Composting: A Refresher Course

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Every time I toss out a scrap of apple peel in the trash bin I have serious pangs of guilt. Grandma always said, “Waste not, want not!”  Coming of age during the Depressions was her teacher and I take her life lesson to heart. I’ve used all our compost in the bins prepping the beds for Spring and need to start anew. For some unexplained reason (possibly attributed to my potty training or whatnot…) there is a part of me that becomes paralyzed into inaction with the idea of doing ‘it’ wrong. Makes no matter what ‘it’ is either! Thankfully there is the other side of my personality that shouts “Just do it!”, and off we go! Time to get on with it…

Composting was one of the first projects we undertook on our road to sustainability. If you haven’t started, get busy! It is simple with a huge return on your investment. What is the investment? Time mostly. Here are the What?, When?, Where? and How? of composting.

What is composting? It is a mixture of decayed plants and other organic matter. In other words, instead of tossing apple peels in the trash bin, you toss them into a compost pile and let them become a rich and sexy soil enhancer!

When do I compost? Always. It is a perpetual kind of thing. Decomposition occurs naturally in nature. The trick for us is to help the process be more efficient. There are two types of composting; ‘cold’ and ‘hot’. Decomposing matter creates its own energy (ie: heat). When we harness the power of the microorganisms, temps in the center of a compost pile can reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit. To understand ‘cold’ composting, think of a forest. The dead wood and fallen leaves will decompose over time, but the temperature never gets that high. This is why it takes so long. For our purposes, we are after a ‘hot’ bed of decomposing goodness.

Where do I compost? There is a fact you need to understand about decomposition – it can get nasty. Balance is key. The correct mix of green and brown materials will keep the compost pile in harmony and ward off the nasty. In the event balance isn’t met, it is a good idea to place the compost pile in an inconspicuous area. Although, you do want it handy to access every day. There are two ways to do this; containers or open bins.

Our first go at composting was an open bin. There is a risk of critters and a lot of pitch forking going on in this system. It wasn’t long before I opted for a container. The first little beauty was the Envirocycle. I like the ease of use in this little guy, but I soon realized we needed more composting space. We added a larger tumbler, which I love, but for the life of me cannot find the name of it! Now, I use the smaller tumbler for the finished product. The compost can continue to mature, but is ready for use. Works for us. You’ll have to research ways to control the pile and see what works for you. Nirvana would be allowing chickens to peck around it, but alas we are in an area which (currently!) doesn’t allow chickens!

How do I start? The microorganisms are the workhorses of your compost and are similar to you and I. Really? Well, kind of… These good little guys need food, water and air – just like us. They do not need a perfect climate to exist (like us), but will be more prevalent and work more efficiently if the environment is right (like some of us).

The air and water are pretty easy to handle – it’s the food that trips us up. Like us, the microorganisms thrive on a balanced diet. Their diet consists of ‘Greens’ and ‘Browns’. Greens are high in nitrogen and are the protein source for the little guys. Browns are high in carbon and provide their energy.

Here are some examples:   

GREENS (Nitrogen)	BROWNS (Carbon)
Moist plant matter	Leaves
Coffee grounds	Pine needles
Food waste	Lint from dryer
Vegetable scraps	Cardboard, shredded
Manures	Straw
Seaweed	Newspaper, shredded

Remember the bit about balance? Extremely important here. If you have too many Greens you will notice an odor that is far from pleasing. This means you need to up the Browns to find your balance again.

Here on the homestead, we know we are composting to create great garden soil, but we are also doing it to cut down on the amount of trash departing the curb each week. Look at everything you are about to toss out – is it either a plant or animal material? When you look at it – ask yourself if it is ‘Green’ or ‘Brown’.

To summarize:         Air + Water + Carbon + Nitrogen = Compost

§  Use equal amounts of "Greens" and "Browns."

§  Mix together a variety of ingredients.
§  Shred or chop all ingredients, if possible.

§  Build the pile large enough to retain heat.

§  Turn or aerate the heap regularly to let in the air.

