It’s Monday and of course the day I check my house plants. I made sure they were all watered. I walked around the gardens this morning. I heard on the radio that tomorrow it’s gonna rain so I wanted to make sure that I did a little in the garden to start moving forward for spring. I have quite a mess to clean up. I took down some of the Christmas stuff so that I can put them together in boxes in the front of the attic. That way I’ll have a handle on things for next year. I want to make sure the different Christmas stuff is together so I can be ready for Christmas by my open house.
I need to go around the neighborhood to see if I can find anyone who has been better at doing there yard work than I have. I’m looking for garbage bags of fall leaves. In our area we have to put yard waste in clear bags. I’m looking for yards where they don’t have many or any pine trees. Pine trees make your soil more acidic so I want to make sure I have very pure leaves to place on top of my new bed. Most people don’t realize that the rotting leaves are better to add to there garden than any of those expensive top soil bags that you buy in the spring. To me it’s like finding pure gold. I’ll also put some of the leaves in my large compost tumbler.
When I was young and went to my grandma Fords’ house outside of charlotte, she always had a compost pile. It never smelled and she dumped everything under the sun in there. My yard isn’t that big so I don’t have the space to have a moving compost pile. I know that a lot of people hear that you have to do this and that, but seriously all you have to remember is some basic rules and you’re good to go.
Never and I mean never put meat in your compost pile. No meat of any kind. It’ll attract some unsavory characters and meat and meat products don’t compost well. That goes for fish too. Unless your way out in the country and can afford to have a pile extremely far from your house; don’t do it. And if you live that far in the country you’ll have a gun or two to shoot away those unwelcome animals that will be visiting your compost pile. Also don’t add plastic, or colored paper, or anything that is not natural. No metals and no toxic material. Nor should you ever put your pets poop in your pile. Just remember that anything you add to your compost pile will eventually end up in your garden or flower bed.
You can add fire place ash, tea grounds, coffee grounds, egg shells, (after you nuke them in the microwave), potato skins, black and white news print, and old shredded mail, envelopes, any paper that isn’t shiny. Hair is also good for your compost pile, as well as being good for keeping animals away. I’ve even heard that you can put your lent from the dryer in your pile. Me I’ve never done that, but it only stands to reason. You can put your saw dust, dead plants. Just remember that you need to make it as small as possible. But the best and the most wonderful things to add to your compost pile is grass clippings and leaves.
Just find a spot in your yard or like me start a new bed. I call this the busy woman’s way of gardening. It’s also working smarter not harder and we could all work a little bit smarter. I’m a perfectionist and try a little too hard to make everything perfect. Once you’ve found the spot to have a compost pile or decided to start a new bed then your half way there. Put down some black and white news print and start adding your material. If you’re starting a pile then once in a while you’ll have to flip your pile. Me I like the idea of a new bed. Just dump the leaves all over the new area and just keep adding stuff to it. Make sure you spread things out all over the bed and that you have some type of edging to keep your new found gold in tact.
The time to start thinking about spring is now. If your like me your starting to get all those seed catalogs, and starting to get spring fever. No matter how many new plants and new types of seeds I see coming out I know I’ll stick with my old standbys. Pick a spot in your yard and either start a new bed or start your own compost pile…….………..
Till later happy gardening
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment