Monday, April 13, 2009

Planting our garden, starting composting


We are starting a garden again this year.  After a semi successful start last year (above picture), we are trying again, this time with one more squarefoot garden raised bed and a modified mix made of compost(cow manure, leaf compost), vermiculite and peat moss.

We also made a Garbage Can Compost Bin  which will be ready for next year or sooner - it's our first time so I will report back.  To make it I drilled holes in the trash bin which are about 1/4 inch in diameter; cleaned it out and started piling our kitchen scraps.  I also composted some junk mail, newspapers, and trimmings from my lawn. 

It's great to know that this also saves these from the landfill and will be put into good use.  My county should look at this exapmle of a citywide composting in SF  It's definately going to save everyone on trash bills - our trash output so far has cut by more than  half! Here is a list of what can be composted from recycling revolution

Almost all yard waste can be added to your compost. 

leaves grass clippings twigs
branches weeds vines
thatch garden plants flowers
unused potting soil and mix straw  

Much of your food waste can be composted. 

egg shells coffee grounds tea leaves and bags
vegetable and fruit scraps and peels corn cobs stale bread and cereal
nut shells flour rice
oatmeal    

Other items that you can compost include:

human hair feathers small amounts of wood ash
wood chips dead insects vacuum bag contents

What shouldn't I compost?

Some items either do not degrade well, attract insects and pests, or might contain diseases or chemicals that would contaminate the compost. 

meat poultry seafood
dairy products diseased plants human and pet feces (including kitty litter)
mayonnaise salad dressing peanut butter
lard other fatty items

This year we are going to be planting  beets, carrots, red chard, lettuce, and some herbs - parsley, basil, chives, tomatoes, collards, kale, arugula, radishes, watermelon, beans, peppers, cucumbers. 

We may also look into a blueberry bush and more strawberries.

I am looking into a way to convert the rainwater for my garden by using a Rain Barrel 
It was suggested to me by my friend who has one.  

Found some good sites for gardening... 

2 comments:

JenniferRN (from Dr Fuhrman website) said...

We made two garbage can compost bins from plastic garbage cans left by the previous homeowners. They worked wonderfully for our compost and we had rich dark dirt for our garden for planting last year.

Strix said...

Ooh, can't wait to see your harvest! I'm a bit scared of growing berries! I'd give them a shot, but I don't have the space right now. I can live vicariously through your garden pics, though :D