How To Use Your Compost:

How To Use Your Compost:

How to use Compost in your garden:

There are two ways of using compost in your raised beds; you can either dig it into the soil or spread as a surface mulch, which will slowly be taken down into the soil by worms and other soil-living creatures. Both of these methods have their disadvantages and advantages. The choice dependens on what is being applied and in what circumstances.

Digging the Compost in:

If you go with digging the compost into the raised bed, you should mix it with the top 20 cm of soil only. The reason is that this is where most of the biological activity goes on. 

This means that you should try not to dig too deep, remember that compost is not manure.

Your compost should be in such a state that it is ready to use by your plants right away; unlike animal manure which still needs to be broken down before your crops can use it.

The advantages of digging the compost in are:

1. Digging mixes materials in with the soil; this gives a quicker overall improvement.
2. Digging the compost into the soil puts any weed seeds that may be in your compost, below the level of germination. This helps if you sow your seeds into your soild bed.
3. When you dig your bed, often this will increase the speed at which the organic materials decomposes. But remember that this can be counterproductive if you have light soil where this operation is fast enough already

The disadvantages of digging the compost in 

1. When you choose this method, you must wait until the soil conditions are suitable. This is not a good option in a wet winter or on heavy land.
2. Digging can be hard work
3. Digging is not suitable for materials that can causes nitrogen robbery.

The alternative to digging the compost in is to spread the materials in a layer over the surface. This is sometimes known as mulching. Mulch can have a very good insulating effect on your raised bed and with this in mind, it should be applied to your raised bed when it is warm and thoroughly wet. In other words late summer and give it a good soaking.

If you mulch a cold raised bed it will tend to stay that way. That being said, I find that you have to do what you do when you can.

I put compost onto my raised beds whenever they are empty whatever the time of year. However, I do make sure that the compost that I use is very fine and almost like soil. In the main, this is compost that is two or three years in the making.

I have been doing this for years and never had any trouble of any kind.

The advantages of laying the compost on top of the soil:

1. A mulch of compost will keep the soil moist.
2. Mulch will protect the soil surface structure from damage by rain and prevents it drying out.
3. Mulch is really the only way to apply soil-building and feeding materials to your fruit and shrubs after you have planted them.
4. Mulching is a very good method of applying materials that might otherwise cause nitrogen robbery of you soil.
5. Mulching is also very helpful in control weeds.

The disadvantages of applying mulches are:

1. Compost that is full of weed seeds can be a nuisance where you sow your crop seeds. The way round this is to sow you crops in pots/blocks and let the weeds in the compost germinate. Then you hoe them before they get too big and plant you growing crop from the pots. This way you will be ahead of your weeds all the time.

2. Material applied as mulch will take a lot longer to mix through the soil, so its effects will be slower. The way round this is to apply the compost mulch every year; thus, last years compost will be feeding this year’s crop.

Three Reasons To Have An Organin Garden

Three Reasons To Have An Organin Garden 

Below are three reasons why organic gardening can improve your quality of life.

You may insist that there is no reason to spend time learning about growing your own food, because you could buy at the local store anytime that you like. But what you might not know is that the food at your local store might well of come from thousands of miles away; be at least three weeks old and more then likely be grown with many chemically aided additives that it is hardly a vergeterbal and certainly not natural.

If you want a challenge and something that will be enjoyable, why not “grow your own?

Reason 1: It will teach you to not underestimate yourself.

If you do not know anything at all about growing or soil, that does not have to be an issue. You do not have to be skilled to get things done. You will find lots of books and how-to articles on the net about growing that you could study from.

Reason 2: Challenge yourself. If other people can do it, so can you.

This simple saying can truly work wonders for anyone. Never hesitate to do things you do not believe you are capable of doing. You will never know how to grow a carrot if you do not try to. Just think of the others who have done it. If you do some research, you will come across lots of personal success stories from grower enthusiasts.

Reason 3: Here is a way for you to make the most of your free time.

What do you do on your free time? If you are quite busy during weekdays, this does not mean that you will just sit back and chill out all throughout the weekend. Reports show that the more physical activity you get, the healthier you are. You will feel and look younger too.

When you find yourself tired of watching television or going down the pub, it is one way to keep yourself occupied in the winter season. You can master new skills and develop talents that you never thought you had, by creating something useful all by yourself. Just like cooking your own food - it is much more worthwhile and you will get exactly what you would like.

How many hours are you spending time on your PC? What do you surf most of the time? Are you just chatting with friends or browsing not so sensible reports?

You can study about gardening right now on line.

It is not difficult to grow you own veg even if you are a beginner. Yes, it will be a challenge. Think positive and be patient exploring about growing and you will find what you need.