§  Keep the pile as moist as a damp sponge.

There is a ton of info in the web concerning composting and thousands of books published on the subject – just try not to get overwhelmed into inaction. It isn’t that difficult and if the nasty comes to call on your compost pile – it is easily overcome (trust me!). Just do it!

Happy composting…

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Inner Peace

Pin It Today is the kind of day that it is hard to judge time by the sun. Today is the kind of day that makes me compassionate to my friends in the North. Today is the kind of day for introspection. We have been so busy preparing our dirt and hydro gardens for spring that a rainy grey day is a welcome repose. Baking bread was on the agenda today and as it rises, I am thinking about seeds. Not the ga-jillion seeds I yet need to start, but the seeds we nurture inside ourselves.

When things are not running along smoothly it is easy to seek escape. Instead of looking externally for comfort with our “grass is always greener” mentality, it is amazing what a look internally can accomplish. A deep breath, along with a realization that we are able to shake off our own anxiety, does amazing things for our spirit. It is not always easy, but with practice, bringing your awareness inward and consciously calming your mind relaxes your mind and body, bringing treasure. This treasure is peace. Finding your seed of peace inside and nurturing it gives you a source to draw from when the daily grind gets a little unsettling.

 

Before I started a yoga practice I heard the term “be in the moment” and I thought it was a bunch of new age gobbly gook. Not so. Words can’t do the phrase justice. Perhaps that is why it sounds ‘out there’ to so many people. I assure you, once you take the time to quiet your mind and just ‘be’ it is amazing. Once you find your seed of peace you are able to return whenever needed. It gives you a clearer head when dealing with tough issues and provides an inner calm that can’t be found anywhere else.

Living a sustainable life includes making sure you are strong and resilient. Take the time to tend the garden of your mind and reap what you sow! If you are like me meditation is not easy. I found using guided meditation helped me train my brain to slow down enough for me to quiet my mind. Check out these guided meditation titles for one to help you get started!

Peace,

~Joni

To Seed or Not To Seed

Grow your own organic produce - it is simple and economical!

We are planning for this year's garden and grappling with a question. Start our plants from seed or purchase seedlings from the local garden center? Here is what we determined. Start from seed! There are two compelling reasons to start from seed; cost and quality.

Cost ~ A good reason for growing your own plants from ‘scratch’ is the cost savings. If you purchase seedlings from your local garden supply store, you can expect to spend at least $3.50 per plant. Based on our own seed starting set up, we determined starting our plants from seed provides about a $2.50 per plant savings.

Having a variety in the garden is important to us and that means lots of seedlings! We purchased two 72 cell seed starter trays for $10 each. This year we went with Rapid Rooters. We found some locally for $0.25 each. We have used coir in the past with success, but we read about the Rapid Rooters and decided they were worth a try. As an alternative growing medium you can use coconut coir. Coir bricks run about $3.00 a brick and expand to make 5-7 quarts of growing medium. You can make our own mini pots from newspaper slated for the recycling bin (aka: free!).

To help our seedlings grow up to be big and strong we added a grow light for $10.00. Our seeds are all organic and most are heirloom so we can harvest seeds for the following year. Average price per seed pack is $3.00 or ten cents a seed.

Cost for 144 self started organic seedlings:
2 – 72 cell desktop greenhouses $20           144 – Rapid Rooters  $0.25
1 – Grow Light $10                                    24 – Organic seed packets $72

Total for 144 plants: $138 OR $0.96 per plant

The following season will net a lower cost since the greenhouses, light and seeds won’t have to be repurchased!

Quality ~ The second and equally important reason for starting your own vegetables from seed is quality. When you start your seeds instead of buying the garden supply center’s inventory, you know exactly when and how it was started. It is critical that plants have a strong start in order to fight off disease and insect attacks throughout the growing cycle. Personally, we prefer to know that we are tending a purely organic garden and the only way to do that is to start the plants ourselves.

Starting your own veggies from seed is the way to go! It is economical and healthy for your plants and you! We’ll keep you posted on our progress. We would love to hear how your garden grows. Until then…happy gardening!

