It was promised that the method for dealing with stinking compost would be discussed in this article. The best place to start is with the cause. The smell was coming only from the 1st 2 bins. A little bit of lime was applied to these bins, but that did not help. Finally it was determined that the smell was actually caused by grass that had been left in bags before being incorporated into the bins.
The solution turned out to be mulched leaves. In the first bin, the grass is being layered with mulched leaves with the leaves always providing a top cover. In the second bin the entire contents of the bin are being covered with mulched leaves. A leaf blower on reverse (vacuum) cycle is being used to mulch the leaves. The leaves from our yard are long used up so the leaves have to come from those that people put on the street. At this time of year that source is diminished, slowing the incorporation of grass into the compost pile.
Fortunately, the grass from our yard that is dumped directly into compost bin does not seem to be a problem. It can decompose aerobically. The leaves in bags have already begun anaerobic decomposition.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Showing posts with label compost. Show all posts
Showing posts with label compost. Show all posts
Friday, June 10, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Hot Weekend
These 90 degree plus days are not really good for the garden. They cause the pollen on many plants to be deformed and cause the fruit not to set. They are also kind of hard on the gardener. In spite of the heat much of the backlog of projects was advanced. Mulching of the pathways has begun as well.
The squash is coming in well. We got the 1st 3 yellow squash on Friday. Yesterday a huge basket was half filled with yellow and patty-pan squash. The zucchinis are about 3” long but they still have blossoms so they were not picked. The cucumbers are loaded with blossoms but no cucumbers. The sugar peas are still producing well, but the vines are looking a little shabby. There are bunches of little tomatoes.
The stinky compost seems to have been defeated. It did not take rocket science. The smell was coming from the grass that had been collected from the road that was in bags. The method for defeating the smell will be addressed in the next post.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The squash is coming in well. We got the 1st 3 yellow squash on Friday. Yesterday a huge basket was half filled with yellow and patty-pan squash. The zucchinis are about 3” long but they still have blossoms so they were not picked. The cucumbers are loaded with blossoms but no cucumbers. The sugar peas are still producing well, but the vines are looking a little shabby. There are bunches of little tomatoes.
The stinky compost seems to have been defeated. It did not take rocket science. The smell was coming from the grass that had been collected from the road that was in bags. The method for defeating the smell will be addressed in the next post.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Friday, June 3, 2011
Last Day of May
A visit from my son who lives in Virginia reinforced the blessing of our climate. His summer garden will go into the ground this week. Our Charlotte garden is ready to start producing. There are small yellow and zucchini squash on the plants. We may pick squash by the weekend. There are two tiny tomatoes. The cucumbers and some of the peppers have blossoms. The okra is over a foot tall.
The holiday weekend provided an opportunity to catch up much of the backlog of garden and yard work. The grass still needs cutting as it always does. There are a few plants in the garden that still need to be side-dressed with compost, but there is no more compost until next weekend. There was a huge pile of compost on a tarp. It seemed an impossibility that it would all be used, but it was. Even the compost that was finished this weekend was used.
There is also a problem with odor from the compost pile that was not present last year. A plan is in place to correct the problem, but it will be revealed when it is shown to be effective.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The holiday weekend provided an opportunity to catch up much of the backlog of garden and yard work. The grass still needs cutting as it always does. There are a few plants in the garden that still need to be side-dressed with compost, but there is no more compost until next weekend. There was a huge pile of compost on a tarp. It seemed an impossibility that it would all be used, but it was. Even the compost that was finished this weekend was used.
There is also a problem with odor from the compost pile that was not present last year. A plan is in place to correct the problem, but it will be revealed when it is shown to be effective.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Thinking Green(house)
(Written Jan 10)
Last night all of the little growies in the greenhouse that had sprouted got a good dose of an organic foliar feed. Three more flats got planted. There is only room under lights for one more flat. It is time to look into at least one more light. When going through the seeds last night to do the planting, I realized that I had forgotten to order Jalapeño pepper seeds. One packet of seeds won’t cover a minimum order, so an alternate source will need to be found. The stores don’t have many summer seeds right now.
The compost is accumulating really slowly right now. There are plenty of leaves available, but they don’t really make very good compost by themselves. The main thing going into the bins is wood ashes and kitchen scraps. The little snow we had did a good job of soaking through the piles, so the compost is heating and decomposing well.
The only thing in the garden to eat is onions, kale and spinach. Everything else is frost killed. Nothing appears to be coming back except some of the cabbage. I may replant some of the greens this weekend depending on the advice I get from Mr. Blackley at Renfrow’s.