Do not let “ I do not have any land “ be a reason not to start. You can grow carrots in an old bucket…just get out there and do it.

Organic Matter For Your Garden

Organic Matter For Your Garden

Organic gardening is about working with nature: If you walk about and see what is going on in the woods and wild lands you will notice that nature does not dig or plough; she employs the earthworm and soil bacteria, together with deep penetrating roots to do her work.

Another thing, that nature does is, supply an automatic and ample application of organic matter which in the process of decay produces organic acids to act upon the soil minerals and so make them capable of absorption by plant roots.

If we fail to follow the example of nature, we will find that the soil in our care has apparently become incapable of providing sufficient good food to sustain our population in health.

Do not burdened the cost of your gardening with chemical fertilizers, but take the wise step of making compost with which to feed your soil.

The earth is the permanent possessor of everything contained in it and which grows on it; they are loaned to the human and animal kingdom for bodily sustenance for the duration of life, but nature decrees that they shall, after use, be returned to the earth. 

So, treat the earth in your care with respect and care the way that nature does. 

Benefits of Making a Compost Heap:

Benefits of Making a Compost Heap:

Benefits of making a compost heap:

The process of composting plant and animal materials is not something that people have invented or made up. This goes on in nature and it happens naturally all the time.

What people who garden have done is, taken the natural process and refined it by making it quicker and productive to suit the needs of the garden.

The first thing to do is to gather all the ingredients together into a heap, rather then just leaving them on the soil where they fall.

The simplest compost heap can be made with no more containment that an old carpet to cover it.

However, many people go to great lengths to make some form of container or bin because it will look neater and be more effect then a loose heap with the result of a better product at the end.

Compost containers can be purchased ready made but it is also quite easy to make one yourself at home

The Benefits of making a compost heap are:

1. It allows mixing of different organic materials, which will give you better and quicker compost at the end.
2. The making of a heap will keep the materials moist, which again will speed up the process.
3. It allows the heat process to build up which will kill the pest and diseases and weeds, the heat will also speed up the process.
4. Making a proper heap will make your garden look much neater and tidier.

Should you use Shaving-Based Manures In Your Garden?

Should you use Shaving-Based Manures In Your Garden? 

Many horse stables use wood shavings rather then straw to bed down their horses. This makes the manure easier to handle, but it does cause a few problems chief of which is “ nitrogen robbery”

Wood shavings and chipping are very high in carbon and contain only small amounts of nitrogen. If the material is added to the soil without sufficient nitrogen, then the microbes rob the soil of its available nitrogen so that they can get to work on the shavings.

Eventually, when the wood savings have decomposed, the nitrogen will be made available again. The problem is this, it may well take a year or two. In the meantime, your crops will be short of nitrogen and turn yellow and be stunted.

In my view, the best way to use this sort of manure for your deep raised bed deep raised bed is to heap it up for a year and let it rot down. Make sure that it is covered with a plastic sheet to stop the rain leaching out all the goodness and have a bit of patience.

Strawy Manures

Strawy Manures

Manures With Straw in:

Cattle and horse are the most commonly used manures and they are the most available. They come mixed with straw that is used as bedding.

The analysis of the plant foods in these manures contain may make them look rather useless in comparison with a bag of bought fertiliser, but this is no reason to reject them, because it is not the whole picture.

Straw manure is applied to the land at much higher rates then bought fertilisers and their value is not limited to the plant foods they contain. Straw manures are particularly good for soil structure because they add bulk.

Fresh straw manures should not be used directly on the garden for four reason:

Unless the manure is from an organic source the straw is more then likely to contain residues of week killers and pesticides.

Nitrogen and potassium are easily washed out of fresh manure. This is a waste and could cause pollution.

Fresh straw manure contains nitrogen in a forum that is instantly available to plants; so, if you put in on the ground in the winter you will lose most of the goodness.

Fresh manure contains nitrogen in a form that can burn tender leaves.

Therefore, if you can get some fresh straw manures it is best to store in a heap for a year before digging it in the soil.

Kale: Why is it good

 Kale : Why is it so good.

This hardy versatile brassica has no need to justify its self as a supper veg. It is so rich in vitamins A,C and K folate and manganese and is also a great source of calcium and dietary fibre.

The problem, one finds is how to use it.

You can use the kale raw in salads, however you must any tough stalks, then shred the leaves finely and dress in advance to soften.

The kale is just as happy when it is cooked by adding chopped leaves to sups , curries and stir-fries, or blanch in salted water and saute quickly in oil and butter for an easy side dish.

You can also make kale crisps : tear 150gr leaves and toss with 1 and a half tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt, spread over 2 baking trays and bake for 10-15 mins at 180c turning halfway through.

Enjoy.