Gardeners of all levels can benefit from composting and creating that "Gardener's Black Gold".  There are many different methods of composting and although most of us know we throw in green waste such as garden clippings and kitchen scraps with brown waste like fallen leaves in a pile then we get nice compost, do we really know how composting works?  There are many different methods for composting and each have their pros and cons, however the process of decomposition is the same for each method at the core.

Decomposition of organic material is a natural occurrence.  When leaves and plant life fall to the ground in the forest, teams of micro organisms break down the plant material into smaller and smaller components until the end result is nutrient full material called humus aka compost.  The humus returns the nutrients back to the soil for other living plants and trees until they die off and the cycle continues.  This is the natural cycle we want to escalate by creating the ideal "meal plan" and environment for these micro organisms.

As soon as you start your compost pile, millions of bacteria and fungi start the process.  They break down the material feeding on the carbon for energy and nitrogen to build protein in order to multiply.  All this work creates heat and the pile will heat up.  As the compost heap heats up, the bacteria and fungi that started the process will begin to die off.  This is a good thing because each stage of decomposers work within specific temperature ranges and when they die off they become food for the next stage of decomposers and so on until the job is done.

Bacteria that start the process are called Psychrophilic bacteria and are most active about the 13°C (55°F).  They do function below this temperature but in increasignly slower rates until the freezing mark at which point decomposition pretty much ceases.  The Psychrophilic bacteria are there to do the prep work and get the pile up to temp.

The next stage kicks in with Mesophilic bacteria.  Mesophilic bacteria does most of the composting work between 8°C and 50°C (46-120°F).  These guys produce acids, carbon dioxide and more heat until they create an environment they can't live in and die off for the next stage of bacteria.

At this stage, Thermophile bacteria comes in and feeds furthering the decomposition process.  This is the last stage in bacteria and fungi process.  The ideal temperature at this stage is 50°C-90°C (120-194°F).  The Thermophile will work at the pile until there is no more material left for them to break down, at which point the heap temperature will start to drop and the maturation stage starts.

The maturation stage is what we can see visually when we turn the compost pile.  We see larger organisms like worms, ants, centipedes, millipedes, etc...  Once the pile is completely broke down where you can no longer recognize any organic material and the compost has a nice earth smell to it, it's finished and ready for the garden.

It's worth noting that the stages above are in perfect composting conditions.  Our backyard compost heaps will rarely get to the high end Thermophile stage.  This is why it's not recommended to compost diseased plants, dairy products, oils or animal materials, which require a constant temperature of approx 60°C (140°F).   Even without reaching these temperatures, our backyard heaps will break down nicely, just take a bit longer.  Our job is to help speed up the process by giving it exactly what it needs Oxygen, Organic Material and Water.

The various stages obviously don't happen all at the same time within the entire compost heap.  Heat will build up from the core of the heap and propagate outwards, but we speed up the process by turning the pile about once a week.  Turning the pile adds oxygen and distributes the heat throughout the pile evening out the decomposition process.  It's also important while turning to verify the moister of the pile.  Rule of thumb is it should be as most as a wet sponge.  If it's too dry it slow down the process and if it's too wet it will invite anaerobe bacteria which causes a smelly compost pile.  If it's too dry just water it down and check it again the following week when you turn it.  If you live in an area that gets a lot of rain it would be beneficial to have your compost pile up off the ground, like a pallet bin propped up on cinder blocks.  This will ensure proper draining and a tarp on top of the pile will stop it from getting too wet.

Composting is one of those things that can be as simple or complex as you want it to be.  For me, I started small with a home made pallet bin, but as my experience is growing, I'm going to build a 3 bin so I can create more compost easily.  You don't have to be fancy, you just have to start ;o)

We grew our garden again this summer by double.  It's now about 40ft x 14ft filled with beans, corn, radish, onions, cucumbers, turnips, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, pumpkins, lettuce and for the first time this year, potatoes. 

Since this was the first year, I wasn't sure when exactly I should dig them up.  Reading online and talking to others it was suggested to dig them up in early September, or before the first frost starts and the foliage turns black and starts to die off. 

The foliage on my Yukon Gold potatoes is dying off now and unfortunately we had our first frost warning last night so I decided to dig up the first of 3 rows planted.  I was pleasantly surprised with about 10lbs of potatoes in a 15ft row.  I'm not sure if that's good or not, but I did have some lessons learned.  I'll dig up the rest in the next week or so as I keep an eye out on them.

Next season I will prepare the plot better and plant the seed potatoes in about an 8 inch trench and cover with 4 inches and work up the mound.  This should ensure a plenty bounty as this first planting seemed to have potatoes popping out of the ground, which I would attibute to not planting deep enough.

Another option I'm going to try next season is a potato stack... but more on that later ;o)  For now I'm pretty happy with the experience and will definately grow a couple varieties of potatoes next year.  If anyone has any tips or tricks I'd certainly love to hear them!

Today is Earth Day, Wed. April 22nd.  With over 500 million participants in184 countries, this celebration and awareness is growing at a rapid pace.  Earth Day was started in the 1960's but then Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson as a sign of political activism against the lack of environmental responsibility from the US government.  The first Earth Day celebration was in 1970 with just over 20 million participants and today over 500 millions of people have joined in with a voice and actions to help our Mother Earth.

Earth Day is not about one person saving the planet, but more on the collective actions of individuals on a day to day basis that can really make a change.  Time to self evaluate our way of living and get back to a more natural way of life. 

Everyone can start today... do your part!