Last night all of the little growies in the greenhouse that had sprouted got a good dose of an organic foliar feed. Three more flats got planted. There is only room under lights for one more flat. It is time to look into at least one more light. When going through the seeds last night to do the planting, I realized that I had forgotten to order Jalapeño pepper seeds. One packet of seeds won’t cover a minimum order, so an alternate source will need to be found. The stores don’t have many summer seeds right now.
The compost is accumulating really slowly right now. There are plenty of leaves available, but they don’t really make very good compost by themselves. The main thing going into the bins is wood ashes and kitchen scraps. The little snow we had did a good job of soaking through the piles, so the compost is heating and decomposing well.
The only thing in the garden to eat is onions, kale and spinach. Everything else is frost killed. Nothing appears to be coming back except some of the cabbage. I may replant some of the greens this weekend depending on the advice I get from Mr. Blackley at Renfrow’s.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Finally a Break in the Weather
47 degrees may not be “balmy”, but it is better than days that barely go above freezing. Tuesday provided a chance to work in the yard a little. The woodstove was cleaned out and the ashes added to the compost. A small patch of yard was cleaned with the bagging lawnmower and the mulched leaves were added to the compost as well. A little bit of compost even got turned.
The crucifers that were damaged by the frost have not recovered yet. Who knows if they will do so? The leaves that were tied over the cauliflower heads wilted. The cauliflower is a kind of brownish color. The broccoli leaves and cabbage leaves are drooping too. The turnips and mustard seem to be totally wiped out. Last year they did that and then came back so they will be left alone for a while.
The oregano is the thing that really surprises me. The cold does not seem to bother it at all. The onions collapse but they are still good and they come back when the weather warms up. Our meals may not feature items from the garden for a while, but at least we can make the store-bought food taste good.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The crucifers that were damaged by the frost have not recovered yet. Who knows if they will do so? The leaves that were tied over the cauliflower heads wilted. The cauliflower is a kind of brownish color. The broccoli leaves and cabbage leaves are drooping too. The turnips and mustard seem to be totally wiped out. Last year they did that and then came back so they will be left alone for a while.
The oregano is the thing that really surprises me. The cold does not seem to bother it at all. The onions collapse but they are still good and they come back when the weather warms up. Our meals may not feature items from the garden for a while, but at least we can make the store-bought food taste good.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Monday, October 18, 2010
Green Greens
The first of the turnip greens and mustard were picked Saturday. They were young and tender and clean. There were not a lot of them, but they were delicious. We had some more rain so they should replenish themselves quickly. The spinach and lettuce went into the ground Saturday morning. They were well watered in Sunday night so they should grow quickly. The tomatoes still have fruit on the vine and the new cucumber plant has blooms. Maybe we will get a late salad.
The high temperatures are supposed to increase Thursday, but the lows will stay in the 50’s. This is according to the weather forecast on the internet, if you believe it. The afternoon sunshine should make things grow. The speckled lima beans that were just vines have finally set bunches of beans and they are filling out now.
This is the time for a good side-dressing of compost. Beans and other legumes put nitrogen into the soil until they start fruiting. Then they are heavy feeders.
The weather is perfect for aerating the lawn and over-seeding. If the lawn is full of weeds, and you don’t want to use a lot of chemicals, try planting winter rye grass. The lawn will be green all winter. The rye grass will choke out the weeds. In the spring the lawn can be over-seeded again with an appropriate variety that will take over when the rye grass dies in the summer.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The high temperatures are supposed to increase Thursday, but the lows will stay in the 50’s. This is according to the weather forecast on the internet, if you believe it. The afternoon sunshine should make things grow. The speckled lima beans that were just vines have finally set bunches of beans and they are filling out now.
This is the time for a good side-dressing of compost. Beans and other legumes put nitrogen into the soil until they start fruiting. Then they are heavy feeders.
The weather is perfect for aerating the lawn and over-seeding. If the lawn is full of weeds, and you don’t want to use a lot of chemicals, try planting winter rye grass. The lawn will be green all winter. The rye grass will choke out the weeds. In the spring the lawn can be over-seeded again with an appropriate variety that will take over when the rye grass dies in the summer.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Bone Dry
Yesterday was the traditional day (Labor Day) to plant the fall garden. The soil is so dry in the raised beds, that it is hard to work the dirt. Everything did manage to get in the ground, however. The broccoli and cabbage plants were first on Sunday, and they were well watered in. Then radish and carrots were planted together as filler between the plants, and collards and turnips went into another bed. On Sunday the mustard and kale went into the ground.
