Gardens vegetable, flower or other?

[jamespowers]

Hello --

I'm trying my hand at composting so I could use some advice.

I built a 4 by 8 foot wooden frame which was about 2 1/2 feet high. I set it on a rectangle of cinderblocks in order to increase the height, so now it is about three feet. I've mostly been putting orange peels, grapefruit peels, apple peels, and some old leaves from last fall which still hasn't broken down. Now I've been adding some water to this concoction to keep it moist and been turning it with a garden fork once a week. Am I composting correctly? Do I need more green matter or brown matter? What is the ratio between green matter and brown matter?

I heard about a method where you put a 6 inch layer of dirt on top of about 12 inches of compost and this is supposed to accelerate the compost process. Anyone try this? It seems like it would work because the earthworms would aid the compost process.

Good luck to all you victory gardeners.

I am not sure what the temperature is where you are but in warm weather you have to water and turn the pile more often. I would also cut down on the orange and grapefruit peels as you are adding quite a bit of acidity to the mix.
The leaves are fine and I would add more of those. You can certainly add more dirt if it is light and friable. Heavy clay dirt can smother the decomposition.
You can add potato peels and other kitchen scraps too as long as they are not meat or bones. Wilted lettuce, celery and other greens or their discards are fine to add.
You didn't mention if the compost pile is covered. I use a covered bin as it works faster and keeps the heat up. The pile decomposes faster if it is covered and the heat is kept within itself. You can add lawn clippings to the pile and that would certainly heat it up quite a bit if you don't have it covered.

 

[rumblefish]

^Yes! All of that. Variety, like a balanced diet.
Leaves and grass clippings or even straw are very helpful. Why for sure I can't say, but I see a big difference in it's decomposition when they are used. I compost probably more then any one I know. I feed my pile about a 5 gallon bucket per day, sometimes more not counting the leaves and grass. Just keep in mind what you put on your lawn will be in you compost pile if you use grass cuttings. Round Up and pesticides- no biggie, but herbicides that are persistent like Dicamba may not play well your vegies.
Anything raw vegetable is a candidate. Mix the leafy/grassy with the fruity/squishy. Add to what James said; banana peels- lots of potassium and phosphorus, eggshells- calcium (help with blossom end rot) I even take home seaweed from clamming and fishing. Unfinished beer (for-shame [bad] ) goes on too. When I don't have the opportunity to return the oyster and clam shells back to the bays, I crush them up and sprinkle around trees and shrubs and let them slowly do their job.
And turn the pile over occasionally.

 

[John in Covina]

Composting down this way they said:
Avoid table scraps with animal or dairy content.
Don't toss in anything that is moldy.
Avoid eucalyptus and poisonous plant trimmings.

 

[Foofoogal]

it also has to have air. what r the sides made of? chicken wire or wire.

 

[Son_of_Atropos]

Thank you everyone for the responses. I live in a zone 4-5 and the structure is made from old wooden 2 by 4s. I will try watering it more. I don't keep it covered but I could probably find some black plastic laying around somewhere.

 

[Foofoogal]

http://home.howstuffworks.com/composting-for-a-vegetable-garden.htm

I didn't even know there are 2 kinds of composting. One needs air and the other does not. We have always made sure ours has air. [huh]

 

[jamespowers]

Well, aside from gardening I also decided to restore part of the garden the way my grandfather designed it. That involved replacing about 2 cubic yards of pea gravel in one section. Man that stuff is heavy! :eusa_doh:
I also added two cubic yards of cedar bark mulch around the roses and camelia bushes. That stuff isn't very heavy.
The back, back yard could probably use about half a yard of crushed stone on the path too as decades of use have either ground them into the soil or they just "disappeared" when raking leaves etc. [huh]
The tomatoes are doing fine as are the garlic that came up again from last year's discards. I think I'll run out and get some peppers this year. The strawberries are doing quite well after a sprinkling of VF 11. I think I'll add some alfalfa pellet tea to it as well.

