compost (like you mean it)

The compost situation at my parents house until yesterday and earlier this afternoon was a rather miserable one: a single bin, rarely turned, not easily accessible, and whose wooden sides themselves were slowly but surely turning into compost. Using some recycled pallets (is there anything they aren't good for?) I constructed a simple three bin system that should be much easier to turn, process, and store ready-made compost until it can be used.

The two larger bins measure 4' square, and are vented to allow air flow. The third bin (for finished compost, measures slightly smaller (approx. 42"). As with most projects I've undertaken in the course of my agricultural experimentation, the prime concern is cost. These bins are held together simply, with drywall screws ($5.49 for 225 screws) and small corner posts (scraps) that the slats are screwed into. Pallets, where you can find them, are free.

To locate the new system, some invasive english ivy was removed (with much zeal) from a hedge near the western edge of their property. The cleared section is leveled so that the bins are likewise resting level. Aesthetics being everything, after all.

The existing bin was emptied: the top layer of fresh yard waste and kitchen scraps is set aside and the processed compost sifted and stored in the third bin. Side note: as uncovered humus (the finished product) will lose nutrients over time, it is best to either use it right away or cover it. All as to be yet decomposed material is added to the first two bins: the larger bin for the freshest, the second for that material which has been at it awhile.

There you have it. The fresh bins are watered to streamline the process by encouraging microbes and bacteria to get to work.

Weeding

Summer's just officially begun and already the days grow shorter. A depressing thought I'll try to ignore as long as the garden's growing green and vibrantly. The pea harvest is in full effect; the plants have grown so large so quickly they're actually causing the trellis to sag! Today Aaron helped me tie the plants back to prevent them from leaning onto the row of beans, which are also growing rather fanatically. The northwest end of the garden has become a bit of a struggle to navigate through, in spite of (what I thought was) ample spacing. This is partly due to my reluctance to pull a volunteer pumpkin vine that sprouted near the end of the bean row.

From here on out we'll have all the peas we can eat and then some.

Aaron and I spent a little time managing the garden this afternoon. We piled some compost around the potatoes to encourage them to fill out with more spuds underground. The spinach and broccoli were also pulled from the garden. In the next few weeks I will be seeding the area where those plants were with crops that I intend to overwinter, perhaps leeks or kale, or some other hardy overwintering variety.

An important aspect of garden maintenance I haven't spent any time discussing is weeding. With proper upkeep this task will take only 1-2 hours a week. It's usually only when the task is neglected that it's a real chore. The main reason to weed is to avoid competition between your vegetables and the weeds. Weeds will use water and minerals from the surrounding soil that would otherwise go to your plants.

I try to break it up to about two times a week. The weeds are given little chance to reach any appreciable size, and the task takes less time. A regular garden hoe works best between rows, and saves your back. Last year I did all my weeding by hand, and definitely made the work much harder on myself and my back. A good hoe is definitely a must have for in-ground gardening. I still pull weeds growing near the plants by hand to avoid damaging them, but by doing this frequently it is a much less tedious endeavor. Here's Aaron demonstrating his technique:


Using the hoe allows you to keep your back straight and exert minimal effort.

And just for fun, a picture of the first eggplant blossom:

Final Composting/First Meal

After a gloomy and quite cool spring morning the sun decided to show and warm the ground a little. I broadcast the rest of the compost and pulled a row of leeks that had (unintentionally) overwintered. Here's the complete composted grow space:

With last year's garden I made the mistake of planting my seedlings much too close, largely forsaking the recommended plant and row spacing for just about everything. Not this year. These leeks struggled under a perpetual zucchini shadow. But once I pulled the zucchini at the end of the season, the leeks kept growing. They even survived two weeks under several inches of snow. I think I'll make my first meal of the year from the garden tonight: leek and herb souffle.

Adding Compost

This week has seen some fairly mild spring weather. The clouds parted long enough yesterday for Aaron and I to get our hands in the soil a bit. Using a method he learned while working at a golf course in our home town, Aaron spread out the compost bags along the surface of the newly graded growing space. He then stabbed the bags with a shovel to open them up, afterward dumping the compost into a pile which is then easily spread with a rake. Turns out we need at least twice as much compost to cover the space, which is about 450 square feet in all.


Aaron stabs the bags.

Today I plan on buying some more bags of compost and as soon as the rain gives I'll finish broadcasting it on the remaining square footage. For new growing spaces, it is recommended that you add approximately 1/2 inch of compost to the top 2-3 inches of soil.

Sunny days soothe the soul

Well the sun finally decided to deliver some beautiful spring weather today so I took the opportunity to move the rest of the compost and grade the new grow space. I have yet to turn the soil in last year's garden, but tomorrow is supposed to be a repeat of today if not better.

David installed the rain barrel today. The barrel sits on two cinder blocks dug level into the dirt. I read online that a full barrel can weigh up to 400 pounds (though I'm sure we'll be using the water often enough for it to hardly stay full), so making sure it rests on a solid base is an important consideration.


The downspout is cut with a hacksaw (though if you have them I'd recommend using tin snips) so that it feeds into the screened pot.



Top: The old compost pile (overflowing)
Bottom: Where the new heap will go


The new compost heap. To make the decomposition go faster, it helps to cover the heap with black plastic or an old tarp you have lying around. This will allow it to achieve a higher temperature faster. Just make sure you leave a little space at the bottom to allow some airflow. If you're able you'll want to turn the heap once a week to also speed along the process.

Bugs-eye view of the newly-graded grow space.

Further Down The Rabbit Hole

I spent most of my free time today reading from Growing Vegetables West Of The Cascades. There are astounding gaps in my gardening knowledge which I will have to fill pretty quickly. At times like these I find it helps to remember the words of Socrates when he said "the only thing I know is that I know nothing." It's important to approach gardening, or any subject for that matter, with the utmost of humility and readiness to learn.

I read most of the chapter on soil, and while it is true that the soil in our backyard is "relatively" good as I wrote in an earlier post, that still doesn't mean there isn't a substantial bit of preparation left to do before we will be ready to plant anything in it. Our soil in the Northwest is typically high in potassium, so I won't be adding any of that, but it does call for lime, phosphate, and plenty of compost. Looks like a trip to the nursery is order.