It is so dry that the compost had to be watered. Even the spotted cucumber beetles seem to have dried up and gone away. The watermelons and cantaloupes are finished and can be pulled up. The fence can be removed. The okra in the raised beds is still green and producing even though it has all fallen down. The okra planted in the dirt is mostly dead. The stalks on the raised bed okra are over an inch thick. The stalks on the dirt planted are about an inch thick.
The only thing planted in dirt, and still producing, that will stop the fall tilling are the peppers. They are really producing a lot of peppers. The lima beans are still green and growing, but they are so close to the fence that they won’t hamper the tilling.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
It is so dry that the compost had to be watered. Even the spotted cucumber beetles seem to have dried up and gone away. The watermelons and cantaloupes are finished and can be pulled up. The fence can be removed. The okra in the raised beds is still green and producing even though it has all fallen down. The okra planted in the dirt is mostly dead. The stalks on the raised bed okra are over an inch thick. The stalks on the dirt planted are about an inch thick.
The only thing planted in dirt, and still producing, that will stop the fall tilling are the peppers. They are really producing a lot of peppers. The lima beans are still green and growing, but they are so close to the fence that they won’t hamper the tilling.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Summer Rain (again)
The garden got 1 ½ “ of rain last night. It was sorely needed. That means of course that all the BT and sulfur was washed off of the plants. This makes a feast for the bugs. The plants will make a feast for us. Everybody wins for a little while. This afternoon the BT and sulfur will be restored to the foliage. A lot of the dead squash leaves and stems will go to the compost.
The infested plants that are put into the compost need to be the center of a hot sandwich. We put grass clippings on the top of the pile. The infested leaves are put on this and more grass clippings are put on the top. In some neighborhoods in Charlotte, people bag their grass clippings. In most neighborhoods they don’t. A lot of this bagged grass goes into the bed of my truck and eventually into the compost pile. Grass clippings are about as close as some city gardeners can get to manure. It is the main ingredient and first stage in most manures anyway.
The eggplants are producing again after a little lull. One plant produced a few eggplants then quit. Now all of the eggplants are producing. So are the watermelons and the cantaloupes. The tomatoes and cucumbers are still chugging along, but the squash is out of business. There are a few patty-pans on the late planted plants. The second crop of squash is growing well, but does not have blossoms yet.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The infested plants that are put into the compost need to be the center of a hot sandwich. We put grass clippings on the top of the pile. The infested leaves are put on this and more grass clippings are put on the top. In some neighborhoods in Charlotte, people bag their grass clippings. In most neighborhoods they don’t. A lot of this bagged grass goes into the bed of my truck and eventually into the compost pile. Grass clippings are about as close as some city gardeners can get to manure. It is the main ingredient and first stage in most manures anyway.
The eggplants are producing again after a little lull. One plant produced a few eggplants then quit. Now all of the eggplants are producing. So are the watermelons and the cantaloupes. The tomatoes and cucumbers are still chugging along, but the squash is out of business. There are a few patty-pans on the late planted plants. The second crop of squash is growing well, but does not have blossoms yet.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Earthworm Habitat
As mentioned in an earlier blog, the lack of livestock deprives the gardener of manure. Inspired by this situation, I decided to make an earthworm habitat. A tenant left an old plastic washtub with holes drilled in it at a vacant rental house. This was turned into an earthworm habitat. It was buried in a shady spot in the garden that was not much good for planting. This spot is under the fig trees.
Finished compost was used as the medium to fill the tub. Some worms were captured from the compost bins and the garden to populate the “farm”. A little plain corn meal was sprinkled on the top to feed the little critters and the whole thing was covered with an old trashcan lid. Then there was an amazing discovery.
The potting soil was getting really low yesterday so some finished compost was screened to make potting soil. Virtually every forkful of compost had 3 to 5 earthworms. I hope this means that the compost that was put into the habitat originally was also full of earthworms. How nice would it be to reach in and grab a handful of medium and have it wiggle?
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Finished compost was used as the medium to fill the tub. Some worms were captured from the compost bins and the garden to populate the “farm”. A little plain corn meal was sprinkled on the top to feed the little critters and the whole thing was covered with an old trashcan lid. Then there was an amazing discovery.
The potting soil was getting really low yesterday so some finished compost was screened to make potting soil. Virtually every forkful of compost had 3 to 5 earthworms. I hope this means that the compost that was put into the habitat originally was also full of earthworms. How nice would it be to reach in and grab a handful of medium and have it wiggle?
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Monday, November 2, 2009
Falling Leaves
There are bags of leaves all along the street waiting for city pickup. The oak trees are still covered with green leaves. The other trees are still covered with yellow, brown and red leaves. How can so many have fallen? When the grass was cut last week about half of the material from the bagger was leaves. That went into the compost; but I don’t really care a lot for composting leaves.