 

[Foofoogal]

I like your post.

I have visions of Hollyhocks growing on the fences of mine one day. You never see them anymore. They are poison. Maybe why.

 

[rumblefish]

Tree Wisteria

Outside my north bedroom window, where the prevailing wind comes from. Smells as good as it looks.

It was a house warming gift from my neighbor. She gave it to me in a 5 gallon bucket as a twiggy sapling, 15 years ago.

 

[Lefty]

nice article at kaufmann-mercantile

 

[Phineas Lamour]

Watermelon

Herbs and peppers

Corn

Pumpkin

Nothing in this bed yet but that will change in the morning.

 

[jamespowers]

Outside my north bedroom window, where the prevailing wind comes from. Smells as good as it looks.

It was a house warming gift from my neighbor. She gave it to me in a 5 gallon bucket as a twiggy sapling, 15 years ago.

I would consider that a weed gift. My neighbor has one that is likely 70 years old. It is all over his yard. The dang thing even sneaks under the fence and grows in my beds sometimes---when I am out of Round up too. I'll get it tomorrow though.
It may look good now but in a few years it WILL be the yard if you let it get out of control---oh wait, you live out there and not here. This weather is bad for some things I guess---too bad its not bad for grapefruit.

 

[jamespowers]

I like your post.

I have visions of Hollyhocks growing on the fences of mine one day. You never see them anymore. They are poison. Maybe why.

I had hollyhocks and foxglove at the other house. This garden is as productive as I can make it---without losing room for my roses of course. That reminds me that I have to pick up 9 Sunday. They had a buy 9 get two custom root free deal if I buy before the 9th so I just couldn't resist. One of my custom root roses is Condesa De Sastago and the other is Black Prince. I love both but grandfather grew Condesa so I have to have one.
Oh, I did replace the crushed stone on the pathways yesterday. Man a half yard of that is heavy. [huh]

 

[Puzzicato]

We're growing spuds, tomatoes, corn, strawberries, spaghetti squash and pumpkin this year. And some chillies and herbs. We've tried to grow tomatoes for the last 3 years and been hit by blight, so this year we've bought a blight resistant strain of seed.

 

[jamespowers]

We're growing spuds, tomatoes, corn, strawberries, spaghetti squash and pumpkin this year. And some chillies and herbs. We've tried to grow tomatoes for the last 3 years and been hit by blight, so this year we've bought a blight resistant strain of seed.

That's the only thing you can do unless you want to go through the costly process of removing the soil or having it treated. [huh]

 

[Puzzicato]

That's the only thing you can do unless you want to go through the costly process of removing the soil or having it treated. [huh]

We're also using growbags this year, rather than doing them directly into the beds!

 

[59Lark]

gardening again after a two year hiatus.

Dear Loungers; after a two year absence I returned to the garden, my brother and I bought a rototiller together. I instisted on getting a better one, rear twine, and self propelled, now he got one for seventy five each, troy built and all but the motor was shot. NOW This rototiller motor needs a piston and rebuilding but we dont have time for that. So my brother get a two horse electric motor left over from the farm, builds a wooden motor mount out fo a two by six and changes the pulley and mounts a kill switch. quitest rototiller in the west just dont the wind the cord on the tiller.go nifftopic:

 

[Foofoogal]

Just wanted to say if you can find it I bought some mixed lettuce plants about a month ago. (There once again is an lettuce scare with ecoli in the news.):eusa_doh:
I am amazed that these mixed lettuce plants grow about as fast as I pick off the leaves. I do not pull the plant. Just tear off leaves for a salad.
So much more fresh and tasty than store and I would think if you even had a patio on a small space could easily grow these in pots.
Like this.
http://veggiesunderglass.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/mixed-lettuce-greens.jpg

 

[Son_of_Atropos]

Has anyone used a cold frame? Is it worth the work to build one?

 

[RBH]

My tomatoes are doing nice and the squash is really looking great.