Fall Composting

With the cool air moving in it’s time to start doing some of that much needed yard work that you’ve been putting off all summer. Fall composting is recommended when you want to have the best results for your lawn. Compost is the product that you end up with after organic matter has been decomposed. It can be made up from a variety of items ranging from kitchen scraps to grass clippings. You can make your own compost throughout the year and have it ready to use in the fall.

Fall composting has many benefits that you can take advantage of and enjoy all year long. Putting compost on your lawn helps to condition and improve the soil. It helps to attract earthworms and other beneficial insects into your yard. Composting your lawn can also hold in much needed nutrients and suppress soil born diseases. It helps encourage fertility and it even stimulates the development of healthy roots.

All of these benefits are associated with fall composting making this the best time of year for this project. It helps to prepare the soil for the long winter months ahead. Basically, it’s one of the best things that you can do to ensure that come spring time, you’ll have a beautiful healthy lawn. There are two ways to distribute the compost and you can choose the method that is easiest for you personally.

You can simply spread the compost evenly across the lawn but if you choose this method, make sure it’s no more than half an inch thick or it can suffocate and damage your lawn. You can also use a core aerator as a method of putting down the compost. This would be your best option if possible but it will take a little more time and effort than simply spreading it out. Regardless of which method you choose, take advantage of fall composting and you’ll be greatly rewarded when spring rolls back around.

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Fall Lawn Care: What Can You Do with All Those Leaves?

Many people look forward to seeing the leaves change color each year as the weather begins to turn cool in the fall. This is a beautiful sight and people travel long distances to take in the view. Nevertheless, it can be a whole different story when it comes to all those leaves collecting in your backyard. It can be quite a tedious job removing these leaves but if you don’t, they can cause considerable damage to your lawn.

Keeping your lawn free of all debris is a big part of lawn care and this includes the removal of leaves that tend to pile up quickly. But, what can you do with all those leaves? You actually have several options that can work quite well and some of these are mentioned below.

• You can use your lawn mower to mulch up the leaves and spread them throughout the yard. This works best if you have a mulching lawn mower.
• They can be raked up bagged and disposed of but if you choose this method, be sure and dispose of them properly.
• Invest in a leaf shredder to rid your lawn of all those unwanted leaves.
• You can build a holding bin and rake all the leaves into it to make your own compost.

Making a compost bin is probably the best option because you can take advantage of this when spring rolls around.

Whatever method you choose to use, it’s important to realize that leaving the leaves scattered across your lawn is not a good idea. They can kill your grass and in some cases they can even cause a turf disease that can be very difficult to get rid of. Keeping your lawn free of leaves requires some work but it’s well worth the effort when you get to enjoy a beautiful lawn in the spring and summer.

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Starting Seeds for Your Garden Indoors

In much of the United States, the only way to take advantage of a full growing season is to start your plants from seeds indoors. In areas where the last frost can be as late as the end of May, and the first as early as the beginning of October, the abbreviated growing season can mean a short garden season and a severe limitation on plants and flowers that would otherwise flourish. One solution is to choose only native plants for your garden. A more workable solution is to cover your kitchen table with newspaper one day in March (and since we are in the alst day of March, NOW is the time!), pull out the potting soil, seeds and pots, and give your garden an early jump on the season.

What You Need to Start Plants Indoors

Location - Your best option is a room with south-facing windows that get direct sun at least 6-8 hours a day – but not having one is no excuse. Grow lights are fairly inexpensive and very easy to set up. Just be sure there’s enough space for you to move around and water the plants.

Equipment and Supplies – You can buy commercial ‘flats’ at any department or home supply store for under $5. They’re flat ‘trays’ with individual compartments each meant to hold one seedling. An alternative that works quite well are cardboard egg cartons. They’re biodegradable, provide drainage and can easily be cut apart when it’s time to transplant your seedlings outside.

Purchased potting soil is a good growing medium, but if you want to really give your plants a great start, you can mix up a batch of potting soil with compost and peat moss, or leave the soil out entirely and grow in peat moss, vermiculite and compost. Or you can do as my grandmother did if you’ve thought ahead. At the end of each growing season, she dug up several buckets full of rich soil from the garden and baked it in a 300 degree oven for a couple of hours to sterilize it. In spring, she brought it out to use as potting soil for her new seedlings.

Seeds of course!  – Basil, tomatoes, carrots, asters, marigolds, nasturtiums, petunias and pansies are all good candidates for starting indoors, but you can choose any garden plant that can be started from seed.

When to Plant - Most garden plants can be started indoors about six weeks before the anticipated last frost. In most northern states, that’s mid-March. You can transplant the seedlings outside when they’ve reached 4-6” in height, after the last frost.

Seed Starting Method Using Egg Shells - Loosely fill each egg cup with enough garden soil to just below the top. Do not pack down! Use your index finger to poke a hole about an inch into the soil. Drop seeds into the hole. For large seeds like beans, use ONE seed per cup. For tinier seeds, sprinkle a pinch into the hole. Lightly cover the seed by raking soil over it with your fingertips. Move trays to a sunny window (or beneath grow lights). Water well – but don’t over-soak. Loosely cover each egg tray with a sheet of clear plastic wrap. Now LEAVE THEM ALONE. Check daily for signs of moisture, and when you don’t see any, lift the plastic wrap and mist well with a mister, then recover. You can remove the wrap when seedlings have two leaves, or are touching the plastic. When the seedlings are 1-2 inches tall, it’s time to thin them. In any container that holds more than two seedlings, pluck out all but the hardiest so that they’ll have the best chance at setting root and growing. Water and mist frequently until the danger of frost is past, then transplant to your garden outside.

For more seed starting methods and ideas see Tifaffany’s blog at http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/06/recycling-stuff-for-your-garden/