CompostaBlog

So long as they have a high surface to volume ratio, most plant materials from your garden will work beautifully in your compost pile. However, you want to use common sense when adding larger items like sequoia branches or giant rubber tree leaves, simply shred them or chip them up into smaller pieces - the more surface area available to you resident critters, the faster the decomposition process. Plant food scraps from the kitchen, shredded cardboard boxes, and sawdust from untreated wood will all contribute nicely to your organic potpourri, just don’t put too much of any one thing in - it can throw off the N-P-K balance, not to mention the pH.

Always remember to throw in a handful of good garden soil to inoculate the new pile with living organisms. A few earthworms and rollie pollies are a nice addition, too. Though it is not required, many individuals add compost starters and accelerators to help their pile along–this is fine, just avoid the synthetic additives and seek out natural and organic sources with minimal packaging.

Though all organic matter can be broken down naturally, some materials are just not suitable for the home compost pile. First and foremost, no human or pet excrement should be added to the bins. Feces can harbor harmful bacteria, and there is no guarantee that the high temperatures of your pile will successfully kill them. Second, stay away from greasy foods, dairy products, meat scraps and bones. Not only can their decomposition result in ‘colorful’ aromas, they can attract rodents. Unless you are a seasoned composter, it is best to avoid them completely.

Natural chemicals in citrus peels, eucalyptus leaves, and pine needles can actually slow down your compost pile, so avoid mixing them into your artistic masterpiece. Ashes from your fireplace are basically worthless — they are already broken down as much as possible (remember the heat and flames), and therefore have little potential energy to offer the micro organisms in your pile. Beside, ash can drastically alter the pH of the soil. If your prize tomatoes experienced their worst blight on record, you probably want to keep their diseased leaves and stems out of the pile, especially if the finished compost will be returning to your vegetable garden. Why propagate pestilence? Rocks, plastic and Styrofoam are not going to do much for your creation either, so keep them out. A good rule to go by is “when in doubt, keep it out.”

By: Jim Allen

Sustainable Living Articles @ http://www.articlegarden.com

If you love your garden as much as I do and you have backache, pinched sciatic nerve symptoms, sciatica or one of the many back pain issues you may be wondering if you can ever garden again. Gardening can be hard on the back and I thought I would have to give it up forever. However I discovered that is not necessarily the case…

• Gardening is a very physical activity but there are lots of things you can do to make it easier. Even if you really cannot do the physical work you can still take a very active part in your garden. Also gardening is a great motivator. If you want to do your garden and you are dealing with back aches and pains you are much more likely to keep up with any back pain exercises and be diligent about looking after your back.

• First do check with your healthcare professional to make sure it is safe for you to do gardening activities and if there is anything you should absolutely avoid doing.

• It is vital if you have back pain and pinched sciatic nerve symptoms that you try to get to the root cause of your pain and treat that along with the symptoms to get lasting relief. Learn as much as you can and ask lots of questions. Feel free to visit my website at www.mypetback.com for back pain solutions, information, suggestions and inspiration. Never give up looking for your solution.

• Look at your garden with a critical eye from your “bad backs” perspective and if necessary consider a redesign. This is something everyone can do and many gardeners do anyway once in a while. If you have persistent backache, back pain or disc problems you just need to take a few more things into account. You know your back like no one else does. Evaluate what jobs you find difficult and will hurt you and which are fine for you. Listen to your body and let that be your guide.

• Consider a low maintenance garden. Plant so that there are no bare patches of earth where the weeds can grow. Less weeding equals less bending and less backache. Go for low maintenance plants and shrubs. Concentrate plants needing more attention in one area and consider a raised bed for them so less stooping for your back. Place the area nearer to your house or your garden shed. Your tools will be closer to hand that way.

• Scented plants are fantastic in raised beds for everyone to enjoy. You can even grow great vegetables in large raised beds and have more control over the environment and soil. Raised beds at waist height mean little or no bending for a bad back. If you have a small lawn, consider gravelling it or using chamomile or other lawn plants.

• When you first get back pain your garden can suffer as you deal with the initial pain. If your garden has done its own thing for a while you need to take it in hand. If family or friends cannot help, consider getting a company in to do the hard graft for you then you can concentrate on doing the finishing touches. If you share a garden or have an allotment consider asking if people would swap tasks with you so you do more of some things for them and they do more of say digging for you, it’s worth a try!

• Consider a series of raised beds with paths in between so you can move easily between them to tend your plants without too much bending or overreaching your back. Don’t make the beds too wide as you need to comfortably reach them.

• When gardening with back pain issues warm up first. Do any back pain exercises you have been following, go for a short walk and treat it like you are getting ready for some real physical activity …which you are. If it helps you use a heat pad while you are gardening to keep the muscles in your back warm and less prone to injury. After gardening do your stretches again and get into a warm bath or shower as soon as you can.