They do make great mulch. They hold the moisture and the warmth in the ground. They prevent muddy shoes when walking through the garden. They look good. Earthworms love them. The down side is that they remind one that soon there will be no grass clippings. This is the major ingredient for my compost bin. Green stuff makes nitrogen. Leaves make carbon. Carbon is a necessary building block for healthy plants; but most of them make this for themselves. The leaves do provide a lot of organic matter. They can just be tilled into the garden in the spring before planting.
The leaves in the garden come from the bags on the side of the road. The leaves in the yard get blown around trees and into beds for mulch. I am too lazy to bag them or drag them to the garden.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
They do make great mulch. They hold the moisture and the warmth in the ground. They prevent muddy shoes when walking through the garden. They look good. Earthworms love them. The down side is that they remind one that soon there will be no grass clippings. This is the major ingredient for my compost bin. Green stuff makes nitrogen. Leaves make carbon. Carbon is a necessary building block for healthy plants; but most of them make this for themselves. The leaves do provide a lot of organic matter. They can just be tilled into the garden in the spring before planting.
The leaves in the garden come from the bags on the side of the road. The leaves in the yard get blown around trees and into beds for mulch. I am too lazy to bag them or drag them to the garden.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
New Composting System at Work
It is hard to tell this early in the process; but compost seems to mature faster in the new bins. One reason why it is hard to tell is there is so much of the old compost still in the system. Enough compost has accumulated already to fill at least one of the new raised beds.
The compost starts off in the “accumulation bin”. 
This bin collects everything that becomes available for a week. Each Saturday the 4th bin is piled onto the screen above the 5th bin which is being referred to as the storage bin. 
Everything that falls through the 2” X 4” mesh on top is considered finished. Everything that doesn’t fall through goes back into the accumulation bin. 
Then the 3rd bin is turned to the 4th bin and the 2nd bin is turned to the 3rd bin and the accumulation bin is turned into the 2nd bin. The accumulation process starts over.
This bin collects everything that becomes available for a week. Each Saturday the 4th bin is piled onto the screen above the 5th bin which is being referred to as the storage bin. 
Everything that falls through the 2” X 4” mesh on top is considered finished. Everything that doesn’t fall through goes back into the accumulation bin. 
Then the 3rd bin is turned to the 4th bin and the 2nd bin is turned to the 3rd bin and the accumulation bin is turned into the 2nd bin. The accumulation process starts over. Right now the accumulation bin is full and there is a bag of grass that will start the new batch off right. The rainy weekend slowed down the turning. Compost from the 4th bin clumps up when wet and is hard to push through the mesh into the storage bin.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
What Happens in a Compost Pile
Composting turns organic garbage into fertilizer. The way this happens is by two processes. The first is an aerobic breakdown of the material. This is encouraged by turning the compost, keeping it wet and having lots of good green stuff in the pile. The compost heats to between 90 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit during the process. The higher the temperature the faster the compost makes fertilizer. Turning the compost regularly keeps air mixed in which enables the aerobic (oxygen fed) process. Not turning the compost lets it pack down and burn all of the available oxygen and engage in anaerobic decomposition. Anaerobic decomposition produces methane. This stinks and is a serious cause of global warming.
Some of the internet sources of advice say not to add meat or bones because they attract scavengers. These are good sources of phosphorous. Just bury them in the hottest part of the pile. You can tell that your pile is working when you are turning it or digging into it because it is actually burning. There will not be a flame; but the material is grey like ashes and smoke comes from it. The center of the pile is inhabited by microbes surrounding the hottest part. In the cooler portions, if you are lucky, there will be earthworms. Earthworms love compost and coffee grounds seem to be their favorite food. They cannot live in the hottest part of the pile. Earthworm poop is one of the greatest fertilizers on earth.
The composting system used in my yard is 5 bins made from old pallets. They won’t last forever; but they are free. Compost takes about 5 weeks so I turn the bins each week. The final bin has a top of 2”x 4” fence wire. When I turn into that bin anything that doesn’t fit through the wire goes back to the 1st bin. Also material from the 4th bin is used to cover new material placed in the 1st bin and give it a “starter” of bacteria and earthworms. All of our grass clippings and table scraps and coffee grounds and egg shells go in the compost. I also pick bags of grass clippings up from the side of the road in the grass cutting season. Leaves are good; but they compost pretty slowly. They are only used when they have been mulched or if they are mixed with grass clippings.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Some of the internet sources of advice say not to add meat or bones because they attract scavengers. These are good sources of phosphorous. Just bury them in the hottest part of the pile. You can tell that your pile is working when you are turning it or digging into it because it is actually burning. There will not be a flame; but the material is grey like ashes and smoke comes from it. The center of the pile is inhabited by microbes surrounding the hottest part. In the cooler portions, if you are lucky, there will be earthworms. Earthworms love compost and coffee grounds seem to be their favorite food. They cannot live in the hottest part of the pile. Earthworm poop is one of the greatest fertilizers on earth.
