The last weekend in February, and I'm looking at seed catalogs and gardening magazines!  The first day of spring is 21 days away, but I can get a head start on my summer garden, even in fickle Colorado, with a couple of easy steps.

First I'm going to take stock in the state of my trees and shrubbery.  We haven't had any BIG or heavy snows (comparatively), but I know there's some winter 'kill' out there that should be attended to while they are still dormant.  This will reduce the chances of disease and bugs from entering the cuts.  We're supposed to have sixty-degree weather this week, so it should be a perfect time to stroll around the yard and do some trimming.

The second thing that I'm going to do is that while I'm walking in the garden, I'll be wearing Lawn Aerator Shoes to aerate the lawn.  These will help air and moisture get to the roots of the grass for a good head start on the growing season.

I wrote in June about keeping a Garden Journal, which might include a map of your garden, what was planted and where, how often it was watered, even details about amounts of sunlight it received and the temperatures it experienced.  Written down should also be information on the yields you've experienced from your vegetables, what you liked and what you weren't so crazy about.  These bits of information can help you prepare your garden for winter.

This preparation should include planning for next year.  It doesn't have to be exact, but a general idea can help you decide where to put the bulk of your compost. Plants should be grown in different areas of the garden every year, most especially tomatoes, as they absorb different nutrients from the soil.  But most will benefit from a fresh place in the garden. Plants that need more fertilizer and water should be grouped together for most effective use of both; an example would be peppers and tomatoes; squash and beans. 

After pulling up annuals and weeding, the next step is a good layer of compost to condition the soil for next spring's planting.  Our tumbling composters have been busily making nutrient rich organic compost all spring and summer, so we have plenty of compost to spread around.  We'll put down a two-inch deep layer of compost to enrich the soil and act as a mulch, conserving moisture and reducing the odd winter weed.  We use our Fold-A-Cart to get the compost where it's needed. It's pretty easy to park our Fold-A-Cart under the compost machine, dump the compost in and wheel it to wherever in the garden we need it.  This cart is especially nice because it is so easy to clean up afterwards, and it has two ten-inch pneumatic rubber tires that give it a great center of gravity and prevent tipping like our old wheelbarrow used to want to do.  When we're done spreading the compost layer, we'll give everything a good soaking to provide the moisture that our garden worms need in order to do their jobs. Another spray with the hose and the Fold-A-Cart is ready to be folded down to 20% of its usable size and hung in the garage.

Even though I still have lots of vegetables in my garden (the warm weather still hangs on!): tomatoes, beets, beans, chard and spinach, I'll be updating my garden journal this weekend on what worked in the garden and where I need to move things next year.  When we finally do get cold weather, all the refuse from the garden will go back into the tumbling composters to help make more compost for the spring planting.

Happy Composting!

With times as they are in this economy, having vegetables and herbs grown at home can really stretch a budget.  I’ve been spending a lot less at the grocery this summer with the produce from my garden as a supplement.  We’re fortunate to have room in our yard to have a sizable garden, but you can grow your own fresh organic vegetables in containers very easily. 

I like to set up a drip irrigation system for my container garden, ala my husband, since plants do much better if they are on a set watering schedule.  We feed them regularly, as well, and nip off dead or yellowed leaves.  I recommend tomatoes in sunny locations, whether upright or hanging ones.  There are so many different types of tomatoes you can choose from, too, and a plethora of recipes that can accommodate this versatile veggie.    

Some of the benefits to container gardening, aside from the fresh produce are:

 - bugs and slugs are virtually non-problematic

 - weeds are usually not a problem either

 - you can have as many as you can fit or as few as you want to deal with

 - almost anything can be used as a planting container, as long as it holds soil and has adequate drainage

 - potting soil can be used with confidence, since they have the proper pH balance

 - containers can be brought indoors when the weather turns cold so you can prolong your growing season

 - container gardening beautifies your patio, porch or balcony with color and foliage

 - even small, tight spaces like as window sills and steps can be utilized to grow herbs

 - they love the compost that you've, hopefully, been making!

Happy Composting!

Successful organic vegetable gardening doesn't happen by accident. The three "P's" are essential to the process: planning, preparation and persistence.

