Compost Garden Soil

They'll be consumed right there, and right quick, by the native soil minibeasts. You have to maintain the pile in a not too dry or too wet state. You can take advantage of the lead time by digging a larger hole now and using that pit for few weeks worth...

All civilizations have had symbols to represent home, land, earth, or soil, since the beginning of written records. As it turns out, rich minerals from forest soils are carried across the state via rivers that eventually flow into the delta region of...

So, on the "hot" and "cold" composting spectrum, this particular pile was Ice Nine. My main compost pile begins each fall with a "corral" of straw bales. If a "contribution" never breaks down into something resembling soil particles, well, I'll probably...

Leaves are available in great supply in the autumn, and you may find that your neighbors have very kindly collected and bagged them up for convenient removal. Straw is a great insulator, but allows air and moisture to circulate.

Yet these dark soils have remained fertile without additional amendments for hundreds of years.http://www.css.cornell.edu/faculty/lehmann/terra_preta/TerraPretahome.htm Biochar is basically charcoal, the natural kind made from charring wood or other biomass...

So, gardeners take heart. Thick and sticky, its natural strength and water resistance are prized by artisans, but despised by gardeners. (For more information, refer to my article onRemember, any new planting - whether it is drought tolerant or simply...

Thus, your corn, lettuce, roses and geraniums won't grow or produce to their full potential.Most nutrients that plants need are readily available when the pH of the soil solution ranges from 6.0 to 7.5.Some nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and...

This article is about the potential dangers of soil if you are not the only one 'using' it. Some people love the feel of the garden dirt in their hands as they weed or work the soil.Do you always know what's in the soil, or who's been there before you?Pets...

An act of copulation is necessary in order that the eggs may become fertile. The deeper-dwelling species don't have to produce as many cocoons because they are protected much better from predation.

Plant disease-resistance is enhanced by adequate potassium levels, and low Brix is a problem of too much potassium. Plants take in atmospheric carbon dioxide for photosynthesis (converting sunlight into the energy necessary to make carbohydrates/sugars),...

These fungi are most helpful in making phosphorus more available to plants, so an abundance of available phosphorus in the soil will nullify their usefulness. Since there are a large number of both types of fungi in nature, commercially available formulations...

Magnesium is at the core of the chlorophyll molecule, and an essential ingredient for healthy plants, and the animals (including humans) that eat those plants. All living organisms depend on magnesium in all types of cells, body tissues and organs for...

Whether it is mutually beneficial, parasitic or somewhere in between, is yet to be determined.The life-cycles of nearly all terrestrial orchids depend upon the success of orchid mycorrhizas.

Stalactites are formed by a slowly dripping solution of calcium carbonate mixed with other minerals. It is the fifth most abundant element (by mass), usually found in sedimentary rocks in the mineral forms of calcite, dolomite and gypsum.We often see...

Shelton, and M. Suddenly, a stirring in the soil alerts those ever-watchful burning eyes. Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America. The thumbnail picture above, right, shows RootShield hyphae ( shown in green) associating with a...

(However, brassicas such as canola, broccoli and cabbages require sulfur fertilization for maximum crop yields.)http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/plymouth/cropsci/graphics/sulfur2.jpg(Thumbnail), Smithsonian Institution, Public Domainhttp://www.ces.ncsu.edu/plymouth/cropsci/graphics/sulfur2.jpg

Then by trial and error, we determine what works for us. Just because they are needed in lesser amounts than the two previous groups does not diminish their importance or value. The best we can do is have general guidelines, and an understanding of which...

Now, imagine a soilless media, practically devoid of any microflora, becoming inoculated with a pathogen. In some cases, the ones proliferating are pathogenic, or damaging to your plants.

Every year a local farmer delivers 100 bales to me, at around $2.50 apiece. Don't worry about whether it's OK to add to your compost in the winter. Here you can see its initial stages, a rich mixture of gone-to-seed cole crops, shredded paper, unshredded...

"If we throw mother nature out the window, she comes back in the door with a pitchfork." Masanobu Fukuoka [1]. Table 1.TO LEARN MORE: The dirt in No-till Gardening. Horizons.Figure 5.

This condition is extremely damaging to azaleas, rhododendrons, most conifers, allMulch piled up against a stem or trunk results in constantnditions for disease development. These mulch products are more suitable for decorative use, and should be used...

Within two weeks of starting your bin, you'll notice a distinct change: a growth of molds, an ‘earthy' smell. Worms are flexible in terms of temperature, withstanding occasional temperatures of 38F to 95F.

Peat moss makes up the bulk of most potting mixes and is great for working into garden beds. Both of these products have been getting a lot of attention lately, and I wanted to give them a try.The fibrous outer husks of coconuts are used to create ropes,...

Occasional overwhelming or offensive bugs can be reduced or avoided with closer attention to basic compost technique. Bugs are nearly inevitable in the casual, "cold" composting that happens in a majority of backyard composts.

A few years ago I saw a bokashi container in a garden supply catalogue. These have a tray in the bottom to hold the fermenting garbage up out of the liquid that accumulates and a spigot to siphon off the liquid.The liquid is full of micro-organisms and...

Hopefully this article will motivate or inspire you to use the last few chilly weeks to set up an enthused to-do list for your garden. The best route to success is to take small bites at a time.

(Don't let it dry out.) Place the compost so that unloading will beWhen you start forking out finished compost, you'll have it closer to where you use it., a bin or enclosure of some kind keeps the materials contained and takes up less room than a casual...