Hey it’s Springtime and I am alive!!
Actually as you may know, here in Tucson we are generally able to be in the garden all year long, and I have, though there wasn’t much incentive for me to BLOG my winter months so I used the time for some other things, but now… The days are getting longer an my ‘carry-over’ plants are beginning to respond to the warmth by sprouting new leaves as if to say “here I am… Feed me! So it’s time to fertilize and amend, plan and do some planting.
Winter Garden
My winter garden consisted of broccoli that I am now ready to pull, and the growing of my artichoke (one did not make it). Many new growths of tomatoes from various cultavers that dropped seeds are there to be transplanted and prepared for replanting. The already greening peppers and okra that survived the Tucson winter are now being fertilized and watered.
I am told that carry-over tomatoe plants will not be viable if they are of the determinant type. Seed grown plants from either determinant or in-determinants will can be viable. So you may be wasting time, space and energy on a carry-over if it is a determinant cultivar. If you were blessed enough to continue producing fruit throughout the winter it is advisable to simply continue to nurture the plants into the new season. I know that Kathy’s tomatoes were fruitful throughout the winter. Thanks for your tomatoes Kathy!
In clearing my winter garden I am contributing to my compost pile and have not been happy with its unsightly presents in my yard and I’ve not yielded any compost from it in the 12 months of its existence. Many of you may be totally familiar with the art and science of composting. Being a beginner at gardening and related disciplines, I’ve found myself on the cutting edge of learning.
Compost
Yesterday I took delivery of a composting system that I expect will convert my garden and (some) kitchen refuse to valuable nutritious soil amendment. Aside from reducing the much talked about carbon footprint, my hope is to also decrease the expense of purchasing soil amendments and make the garden a bit closer to being self-sustaining and organic; knowing where the amendment used comes from, and what its constituents are must be a step closer to controlling the organic label put on the produce produced!
As is with all things, one thing begets another thing! So I am looking forward to learning what the downsides may be to composting! I’ve already heard about unwanted visitor of the scavenging kind. You know, the rodents, insects and scavenging birds etc. and hope that this design will prevent or at least reduce the attractiveness that the hot steaming decomposing pile can create.
Click on the photo for larger image.
This composting system was introduced to me through our veteran gardener Kathy and I was immediately interested because of the design, the price and the fact that it is locally made by one of our local Tucson gardeners. John at Compost Occurs designed and builds of these units. The 55 gallon non-metalic drums used are mounted as if on a spit and are supported horizontally on its four or six legged stand. The barrels have a latching door opening on the side large enough to use a garden fork (pitchfork style) to feed it and to move materials around in. Once the door is closed the barrel can be rotated on its axis for agitation and aeration. The units stand high enough from the ground that a wheelbarrow can be placed under it to catch your processed compost for use.
The system is available in single and double barrel design. The single barrel has four legs and the double has six. The units are built to order and can be painted to suit based on the availability of colors. I purchased the double and recommend it. Current pricing allows that the cost of buying two singles is the same as one double. Having two singles will allow for having a compost point in two locations instead of one. Better than that buy two doubles!
Delivery and setup available.
Questions can be answered and units can be purchased by contacting John at http://sites.google.com/site/compostoccurrs
Glad to hear from my garden buddy. Don’t you just love John’s name—Compost Occurs—reminds me of one of my regular sayings….never mind.
I got 2 of those barrels and have no idea what I’m doing. I’m reading a lot about it, and think I need more brown stuff, which would be dead plants, decaying leaves, straw, etc…just don’t have any. Used up all my dead winter garden plants and all my kitchen vegetable scraps. Bruce is my ace in the hole…his interest in the whole affair means I don”t have to turn it or wet it down, he does that part. We seem to be growing lots of flys….may be a really good thing that we have horses nearby to attract those flys away from our property. Shhh! It’ll be our little secret. If I allow 3 months of “cooking” from the time the last addition was made it will be the end of June before the 1st crop of home grown compost is ready. I’m curious to see what I’ve made. Could be a really bad thing, but I’m hoping for a really good thing. (Must admit that the weeds under the barrels are happy and healthy.)
Only if weeds were our goal!
I too own the dual barrel setup and am looking forward to some good stuff from it!
I’ve been short of “brown stuff” and somewhere I read that newspaper is an adequate replacement. I’ve been using it and have at least found it to be no problem and it certainly hold moisture and decompose easily… not enough experience to say how effective it is but will keep you informed.
I would guess that flies are a good thing. I think that I would also like to have some horses or at least some of their produce to incorporate in my yard.
As for the compost… I am just feeding it and waiting. If it doesn’t work out this time, I will try again. Remember… compost happens!
I have lots of newspaper….and will certainly add some. I’m hoping it produces more than flies….they are icky and managing to annoy me. I was hoping they would be attracted to our neighbor’s horses. Why isn’t that working?
Seems one can’t count on horse crap can one?