The composting system used in my yard is 5 bins made from old pallets. They won’t last forever; but they are free. Compost takes about 5 weeks so I turn the bins each week. The final bin has a top of 2”x 4” fence wire. When I turn into that bin anything that doesn’t fit through the wire goes back to the 1st bin. Also material from the 4th bin is used to cover new material placed in the 1st bin and give it a “starter” of bacteria and earthworms. All of our grass clippings and table scraps and coffee grounds and egg shells go in the compost. I also pick bags of grass clippings up from the side of the road in the grass cutting season. Leaves are good; but they compost pretty slowly. They are only used when they have been mulched or if they are mixed with grass clippings.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Salad from the Garden
Finally the whole salad (except for the dressing) came from the garden. Tomatoes, cucumbers, arugula, mesclun, basil and radishes were fresh from the back yard. It was wonderful. I just hope it lasts for awhile.
The new compost bin arrangement worked out really well. I was concerned that the boards on the front would present a difficulty in forking the compost from bin to bin; but it was easy as pie. The compost that had been in the bins seemed to be hotter than the compost from the wire cages as well; but that could be a factor of the individual pile.
Figs are really getting ripe. They are so sweet and delicious that it is hard to stop eating them. The squirrels and birds seem to have gotten their fill because they are leaving them alone. The tomatoes that were started for the greenhouse raised bed have true leaves on them now. The lights will be rigged this weekend and the tomatoes will be transplanted to larger pots. They should go in the ground by the 1st of November.
The deer must be starving. They are even eating the hot pepper plants now. They ate all the tomatoes and leaves from the upside down tomato. Upside down tomatoes will get another chance next year. They have been a real loser this year; but they did get started late. Next year they will get started in the greenhouse in February to see if they do better.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The new compost bin arrangement worked out really well. I was concerned that the boards on the front would present a difficulty in forking the compost from bin to bin; but it was easy as pie. The compost that had been in the bins seemed to be hotter than the compost from the wire cages as well; but that could be a factor of the individual pile.
Figs are really getting ripe. They are so sweet and delicious that it is hard to stop eating them. The squirrels and birds seem to have gotten their fill because they are leaving them alone. The tomatoes that were started for the greenhouse raised bed have true leaves on them now. The lights will be rigged this weekend and the tomatoes will be transplanted to larger pots. They should go in the ground by the 1st of November.
The deer must be starving. They are even eating the hot pepper plants now. They ate all the tomatoes and leaves from the upside down tomato. Upside down tomatoes will get another chance next year. They have been a real loser this year; but they did get started late. Next year they will get started in the greenhouse in February to see if they do better.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Friday, October 2, 2009
New Compost System
A new compost bin system has been rattling around in my head for awhile. It involved a lot of treated lumber and construction and expense and work. The reality finally happened and involved almost none of that. Michael Swol mentioned using pallets for another project. The design using pallets for compost bins jumped into my head.
Michael and I picked up some pallets from Harkey Tile. They were placed together against a fence to make 5 bins that are roughly 3’ by 3’ by 3’. My wife looked out the window and screamed. They are a little bit ugly. She made me move them to a hidden corner of the yard. Even picking up the pallets and doing the construction twice, there is still only about 4 hours and no money except for a few nails and some gas in the project. 2 levels of used 2” X 6”s nail the pallets together on the front and provide a stop for the compost.
The only thing I’m not really sure about is the closure on the front. It works well to keep the compost in the bin. How hard will it be to fork the compost from one bin to the next? The answer to that will come next weekend. Michael still needs pallets for his projects and I will try to get more uniform pallets to replace the odd ones so the effect will be less ugly.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Michael and I picked up some pallets from Harkey Tile. They were placed together against a fence to make 5 bins that are roughly 3’ by 3’ by 3’. My wife looked out the window and screamed. They are a little bit ugly. She made me move them to a hidden corner of the yard. Even picking up the pallets and doing the construction twice, there is still only about 4 hours and no money except for a few nails and some gas in the project. 2 levels of used 2” X 6”s nail the pallets together on the front and provide a stop for the compost.