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Welcome!

We want to live a sustainable life! What does that even mean? A great deal more than dragging a tote of recycled cans to the curb – that much we have learned. The purpose of this blog is to reflect on and share our experiences while striving for a more sustainable life.

The dictionary defines sustainable as; 1. able to be maintained  , 2. maintaining ecological balance . Our interpretation delves a bit deeper. There is absolutely no doubt that we should be able to live on this planet and not destroy it, but being sustainable also means being self-reliant. While we are obvious fans of technology, we also realize our level of dependency upon it. This made us uncomfortable. Skills that past generations have earnestly tried to pass on are being lost.

The big awakening came when we decided to garden with a purpose rather than for folly. We were, and still are, extremely concerned about what has happened to our food supply. Between the toxicity of pesticides and the genetic manipulation of our seeds we were not comfortable eating. Period. Gardening organically, especially in Florida, is - to say the least - a challenge. Once we got our hands really dirty and had some success, we started looking at other areas of our lives that could benefit from a sustainable perspective.

This sustainable perspective washes over into every facet of our lives: physical, mental and emotional. It is about sustaining our way of life and living responsibly to ensure a bright future for generations to come. We hope to share our experiences of success (and failures J) in gardening, preserving, natural health and a variety of DIY projects. There is a fabulous feeling from doing it on your own – no matter what “IT” is! We believe being self-reliant is akin to being responsible and if Jerry and I are nothing else – responsible we are!

If you are interested in living a more sustainable life then this blog is for you. Maybe you will find inspiration to start that project you thought too difficult to tackle or maybe you will inspire us to do the same. Either way, we look forward to sharing our adventures with you. Welcome to our little slice of cyber space! Thanks for stopping by….see you soon!

~Joni

Freedom is the greatest fruit of self-sufficiency. ~Epicurus

DIY Seed Starting Pots

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Why pay for seedling pots when you can make your own? It is simple and you can use items you have on hand. No fuss – no muss…well, almost. Just look around your recycle bin and I’m sure you have a greenhouse in the making.

Newspaper – A few folds, twists and bends result in a perfect potting solution. Here is all you need:

·         Empty glass jar or can (size is up to you, but for seed starting think small and short).

·         Newspaper (black & white only - because it is generally made of soy ink and harmless to plants and the environment.)

·         A little bit of time and patience.

Take one full sheet of newspaper and fold it in half lengthwise. Fold it in half lengthwise a second time. This should give you a long narrow strip of paper.

Starting at one end, roll the paper around a glass jar. Push the ends of the paper into the glass jar. Then remove the glass through the open end. Push the bottom of the glass into the newspaper pot to squish the bottom and flatten it. Take the glass back out and you have your finished pot. All that is left is to fill with soil and plant your seeds.

Egg cartons - Used egg cartons are perfect for raising seedlings. Make sure it is clean, poke holes in the bottom for drainage, fill with seed started mix and pop in a few seeds. Shutting the lid on a plastic egg carton results in your own homemade mini-greenhouse. Cardboard-carton pots can be transplanted straight into the ground. The cardboard will eventually decompose in the soil, allowing the roots to poke through.

Toilet Roll or Paper Towel Tubes – Extremely easy, a great way to recycle and save some cha-ching!$! With a pair of scissors, cut ¼” wide strips all around one end of the tube. Fold each strip down. The strips will start to overlap each other making a bottom that will hold your soil. Fill with potting mix, pop in a seed and water.

Yogurt/Pudding/Cottage Cheese Cups - Wash and save the single-serving-size cups, poke a hole in the bottom-center of each container, and fill with seed-starter mix or a sterile all-purpose potting soil. After sowing the seeds, cover each container with a piece of perforated plastic (cut from newspaper and magazine baggies, then punched all over with a needle), held down by a rubber band, to maintain the moisture and humidity that promotes seedling growth.

The beautiful part – other than the cost – is how your organic pots will break down in the soil when it comes time to add the seedlings to your garden.

Give it a try!