• Frustrating as it is, do a little, rest then do a little more. I used to be an all day gardener but now I respect my back and listen to any little aches and pains and stop before it needs to shout at me! Vary the activity so you don’t do repetitive tasks which put a strain on your lower or upper back. So mix it up with a little weeding, trimming, pruning etc.

• What a pain it is when you just want that big pot moving a couple of yards. Do wait until you can get someone else to do it. It is not worth aggravating your recovery from back pain for the sake of a little patience.

• Let someone know you are in the garden working. If you do overstrain your back you will want the comfort of knowing someone will be checking on you from time to time if necessary.

• Consider some of the many tools you can buy to help you if you have general backache, pinched sciatic nerve symptoms, upper or lower back pain. A small investment in some good quality tools will ease strain on your back and mean you can be independent in your gardening

• If the physical work is really too much for your bad back at this stage you can do all the design, planning, ordering and task list. Teach others how to do what you know so they too can grow from the experience and learn to love gardening. Visit gardening forums and pass on your knowledge. For the year I could not do any gardening due to my low back pain and sciatica symptoms I taught my husband, following him round every inch and he went from being not at all interested to now loving it. Now I just need to get my garden back!

• Always think what you CAN DO not what you can’t do. Just because you have back pain and pinched sciatic nerve symptoms you do not need to give up your garden. Work out a way you and your back can enjoy it together…

Article Source: http://www.firstclassarticles.net/

These are some of the elements that must be considered in order to really get the maximum potential out of your greenhouse or sunroom: the type of greenhouse you want whether it be a cold house, portable greenhouse, hobby greenhouse a greenhouse kit or a large or a mini greenhouse, the greenhouse construction and it’s foundation type, which greenhouse equipment you will need, which type of greenhouse covering or glazing is best suited to you, and the type of watering, humidity control, heating and air circulation systems that are best suited to your sunroom or greenhouse gardening needs.

First Decide Whether you Want to have Cold House or a Heated Greenhouse. A cold house is the simplest of greenhouses, it is not equipped with any artificial means of heat and thus the growing season is shortened when the outside temperature drops below freezing. It is not possible to grow frost sensitive plants between late fall and the middle of spring unless you provide heat (which would not make it a cold house!). A cold house does extend the growing season from that of the outdoors by trapping the heat from the sun during the day. And it provides a cozy respite for you to work away from the elements of wind and rain, it also protects plants from these same elements too. When you install a heater into your cold house it becomes a true greenhouse and it transforms the hobby of gardening into a year-round hobby. The minimum temperature required to grow greenhouse plants through the winter is 45° F (7.2°C), so be sure to allow for this extra cost for heating to be included in your monthly budget. Also, be sure that when you begin planning for your greenhouse construction that you build it as near as possible to your house as this will reduce costs for digging and installation of electrical wires (and plumbing if you need that too). It is also better for quick access during the winter months if you have your greenhouse closer to your house.

Watering Needs for Greenhouse Plants

As it does not rain inside greenhouses watering is a very important thing for greenhouse owners to remember! But, watering inside a green house is not just as simple as just watering your greenhouse plants everyday. Within soil there are small open air pores that roots depend on for supplying them with nutritious gases. When you water your plants these small air spaces get filled up with water and it, in effect, causes suffocation for roots. When roots suffocate, plants wilt and the most common reaction by gardeners for wilting plants is more watering! Just remember that the watering needs inside a greenhouse are different from the watering needs of your outside garden. Because the green house environment is enclosed a fair amount of moisture does get trapped and thus, less watering is usually required. The best rule for watering plants in your greenhouse or sunroom is: always check the soil before you water, if the soil is dry then you should go ahead and water. And, remember that plants, just like people, do not like being watered with cold water. For plants the ideal water temperature is between 65°F and 80°F (18.3°C and 26.7°C). Anything above 80°F (26.7°C) is too hot!

There are many different alternatives available for watering your greenhouse plants. Among your choices are irrigation systems, drip system, misters, water sensors and a gardener’s best friend the good old watering can. Irrigation systems are wonderful for those periods of time that you plan on being away; there is nothing worse than coming home to dead plants in your green house because your best friend forgot to water them while you were away! A good selection of all of these watering systems is available at online gardening and greenhouse supply stores.