You will enjoy higher yields and better results over the years by paying attention and keeping track of what works and what doesn't work in your garden.  It's one of the things I love about organic gardening - it's a continual learning process. Some of the success in your garden depends on factors outside our control, like the date of the last frost, how much or little rain falls, extreme weather, temperatures and infestations.  Yes, and a certain amount of luck.  But we can do a little research to find out what grows successfully in our region, and so control what we plant.  We can also have a lot of impact on the quality of our soil by testing and amending it, or by using raised beds and pots.

A vital element of organic gardening is maintaining a good supply of nutrients for your plants to take up as they need them. We provide nutrients organically to the soil by adding compost, mulch, green manure cover crops, mature or well composted animal manures, or mixed organic fertilizer. In this way, your vegetables will grow robustly, which will help deter pests and diseases. And having healthy plants will also provide you with bigger yields and faster maturing plants.

When you have a list of plants that typically do well in your region and growing season, and have tested and amended your soil to provide those plants with the nutrients they need, I suggest keeping that information in a gardening journal.  Record what you plant, where in the garden it's planted, when and how.  Add an entry whenever you need to in order to record what's happening in the garden.  Next year refer back to that journal and see what worked, what didn't, and hopefully, why.

There was something I noticed pretty quickly about gardening organically, and that was the plant destroying pests: bugs, weeds and critters. I’d read about beneficial insects, the ones that eat the plant destroyers, and read about how they could be purchased online, through mail order, or sometimes from local nurseries.  I also knew that hot peppers could be used in some fashion as well.  And my organic farmer husband has long used a soap and water mixture sprayed onto plants in order to discourage infestations of insects. But an article in the weekend real estate guide from the Sunday, June 11th Denver Post went into glorious detail about organic pesticides, why they work and even provided a recipe to make it.  Also included were some tips for reducing the likelihood of infestations through healthy gardening habits..

First, the recipe:  3 garlic bulbs, 12 hot chili peppers, 2 TBSP vegetable oil, 5 squirts liquid dish soap and 7 cups of water.  Blend these together using an electric blender and then strain through muslin cloth, storing in a spray bottle.  I made a batch, and have initially found it pretty effective.  I also noticed that it smells bad, but dissipates quickly.  I think the garlic also helps makes it fairly sticky on the plants and cuts off the air supply to most pests.

Next, to attract beneficial insects, the Post article suggests that we should keep our gardens dry and healthy.  Wet plants are more susceptible to infestations and fungus.  Keep your garden mulched (you can use organic compost...easy to do with a tumbling composter from BestComposters.com!) so as to prevent weed growth and retain moisture for the plant roots, then trim leaves so that they don't lay on the ground.  Certain plants will also attract beneficial insects, like carrots, celery, parsley, caraway, Queen Ann's Lace, tansy, yarrow, daisies, blackeyed susans, asters marigolds and goldenrod.

I haven't tried the last steps to protect my garden yet in any quantity.  I do have the first three vegies, but I'm interested in adding some of the flowers around them to see what impact they'll have.  I surely wish I could get our Homeowner's Association to okay chickens.  I'm told chickens are a powerful ally in the war against slugs, (not to mention providers of fresh eggs) and I really need an ally for that war!

Happy Composting!

The news is rife with articles about gardening and I'm loving it!  We have the Grow insert in our Denver Post weekly which overflows with information about plants and gardening, and there was the article about the woman who had survived WWII teaching school children about victory gardens, and then the school that dedicated a portion of their grounds for some third graders to grow a garden and learn about where food comes from.  It's all the rage, I tell you!  The reasons are varied, but one of the best reasons that gardening is popular is that it's just plain good for you.

Gardening provides physical exercise that helps prevent heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes.  It helps prevent osteoporosis if you're lifting water jugs, pushing a garden cart or turning compost.

When you're working in the garden you're most likely relieving stress and getting lots of fresh air.  There's a connection to nature, and a brain boost as you plan your garden and research tools and plants. 