The only thing I’m not really sure about is the closure on the front. It works well to keep the compost in the bin. How hard will it be to fork the compost from one bin to the next? The answer to that will come next weekend. Michael still needs pallets for his projects and I will try to get more uniform pallets to replace the odd ones so the effect will be less ugly.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
May Flowers?, Yes!!
May Flowers, Yes!!
And the rains came and they came and they came and they came. Now comes the sun, then comes the flowers. The rain started Saturday. It rained Sunday and Monday. My rain barrels have gone from almost empty to over half full. In a dry moment, I walked through the garden yesterday. All the little green things were smiling. The things I planted and the weeds.
The task at hand is to conserve this water just in case we don’t get more. As soon as the ground makes a dry crust, it will be worked with the tines on the hoe. Then comes the mulch. 3 or 4 inches will be enough to start with and not too close to the plants. If it is available half-finished compost is the perfect mulch for most things. Do not use that on potatoes or peppers. Potatoes taste nasty if they get too much Nitrogen. Peppers will make gorgeous plants and no peppers. I learned that the hard way. Just plain leaves are great for peppers and potatoes.
The mulch will last longer and do a better job if newspapers are placed on the ground before the mulch is added. With potatoes don’t use the newspapers. Bring the mulch up to the potato plant so that only the top of the plant shows. Some of the potatoes in my garden are 2’ tall now. The mulch is within 6” of the top. More will be added this weekend because the rain packed it down. When the potatoes start “making” they are really easy to “gravel” from the leaves.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
And the rains came and they came and they came and they came. Now comes the sun, then comes the flowers. The rain started Saturday. It rained Sunday and Monday. My rain barrels have gone from almost empty to over half full. In a dry moment, I walked through the garden yesterday. All the little green things were smiling. The things I planted and the weeds.
The task at hand is to conserve this water just in case we don’t get more. As soon as the ground makes a dry crust, it will be worked with the tines on the hoe. Then comes the mulch. 3 or 4 inches will be enough to start with and not too close to the plants. If it is available half-finished compost is the perfect mulch for most things. Do not use that on potatoes or peppers. Potatoes taste nasty if they get too much Nitrogen. Peppers will make gorgeous plants and no peppers. I learned that the hard way. Just plain leaves are great for peppers and potatoes.
The mulch will last longer and do a better job if newspapers are placed on the ground before the mulch is added. With potatoes don’t use the newspapers. Bring the mulch up to the potato plant so that only the top of the plant shows. Some of the potatoes in my garden are 2’ tall now. The mulch is within 6” of the top. More will be added this weekend because the rain packed it down. When the potatoes start “making” they are really easy to “gravel” from the leaves.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Will There Be May Flowers
Will There Be May Flowers?
There have not been many April Showers. One zone of my “Rube Goldberg” irrigation system ran for an hour yesterday. Some spots in the garden still test above 6 on a scale of 1 to 10 on the moisture meter. Most of the garden is below 4. Tuesday I mulched almost everything with half finished compost. The potatoes of course just get un-mulched leaves. I added more to bring the mulch to the tops of the plants. It is almost a foot thick in some places now and needs to be done again.
I planted a dozen eggplants and a couple more peppers in the cage with the sweet peppers and the kohl crops. I am out of half finished compost and almost out of spots to plant anything. I still have lots of basil plants and a few Jalapeño peppers to go in the ground. I would like to plant some more beets. One never has enough compost or space it seems.
I started the “watermelon fence” yesterday. I don’t know if it will work. I put some 4” X 4” post in the ground sticking up about 2 feet. They are three feet from the edge of the watermelon hills, which are at the outer edge of the garden. I will lean some 4’ poles on the 4” X 4”s and cover them with 2” X 4” wire. The watermelon vines will be trained on the wire. The wire will be loose enough to sag under the weight of the watermelons and hold them in place. Hopefully they will be out of reach of the snails and sow bugs. I will post a picture.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
There have not been many April Showers. One zone of my “Rube Goldberg” irrigation system ran for an hour yesterday. Some spots in the garden still test above 6 on a scale of 1 to 10 on the moisture meter. Most of the garden is below 4. Tuesday I mulched almost everything with half finished compost. The potatoes of course just get un-mulched leaves. I added more to bring the mulch to the tops of the plants. It is almost a foot thick in some places now and needs to be done again.
I planted a dozen eggplants and a couple more peppers in the cage with the sweet peppers and the kohl crops. I am out of half finished compost and almost out of spots to plant anything. I still have lots of basil plants and a few Jalapeño peppers to go in the ground. I would like to plant some more beets. One never has enough compost or space it seems.