Top 10 Personal Earth Day Actions

1. Buy local produce and products
2. Buy the necessities and buy bulk to reduce on waste packaging
3. Reduce energy use by replacing incandescent bulbs with compact florescent bulbs (CF)
4. Wash only large loads of laundry in cold water and hang to air dry
5. Install low flow aerators on faucets, shower head and take short showers instead of baths
6. Install programmable thermostat and set the temperatures accordingly
7. Lower the temperature on hot water heater
8. Use only natural cleaners and/or make homemade natural cleaners
9. Vacation close to home and enjoy the local natural beauty and events
10. Donate, Reuse, Recycle rather then trashing

This is a quick list anyone can start today and does not take much money or time.  There are countless other personal actions people can take to do their part, so share your goals or changes with others and you'll see how quickly people will pick up and start doing their part. 

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Common even the President of the United States of America is gardening!  Ok well at least the White House will get it's first garden since the Victory Garden days, so what are you waiting for?

Food gardening is becoming a movement on it's own.  Not only due to tough financial times to reduce grocery bills, but also people are becoming better educated about produce and want to know where their food is coming from and is as healthy as possible. 

According to a recent survey by US National Gardening Association, seven million more people will start a vegetable garden in 2009, which is up 19% over last year.  This statistic itself is good motivation to get started if you haven't already!  Home vegetable gardens are easy to start and don't require that much time or effort.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Location, location, location... most staple vegetables thrive in full sunlight so find a location that has at least 6 hours of sunlight a day.
• Start small... you don't need to feed the neighborhood on your first run (although that can be a goal later ;o).  Start with a couple 8x4 raised beds or even plan some cucumbers, tomatoes and pole beans in an empty flower garden or a small 10x10 plot if you don't want to build raised beds.
• Watering...take watering your garden into consideration and preferably plant close to rain barrels where you could possibly run a drip line.  Don't plant your first garden where you or your garden hose can't reach or you won't make the effort to water when needed.
• Planning hint... plant tall vegetables like corn and pole beans on the north or west sides of the garden so they don't block the sun for your smaller vegetables.
• Good Soil... if you can prepare your soil with plenty of organic material like compost and KEEP AWAY from fertilizers and chemical pesticides.  Key to delicious vegetables is all in the soil.  Not too sandy and not too clay like... good amended soil will stay together when you squeeze it into your fist, but break apart easily.
• Mulch & Mulch... mulching is one the best things you can do for your vegetable garden.  Use good quality organic mulch and lay about 2-3 inches around your vegetable plants and on top of your drip lines, if you use them.  Mulch will help retain water and help stop weeds.
• Relax & Enjoy...relax and enjoy the garden.  Gardening is a fun experience and you trully get the fruits of your labor.  Nothing is more fun or rewarding then going out and picking fresh produce from your vegetable garden for a meal.

So there is no reason to not start a vegetable garden.  If you have kids this is a GREAT way to kick off the summer months as they can learn with you from start to finish... from planting the seeds or starter plants, to picking summer snacks while mom or dad aren't looking!  Most of all kids can learn that tomatoes do come from a plant that you cared for and helped grow, not from a grocery store counter.

These are just a few tips to get you motivated and moving.  Trust me and ask others, once you start you will only continue to expand every year... it's addictive.  So what are you waiting for?  Go plan and start your vegetable garden today!

Starting a garden in the Fall gives the soil amendments added time to break down and become more available to your vegetables next year.  Soil amendments are materials you can add to your garden soil to regulate the Ph level, add nutrients, change soil texture, add organic content, etc...   Before you know what soil amendments you need, you need to know what soil type you have.  The best old school way of testing your soil type is to take a handful and make a fist.  If the soil stays firm in a ball and you can poke your finger in it without crumbling, it is mostly clay based.  If it stays in a ball but crumbles when you poke your finger, you have good soil that will sustain enough water and nutrients.  If it falls apart when you let go of your fist it is sandy and will require some treatment for water retention and nutrients.  More on soil types, testing methods and followup treatments in follow up articles.

Starting a new garden plot will take some work, but you will reap the rewards.  First stake out your new plot with wood pegs and string.  I know not everyone has the space but I used 10x20 feet which I'll explain why later.  Once you have your plot staked out, you can use a spade shovel to cut out the sod that needs to be removed.  I found the best method was to cut one foot strips along the width one strip at a time and then cut those strips into 2 foot lengths.  A bit hard to explain, but basically take a spade shovel and cut your sod into 1x3 foot strips and then cut under about 2-3 inches to make sure you get under the roots.  This method allows you to reuse these sod patches to patch your lawn or stack them upside down to start a compost.

Once the sod is removed you will need to turn the soil that was underneath.  Depending on the soil type, you can use your spade or pitch fork or a mix of the two.  The main goal is to break up soil compaction and allow the soil the breath.  Break up the soil enough that you can rake it level.  Depending on what you will grow next year you can also churn in compost or manure at this time.  Another thing I do is to top the newly worked soil with straw.  This helps with erosion and keeps moister, but most of all I like the way it looks and keeps the garden and back yard neat.

At this point your pretty much ready for spring time turning and preparation.  I wanted to explain a bit as to why I chose 10x20 feet for my plot.  I have an active dog and young son that use the back yard so I'll be putting up a 3ft fence around the garden plot.  Nothing fancy, a wood frame with chicken wire or similar walls.  Using these dimensions, coupled with the fence, will let me peg a tarp or clear plastic over the garden thus extending my growing season by early thaw and frost protection.