Search Results for ‘compost’

Around the country there have been some unseasonably warm temperatures extending into December. Depending on the place you call home, you may even be seeing flowers blooming that ordinarily would not be this time of year. Although this extended warm season is unexpected, it can be pretty...

Tea is a beverage enjoyed by many of us on a frequent or daily basis. After you make your favorite brew, what do you do with the used teabags? Disposing of them is one answer, but a better one would be to take them out to your vegetable garden or compost bin so they can serve another beneficial...

As the winds blow snow piles up and ice accumulates, we find ourselves looking out of the fogged up window into our grey garden and sigh. However, the savvy gardener without a greenhouse keeps in mind these cold days and moves to set up a small indoor grow for when Jack Frost comes. Here are...

Mulching is one of the best things we can do for your vegetable garden. Properly placed mulch helps control the weeds, keeps the soil from drying out as quickly and helps it stay cooler in the summer. There are many materials that can be used for mulch, some are better than others. Experienced...

Recently on the Veggie Gardener Facebook Page, there was a small conversation about worm composting, and worm bins used for creating worm compost. This conversation led to a few questions about worm composting, including where to buy worms at a decent price. Being curious myself on good...

The dog days of summer can be vicious to many vegetable garden plants. When thermometers start reaching the century mark, and stay there for several consecutive days, it takes a beating on many plants in your vegetable garden. Although it is extremely difficult to completely fend off those high...

I will be the first to admit I'm not the best composter in the world. For most of my gardening life I have ducked composting like it was the bubonic plague. During my "early days" of gardening, composting just seemed too complicated and just way too much work. Eventually, I broke down and began...

Tomatoes are by far the most popular vegetable (actually, it's a fruit) grown in home vegetable gardens. There are many different ways of planting tomatoes and everyone has their own way. Many gardeners have certain rituals and techniques they use to plant tomatoes, and some even get down...

If you love to grow vegetables by container gardening you may want to make your own potting soil instead of the store bought brands. Making your own potting soil might seem like much more work than just tearing open a bag, but there are a few advantages of making it yourself. You can control...

The next time you venture out into your vegetable garden, you might want to make a quick check of the health of your garden soil. One very easy way to do this is to see how many earthworms you find lurking in the soil. Take a garden fork, plunge it into the soil, wiggle it back and forth, and...

Although most of the country is in the middle of winter, there are still some southern areas that are dealing with raking leaves. Unfortunately, I was not able to get outside much during the fall, so my leaf-raking duties have gotten very behind. I would like to tell you what I do with my fallen...

As 2009 quickly winds down, we continue the Looking Back at 2009 Series with another review of posts from the year. The posts featured today are pertaining to Composting. Composting is a critical part of maintaining a successful vegetable garden, and I hope that you find these posts useful and...

If you have a new garden area in mind, there are several tasks you should perform before sowing that first seed. The first task is to take soil samples, and perform a soil test. The second task should be to measure the drainage of the proposed area. The type of soil you have will dictate your...

Adding compost to your garden soil will help to improve just about any soil type - whether it is clay, sand, or silt. There are two things that unhealthy soils lack: microorganisms and organic materials. Truthfully, you need the organic materials in order to attract the microorganisms. Remember...

The next time you are throwing an item in the trash, think about whether you can compost it instead. There are many things that can be added to your compost pile, and later used to grow some great tasting vegetables or herbs. Everyone that is familiar with composting knows that things like grass...

Any coffee drinker will likely throw away a filter full of coffee grounds each day. But, to gardeners these old grounds are very useful in the vegetable plot, flower bed or landscape. Some may remember family members throwing coffee grounds around roses or azaleas. Besides improving acidity for...

Dear EarthTalk: What effects do fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides used on residential lawns or on farms have on nearby water bodies like rivers, streams-or even the ocean for those of us who live near the shore? -- Linda Reddington, Manahawkin, NJ To read the full article, please visit...

If you do not like the idea of having a compost pile or composting equipment in your yard then direct composting (or trench composting) might be for you. Some localities and gated communities do not allow compost piles, but you can use direct composting as an alternative and still supply your...

Compost toilets have been around for quit a while and are becoming more and more popular. I will be the first to admit that the sound of a compost toilet does not sound very pleasant, but are a great money saver for the frugal gardener. Compost toilets have made great strides in the effort for...

Composting has become an intricate and necessary part of organic gardening. Compost is the best amendment that you can add to your gardening soil, but many people view composting as a tedious, time consuming, and messy affair. It does not have to be that way if you use a composter. Composters...