I started the “watermelon fence” yesterday. I don’t know if it will work. I put some 4” X 4” post in the ground sticking up about 2 feet. They are three feet from the edge of the watermelon hills, which are at the outer edge of the garden. I will lean some 4’ poles on the 4” X 4”s and cover them with 2” X 4” wire. The watermelon vines will be trained on the wire. The wire will be loose enough to sag under the weight of the watermelons and hold them in place. Hopefully they will be out of reach of the snails and sow bugs. I will post a picture.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Flatulence in Earthworms
Flatulence in Earthworms
I am so conservative with composting materials that I even take home the scraps and coffee grounds from the office. I found some leftover beans that I would no longer be comfortable eating; so I put them in the compost. My compost bins are so full of earthworms that I think of the compostables as earthworm food. I wonder if these beans will give the earthworms flatulence. That could give a whole new meaning to one of the benefits of earthworms which is soil aeration.
The sun is back out and I am feeling better. I can’t wait to get back into the yard. I wonder if the rain has made anything grow yet. My intentions for the day are to till some more of the front yard and saw up some more firewood. I may work on the watermelon fence a little too. My travel schedule is pretty brutal from now until the beginning of June; so I may not write a lot. I am trying to get my garden on “auto-pilot” so my wife will not have to do too much while I am gone.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com/ , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
I am so conservative with composting materials that I even take home the scraps and coffee grounds from the office. I found some leftover beans that I would no longer be comfortable eating; so I put them in the compost. My compost bins are so full of earthworms that I think of the compostables as earthworm food. I wonder if these beans will give the earthworms flatulence. That could give a whole new meaning to one of the benefits of earthworms which is soil aeration.
The sun is back out and I am feeling better. I can’t wait to get back into the yard. I wonder if the rain has made anything grow yet. My intentions for the day are to till some more of the front yard and saw up some more firewood. I may work on the watermelon fence a little too. My travel schedule is pretty brutal from now until the beginning of June; so I may not write a lot. I am trying to get my garden on “auto-pilot” so my wife will not have to do too much while I am gone.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com/ , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Early Indications
Early Indications
I used three different planting mediums to start over 1000 plants. I used dirt in cups, Jiffy Pellets and rockwool. Everything did pretty well. The cups were the most work. The Jiffy Pellets and rockwool were about the same. The germination rate between the cups with dirt and the Jiffy Pellets were about the same. (around 80%). The rockwool is almost 100%. Some stuff that I have just planted in rockwool has not come up yet; so a complete analysis is still premature. One problem I am having with all of the mediums is legginess. I am hoping transplanting will fix that.
In the garden, I planted more beets, carrots, radishes onions and potatoes. The only thing growing right now is Arugula and Onions. I did make a new ph map of the garden. The row for potatoes had dropped to 5 after I applied the sulfur. It has bounced back to 6.5. I don’t know if that is caused by the rain or what. I have not put any other amendment on the soil.
On February 1, I started a new compost pile for new compost. The old compost is being isolated so that it will be ready for planting when it is needed. I turned all of the compost Saturday and 4 bins became 3 bins. Most of the leaves and eggshells can still be identified; but most of the other things have become indistinguishable grains. By the time I plant, there will only be one bin.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
I used three different planting mediums to start over 1000 plants. I used dirt in cups, Jiffy Pellets and rockwool. Everything did pretty well. The cups were the most work. The Jiffy Pellets and rockwool were about the same. The germination rate between the cups with dirt and the Jiffy Pellets were about the same. (around 80%). The rockwool is almost 100%. Some stuff that I have just planted in rockwool has not come up yet; so a complete analysis is still premature. One problem I am having with all of the mediums is legginess. I am hoping transplanting will fix that.
In the garden, I planted more beets, carrots, radishes onions and potatoes. The only thing growing right now is Arugula and Onions. I did make a new ph map of the garden. The row for potatoes had dropped to 5 after I applied the sulfur. It has bounced back to 6.5. I don’t know if that is caused by the rain or what. I have not put any other amendment on the soil.
On February 1, I started a new compost pile for new compost. The old compost is being isolated so that it will be ready for planting when it is needed. I turned all of the compost Saturday and 4 bins became 3 bins. Most of the leaves and eggshells can still be identified; but most of the other things have become indistinguishable grains. By the time I plant, there will only be one bin.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Tomato Fence
Tomato Fence
Yesterday (Nov. 20) I took home some leaves from the side of the road. They looked like they had not been mulched when I picked them up. When I opened the bags, I realized they had been; so I layered them into the compost bins. Now I have 1 1/2 bins of compost. I picked up more leaves today. Yesterday I also tested the soil in the raised beds, took down the tomato fence and picked some arugula. I measured out the pathway beside the raised bed too and hauled the rest of the legustrum wood to the firewood pile.
