pest control company.
Scale – Scale are small, oval and flat, immobile insects that suck away plant juices from under the safety of a waxy, usually brown coloured shield or scale. They are also found on houseplants and on tropicals. Scale insects are sometimes hard to identify and often mistaken for natural deformities like galls.
Controlling Scale – When in their protected stage they are generally immobile and can be treated with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap. Heavily infected sections can also be pruned off. Ladybugs and certain types of wasps are their natural enemies.
Insecticidal Soap – Insecticidal Soap products utilize the power of potassium salts of fatty acids that weaken the insect’s waxy protective outer shell. Exposed insects dehydrate and die. For use on vegetables, fruits, shrubs, trees, and greenhouse plantings. Controls aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, whitefly, soft brown scale, psyllids, rose or pear slugs, earwigs, and elm leaf miner. Apply every 7-10 days when insects are present or as needed to prevent further damage.
At Nicholas Alexander Home and Garden Centre, the friendly and knowledgeable staff will be happy to assist you with identifying and addressing your garden’s pest problems. Visit Vernon’s New Garden Center of Choice today!
6 Exotic Vegetables To Grow From Seed In Fall – Just when your summer garden runs out of the typical crops of tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and corn, you may want to start thinking about growing fall vegetables from seed. You can still get some great tasting fresh food on the table before winter. Take a walk on the wild side and try some exotic vegetable varieties that you won’t typically find at the produce section in your grocery store. Take a bite and fall in love!
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Natalino – Romanesco broccoli, with its chartreuse coloured, pointed buds is best planted to mature in September to October. Cut promptly while it is still pale-green. Natalino makes a wonderful addition to a vegetable dip tray with its curious look, fantastic flavour and great source of vitamins A and D, dietary fiber, and potassium. Matures in 90 days.
Carrot ‘Dragon’ – With their reddish-purple skins and yellow-orange interiors, ‘Dragon’ carrots are unusual and beautiful. The flesh is sweet and mildly spicy, rich in nutrients and red carotenoid pigments that have been linked to many health benefits. Plant Dragons carrots in deeply dug, loose soil and be sure to keep the surface of the soil damp during germination. Matures in 60-90 days.
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Beira Tronchuda – A hybrid Portuguese kale, featuring five-pound heads, which are ready in 50 to 60 days. Paddle-shaped, blue-green leaves grow up to 24” wide. Sweeter and more tender than regular cabbage, it may be harvested as a whole plant or leaf-harvested to promote center re-growth with paler, milder, frilly leaves. Beira Tronchuda kale is winter hardy, with a taste that is improved by frost. Matures in 55 days.
Kohlrabi – Also known as German “turnip cabbage”, is a small, green or purple vegetable that can be eaten raw or cooked and tastes like broccoli stems. Kohlrabi is also a good source of vitamin B6, a water-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in the metabolism of carbs, fats, and especially protein. Purple varieties are slower to mature, but hardier. For a fall harvest, sow seeds in late summer. Matures in 55-69 days.
Also Read About: Fall Planting Bulbs For Spring Blooms
Esmee Arugula – A cool-season member of the mustard family with an appealing green rounded oak leaf. The leaves grow upright, but have a very three-dimensional nature, so they add loft to salad mixes. Grown as baby leaf greens, Esmee is ready for harvest in just 21 days from sowing. In cool weather, it is nutty and flavourful, with very little spiciness. It is a good source of nutrients, including vitamin K, vitamin A, folate and antioxidants. Matures in 21-40 days.
Winter Density – A butter head/romaine cross lettuce that is compact and has a smooth, sweet and nutty flavour. It is thick-leaved with a spongy texture, ideal for salads and creative entrées. These deliciously edible leaves are green in hue, deeply savoyed with a slightly jagged edge. This plant is frost tolerant and ideal for late fall planting. Matures in 65 days.
At Nicholas Alexander Home and Garden Centre, we carry numerous varieties of non-genetically modified, untreated organic seeds to grow your vegetables in fall. Come and check out our comprehensive collection today!