Then there's the obvious: if you grow it, you'll eat it.  Fresh vegetables and fruits improve your physical wellbeing.  You can control the use of pesticides and fertilizers.  You will notice how much better the food tastes when it's picked and consumed the same day, and need we talk about using fresh herbs to enhance the flavors of your meals?  Think about how much sugar and salt you can cut back on when fresh herbs are used instead.

So get out there and dig in.  Garden with your kids, or the neighbors, and build relationships through gardening.  Don't forget to add organic compost in your garden for healthier, more productive plants, and a healthier you.  Happy Composting!

I just read an article in the Grow insert of the Denver Post, May 23, 2010 about the “Generous, forgiving, beautiful” nature of Salvia. It reminded me of the reason why I had planted one in my backyard garden: Salvia is (like me) exceedingly thrifty. One reason it is considered thrifty is that many varieties will reseed themselves, so while you may pay $12 or more for a potted Salvia plant, you can very well expect that it will triple next year and be able to transplant these plants to other areas of your garden.  Word to the wise: have some empty places in your garden to accommodate the new Salvia plants, or give them to friends and neighbors to beautify their gardens!

Another reason Salvia supply their monies worth is that they do transplant readily.  An easy dig up and relocation in many instances will provide you with sustained blooms from May through October.  They come in a wide variety of colors, including purples, blues, pinks and reds.  Salvia is also a hardy plant, so they typically thrive at elevations up to 8,500 feet above sea level, as well as being drought tolerant.

So, reading about Salvia’s many attributes reminded me that I have been remiss in amending the soil in my perennial beds.  I know that it’s important to turn soil over and mix in compost every year.  But the Newport Plum bushes along the back fence with perennials in between make it difficult to turn the soil over; I am reluctant to disturb the perennials’ roots for fear of disturbing the bloom.  But this year is the year of organic compost!  We have an abundance of 100% organic black gold, after composting all winter long with kitchen scraps, fall leaves, shredded newspaper and BiOWiSH™ Compost Boost.  The latter’s organic enzymes kept the compost heap at a heated average of about 145º F degrees all winter, so all the composting materials were broken down just right.  This Spring we have plenty of soil amendment to spread around, thank goodness, since we’ve added a raised vegetable bed and two garbage can potato planters to our otherwise sizable garden.

Therefore, before it gets too hot out in my South facing backyard, I’m heading out to (gently) turn the soil around my perennials, including that lovely Salvia, and add a generous amount of homegrown organic compost, worked in and as mulch, to feed those perennials and bushes that add so much enjoyment to my backyard experience.  Happy Composting!

Well, we finally got it done, in spite of all the weird weather we’ve had!  Our garden is planted!!  My husband got the new planter box made, we got our plants and seeds assembled and got them all planted.  Whew, what a relief!

The planter box was a big thing, even though there is a lot more area to plant in the ‘in ground’ garden.  We are experimenting with the box.  We’d gone back and forth for a couple of weeks trying to decide how best to fill that planter box.  We knew we were going to use a good quantity of our organic home made compost, straight from our tumbling composter.  But what other medium?  Top soil was my initial plan…shopping at our local hardware store had me doing the math.  The planter box is 12’ x 3’ and 16” deep…a lot of box to fill.  That’s some 500 cubic feet of top soil needed, at $2.50 per cubic feet equals $1,250.  Even if we mixed the top soil with compost 50-50, we’d be buying $625 worth of top soil.  Then I ran across an article about hay bale gardening.  This gardener takes hay bales, dowses them with nitrogen (fertilizer), digs a whole in the center and fills it with soil and plants.  Sounded intriguing, so I talked with hubby.  And he had his own idea.  This is what we did:  Two bales each of straw and alfalfa, run through a chipper to break it up and mix it well - $32.  Into the planter it went, with two gallons of BiOWiSH™ Compost Boost and warm water – under $5.  Mix garden soil excess that we had from last year, that wonderful black compost and a little perlite, add to holes dug down into the alfalfa and straw mix and plant.  The  BiOWiSH™ Compost Boost has already started the decomposition process, heating up the mix and starting to turn it into more compost.  Hubby and I are both excited to see what results we’ll have in our new planter box.  It was big enough to fit three tomato plants, six broccoli, and 16 onions, for under $100 inside the planter.  We won't talk about the redwood lumber that went into building the thing, but it sure is pretty!