The soil in the raised bed is from 6.5 to 7 ph. That will probably be ok for the asparagus; but strawberries need 5.5 to 6 ph. If anyone is actually reading this and if you know how to lower ph, please tell me.
I like to be creative in the garden. A lot of my experiments turn out to be really stupid. My tomato fence is in the rare category of the things that work very well. I have tried all kinds of ways to stake tomatoes. Problems range from falling or blowing over to damaging the tomatoes to just being inconvenient. I have used the tomato fence for two years now and I think it is superior to anything else I’ve tried.
I took down an old rail fence that was about 8 to 10 feet inside the property line. It was a 3 rail fence; but I put it in the garden as a 2 rail fence. I had a lot of extra 8’ rails left. I tied them to the cross rails vertically with coat hanger wire. I bought plastic fence fabric from Home Depot and attached it to the rails as high as I could reach with bent nails. I tied the tomatoes to the fence with strips from old polyester rags.
The whole fence, which is over 30’ long comes back down and goes into storage in less than an hour.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Yesterday (Nov. 20) I took home some leaves from the side of the road. They looked like they had not been mulched when I picked them up. When I opened the bags, I realized they had been; so I layered them into the compost bins. Now I have 1 1/2 bins of compost. I picked up more leaves today. Yesterday I also tested the soil in the raised beds, took down the tomato fence and picked some arugula. I measured out the pathway beside the raised bed too and hauled the rest of the legustrum wood to the firewood pile.
The soil in the raised bed is from 6.5 to 7 ph. That will probably be ok for the asparagus; but strawberries need 5.5 to 6 ph. If anyone is actually reading this and if you know how to lower ph, please tell me.
I like to be creative in the garden. A lot of my experiments turn out to be really stupid. My tomato fence is in the rare category of the things that work very well. I have tried all kinds of ways to stake tomatoes. Problems range from falling or blowing over to damaging the tomatoes to just being inconvenient. I have used the tomato fence for two years now and I think it is superior to anything else I’ve tried.
I took down an old rail fence that was about 8 to 10 feet inside the property line. It was a 3 rail fence; but I put it in the garden as a 2 rail fence. I had a lot of extra 8’ rails left. I tied them to the cross rails vertically with coat hanger wire. I bought plastic fence fabric from Home Depot and attached it to the rails as high as I could reach with bent nails. I tied the tomatoes to the fence with strips from old polyester rags.
The whole fence, which is over 30’ long comes back down and goes into storage in less than an hour.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Compost
Compost
As I have mentioned before, I am concerned that I will not have enough compost for next spring’s planting. Today (Nov. 20), I decided to take some drastic steps. I put the top down in my car and picked up a few bags of leaves on the side of the road. I don’t really like to do this because one never knows what people put on their yard. Leaves are not the best compost anyway. The tree sucks all of the nutrients out before letting the leaf fall. Also most trees practice chemical warfare. They have poisons in their leaves that keep other plants from growing in the trees’ “space”.
I have not “harvested” the leaves in my yard or on my roof yet. I normally use them for mulch. They keep the moisture in the ground and make life easier for earthworms and other creatures that aerate the soil. In the spring I till them in to give the soil more organic matter and keep it fluffy.
The leaves I picked up beside the road will not be nearly enough and they look like they were just raked or blown up without being mulched first. This will make them hard for the compost pile to digest. I always mulch the leaves from my yard before I get them up. I may have to save the roadside leaves and the roof leaves for mulching and use my yard leaves for compost.
As I have mentioned before, I am concerned that I will not have enough compost for next spring’s planting. Today (Nov. 20), I decided to take some drastic steps. I put the top down in my car and picked up a few bags of leaves on the side of the road. I don’t really like to do this because one never knows what people put on their yard. Leaves are not the best compost anyway. The tree sucks all of the nutrients out before letting the leaf fall. Also most trees practice chemical warfare. They have poisons in their leaves that keep other plants from growing in the trees’ “space”.
I have not “harvested” the leaves in my yard or on my roof yet. I normally use them for mulch. They keep the moisture in the ground and make life easier for earthworms and other creatures that aerate the soil. In the spring I till them in to give the soil more organic matter and keep it fluffy.
The leaves I picked up beside the road will not be nearly enough and they look like they were just raked or blown up without being mulched first. This will make them hard for the compost pile to digest. I always mulch the leaves from my yard before I get them up. I may have to save the roadside leaves and the roof leaves for mulching and use my yard leaves for compost.
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