Selecting the Right Seeds and Plants for Your Greenhouse

When it comes to selecting seeds and plants for your greenhouse the biggest deciding factor is your personal choice! You will need to set up your greenhouse interior to accommodate the types of plants that you choose though. For example if you choose to grow plants that require a trellis you will have to install some trellises. Some examples of plants that grow well with a trellis are peas, runner beans, tomatos, cucumbers, watermelon, winter squash, nasturtiums, passionflower, bougainvillea and sweet peas. Some crops are harvested only once and then they are done; for example onions, carrots and radishes. Other crops that need harvesting many times; for example leaf lettuce, strawberries, broccoli and brussel sprouts should be placed in easy to reach places, like at the edges of beds.

Buy a good book on greenhouse gardening so as to learn about the different temperature, water, humidity and pH level requirements of different plants and then make your final selections of seeds and plants. A greenhouse gardener’s book will also help you with the best layouts for your plants and seedlings.

Cid Bus has been an executive in the Hospitality Industry for 15 years. Also a graduate of the NY Restaurant school,and co owner of a catering company. A competitive long distance trail runner x-country skiier, and “green thumber” they can be tracked down at their bed and breakfast Fish Creek House in Southwest Montana

Article Source: Sustainable Living Articles

There are many reasons to make open pollinated ["heirloom variety"] seeds an integral part of your gardening experience and food storage. If seeds are collected from F1 hybrids, the plants grown from those seeds will generally not have the characteristics that you desired in the parent plant. Open pollinated seeds allow the gardener the option of saving seed and growing the plants you like, year after year. In the April 1991 issue of National Geographic, in an article titled, “World Food Supply at Risk”, the authors point out past failures of agriculture being based on only a few varieties. Such disasters include the 1970 corn blight that destroyed much of the US crop and the potato famine that killed over 1 million in Ireland. Such disasters are not new. The article also states that there is evidence that a blight destroyed much of the maize crop around 900 AD and probably caused the collapse of the Mayan civilization. I would recommend a trip to the library since the article is a good, sobering and interesting read, as is the October 1998 National Geographic on population and feeding the planet. Several organizations, such as The Seed Savers Exchange, have been established for education and as sources for open-pollinated seed. I find it a bit of a chuckle that many people put such an emphasis of a year’s supply of food, but do not store usable seed, canning supplies and the like. What if, for hypothetical example, a flu pandemic in the US occurred and the duration was more than a few months? What if there was a new disease outbreak in our food crops, for example a new fungus attacked our wheat supply in a wet year? The trouble with genetically identical (hybrid) crops is that they would all be at risk. That is the primary risk one runs with most of your caloric food base being dependent on one or two grain or starch crops.

The US used to be ready for such a crisis, but not anymore.
From WorldNetDaily
From Jeff Rense
When one thinks of the recent ‘mad cow’ concerns here in the United States, one realizes that even today, agricultural disasters can still happen as is illustrated by this short article from the Seeds Trust web site.
The current trend of some large agricultural conglomerates is to develop hybrid/biotech seeds that will not germinate when collected seed is replanted, or have the plant ‘self-destruct’. This technology now has several patents. For a look at the ‘terminator gene’ being developed for use in several crops, such as cotton, see the article from University of Indiana on the Terminator Gene.

It is easy for me to see both sides here. If the company spends millions of dollars to develop a new, higher yielding strain; they will want to protect that research at least until the money is recovered with some as profit. The trouble is illustrated by that oil rapeseed farmer in Canada (Percy Schmeiser) whose fields were planted with his own stuff and then his fields were contaminated with the genetically modified rapeseed. Even though he never planted the stuff, he found himself in court. The company (Monsanto) sued him (successfully!) when their gene was found in his crops, Even though he grew his own seed and his was contaminated. Shows a break down of common sense in the judiciary, which is no big surprise. The other problem is that by having terminator seeds, it allows direct corporate control of farmers by a corporation or government. In other words, they control what you can grow to insure ‘customer loyalty’.
For more on Percy Schmeiser see:
Percyschmeiser.com/
Sierraclub.ca
Currently only a handful of companies control most of the US seed and nursery market.
A recent Countryside and Small Stock Journal article titled “Do you know where your seeds come from? You may be surprised…. The Gardening Game”. The article highlights this consolidation [of seed vendors] in the US market place.
Sources of open pollinated/heirloom seeds:
http://www.seedstrust.com/
http://www.seedsavers.org/
http://www.seedsave.org/
http://www.rareseeds.com/
http://www.victoryseeds.com/
http://www.bountifulgardens.org/
http://www.abundantlifeseed.org/
http://www.nicholsgardennursery.com/

A wide assortment of heirloom seeds are also available from The Ark Institute

Unique/heirloom plants and nursery stock:
http://www.treesofantiquity.com/
http://www.onegreenworld.com
http://www.raintreenursery.com

An Internet search for heirloom seed or open-pollinated seed will turn up many more sources.
Basic “how to” instructions for saving seeds:
http://www.seedsavers.org/
http://www.seedsave.org/
Several books on saving seeds, including:

Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners by Suzanne Ashworth

Seed Sowing and Saving: Step-By-Step Techniques for Collecting and Growing More Than 100 Vegetables, Flowers, and Herbs (Storey’s Gardening Skills Illustrated) — by Carole B. Turner

Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties: The Gardener’s & Farmer’s Guide to Plant Breeding & Seed Saving — by Carol Deppe

Saving Seeds: The Gardener’s Guide to Growing and Storing Vegetable and Flower Seeds — by Marc Rogers, et al

Books on gardening and edible landscape design:
“ How to Grow Vegetables and Fruits by the Organic Method”, Rodale Press, out of print, but easy to find at used bookstores or e-bay.

How to Grow More Vegetables: And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine by John Jeavons (Paperback - Mar 2002)

Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew

Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison and Slay Reney-Mia

Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway and John Todd

Greenhouse Gardener’s Companion: Growing Food and Flowers in Your Greenhouse or Sunspace by Shane Smith and Marjorie C. Leggitt

Designing And Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally by Rosalind Creasy (Foreword), et al.
http://www.foodforeveryone.org/
http://www.gardensimply.com/
http://www.carryongardening.org.uk/
http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/perma.html
http://www.permacultureactivist.net/
http://www.foodnotlawns.com/
http://www.cwo.com/~bart/perm_links.htm
http://www.sherrysgreenhouse.com/

Also refer to the extension service of your state university.

The some articles on plant disease threats:
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20050924/food.asp
Dangerous Wheat Disease Jumps Red Sea.
http://www.grain.org/seedling/?id=108
VOA News

Then you add into the fray the mess politics can make of crops and farm policies. Worst case:
From The Christian Science Monitor
From The Daily Telegraph

Now while this doesn’t directly aide the sustainable lifestyle cause, it does INdirectly. Trying to grow big and HUGE as a business is fine as long as a company doesn’t do it at mine (or the environment’s) expense. Wasting what gets (as we all know) mailed out so often is plain UNsustainable… We know their botttom line must improve by using these tactics or they wouldn’t continue to use them, but consumers HATE it, so obviously they simply don’t care. I would challenge you to introduce me to one single person that doesn’t ‘mind’ telemarketing calls… and ESPECIALLY the automated kind. (There’s GOOD workaround for this one supplied by my friend Cathy Warschaw

Three Little Words That Work !!

(1)The three little words are:

“Hold On, Please…”

Saying this, while putting down your phone and walking off (instead of hanging-up immediately) would make each telemarketing call so much more time-consuming that boiler room sales would grind to a halt.

Then when you eventually hear the phone company’s “beep-beep-beep” tone, you know it’s time to go back and hang up your handset, which has efficiently completed its task.

These three little words will help eliminate telephone soliciting
(2) Do you ever get those annoying phone calls with no one on the other end?

This is a telemarketing technique where a machine makes phone calls and records the time of day when a person answers the phone.

This technique is used to determine the best time of day for a “real” sales person to call back and get someone at home.

What you can do after answering, if you notice there is no one there, is to immediately start hitting your # button on the phone, 6 or 7 times, as quickly as possible. This confuses the machine that dialed the call and it kicks your number out of their system. Gosh, what a shame not to have your name in their system any longer !!!

3) Junk Mail Help:
When you get “ads” enclosed with your phone or utility bill, return these “ads” with your payment. Let the sending companies throw their own junk mail away.

When you get those “pre-approved” letters in the mail for everything from credit cards to 2nd mortgages and similar type junk, do not throw away the return envelope. Most of these come with postage-paid return envelopes, right? It costs them more than the regular 37 cents postage “IF” and when they receive them back. It costs them nothing if you throw them away! The postage was around 50 cents before the last increase and it is according to the weight. In that case, why not get rid of some of your other junk mail and put it in these cool little, postage-paid return envelopes.

One of Andy Rooney’s (60 minutes) ideas….
Send an ad for your local chimney cleaner to American Express. Send a pizza coupon to Citibank. If you didn’t get anything else that day, then just send them their blank application back! If you want to remain anonymous, just make sure your name isn’t on anything you send them.

You can even send the envelope back empty if you want to just to keep them guessing! It still costs them 37 cents. The banks and credit card companies are currently getting a lot of their own junk back in the mail, but folks, we need to OVERWHELM them. Let’s let them know what it’s like to get lots of junk mail, and best of all they’re paying for it…Twice!

Let’s help keep our postal service busy since they are saying that e-mail is cutting into their business profits, and that’s why they need to increase postage costs again. You get the idea !

If enough people follow these tips, it will work —- I have been doing this for years, and I get very little junk mail anymore.