By the way, readers remembering the blog about our newspaper planter pots will be interested to know that the single half sheet of newspaper held up just great!  I ended up peeling it off of the lettuces very easily when it was wet.  The spinach and broccoli seeds planted in them germinated; however, they did not get very big.  Next year we’ll get some real grow lights to start them under, and maybe get an earlier start….like February?!?

Growing your own vegetables has regained it's popularity, as evidenced by seed packets virtually flying off shelves at our local stores.  This renewed interest is not without merit, since your own garden can significantly cut your grocery expenses, help you eat healthier, is a stress reliver, and the food is just plain yummy!  So how does one get started?

First step is to plan where you're going to set up your garden.  The best spot is one that gets good morning sunshine.  Ideally, you'll also want a spot that will be somewhat protected from the elements and allows for good runoff of excess water.

Next step is preparing the soil.  Check the soil for it's pH level, which ideally should be 6.5.  Your local hardware/garden center will usually have test kits available, and from there it is a simple matter of following the directions.  Adding home grown compost will provide your vegetables with the best nutrients available, without chemicals to muck things up.

Now that you know your soil will provide the proper nutrients, it's time to get your hands dirty!  This is the first lesson that my dad taught me about gardening.  Every spring we'd take our shovels and turn the soil over, digging down to about 12 inches.  This allowed for the removal of weeds at the same time, since their roots will be loosened from their grip on the soil.

Finally, chosing what vegetables to grow will be somewhat dependent on what region of the country you live in.  For beginners, I recommend seeking out a reputable garden center and getting advise and seedlings from them.  We grew some vegetables from seed this year, and while it's more cost efficient to grow your vegies from seeds, it is labor intensive.  You must ensure the proper amounts of light and water, and the right medium to plant in.  So, beginner, have your garden center helper guide you in chosing healthy seedlings that will thrive in your area.

With good compost, planning and initial investment of time and the cost of  seedlings, your garden should provide you with luscious fresh and nutritious vegetables with very little maintenance.  It's awesome being able to stroll out into the yard and pick from your garden what you want to eat that day!

Happy Composting!

I am awfully glad that we have used our tumbling composter all winter long, as well as a static compost heap to which we've added BiOWiSH™ Compost Boost. What this means is that we have a great supply of garden ready 100% organic compost, even though we experienced our typical cold Colorado winter!  And we really need all that compost we've made because we are adding to our garden.  Out in front of my house will be a garden bed that'll be 4' x 3', and then a larger raised bed in back that'll be 12' x 4' and 16" deep.  And I almost forgot the Garbage Can for Potatoes that we'll need to fill as well.  So I'm sure that we will use all of our compost just getting those two gardens and garbage can filled with top soil and compost. 

Our tumbling composter made composting super easy with it's turn handle and sliding door for adding materials.  I make sure that I cut up my kitchen scraps into one inch size pieces...the more sides that can start decomposing the faster the process will be.  We add to our kitchen scraps the leaves that were gathered from last fall that we've stored, along with shredded cardboard, a handful of garden soil to add microorganisms and coffee that our local coffee shop has given to us.  Giving the tumbler a turn every day or so keeps the air circulating and the microorganisms happy.  We check to make sure that the moisture content inside the tumbler is ideal...a handful should feel like a squeezed out sponge...damp but not dripping.

Throughout the fall and winter, as we continued to add composting materials to our tumbler and static heap, I occasionally would wonder what we would do with all the compost that I knew we were making!  It seemed like an enormous amount of materials.  But as the BiOWiSH™ Compost Boost and microorganisms worked their magic, the materials turned into more compact, rich brown soil-like compost.  And the compost itself isn't the only benefit: both my husband and I were pleased at the amount of water we were saving by not running the garbage disposal.  We really saw a difference in our last water bill.  But now that I think of all the garden that needs the rich nutrients that our compost will deliver, I'm doubly glad that we've made all that compost.  I don't think we'll have any to spare for neighbors without composters or compost piles, but I have a feeling we'll have vegetables to share!

Happy Composting!