I'm A Leaf Thief And A Composting KingGet Landscape and Gardening Info on mps-landscaping-gardening.com. I'm A Leaf Thief And A Composting King topic will increase your understanding on Landscape and Gardening Info. We at mps-landscaping-gardening.com only provide news, articles, information in Landscape and Gardening Info. Landscape and Gardening Info at mps-landscaping-gardening.com provides the most up to date news and articles. If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
Every autumn, home owners rake up their leaves, place them in bags and put them out on the curb. Every autumn I gas up my mini-van, drive around my neighborhood and steal them. I’m a skilled leaf thief and can usually fill the van two or three times in a weekend. Unlike regular thieves, I don’t fence the goods on the black market because the leaves are more valuable to me and to my garden. Leaves are a great ingredient for making compost and gardeners can’t get enough of them. A person becomes a leaf thief because you can only produce so much yard waste on your own. You rake up your leaves, mow your lawn, clean up your flower and vegetable beds and it just isn’t enough yard waste to make compost for a moderate sized garden. Remember that after it’s decomposed it’ll be a lot smaller. So when I see people throwing out this excellent garden resource I have to take the law into my own hands. Not only is compost a nutrient rich soil amendment but it’s also a great soil enhancer. It can loosen up hard clay soil and it’ll allow sandy soil to retain more water. Compost can be used as a replacement for fertilizers and will also improve pH balance and soil fertility. And all of this means that you will have healthier plants and a nicer looking garden. To make compost for the garden you’ll need to collect “Browns” (carbon-rich) and “Greens” (nitrogen-rich). Fill your compost bin with 1 part “Green” to about 20 parts “Brown”. With fallen leaves being a great “Brown” a large supply is a necessity for gardeners. Without adding a source of nitrogen to your leaves you will get something called leaf mold when it decomposes. Leaf mold is still very good for your garden and can be used as a mulch. But if you want to make real compost and enjoy the full benefits that come with it then you’re going to have to add some “Greens” to the mix. The grass clipping from your lawn mower are a great source of nitrogen. Empty the lawn mower bag into your compost bin whenever you mow the lawn. Another good source of nitrogen is coffee grinds. Don’t worry if you only have a few cups a day, you can get more grinds from your local coffee shop or coffee chain store. If you keep your compost pile moist and remember to turn it here and there you should have usable compost by the time spring comes. If your neighbors aren’t smart enough to take advantage of their yard waste and make compost with it then it’s up to you to make sure these gifts from the trees don’t get wasted. Give those leaves a home in your compost bin and eventually in your garden. Your plants will thank you. Article Index: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 |
More Articles:1. Starting Seeds for Your Garden Indoors By Ed Rooney 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 t… 2. Cyclamen By Geoff Bryant Think of cyclamen and the chances are that Mothers Day immediately comes to mind, which is something of a pity. Now don't misinterpret me, there's nothing wrong with mothers or with having a day for them, but it does seem a little unfortunate when such beautiful, adaptable and useful plants become so commercialised that there's difficulty escaping that association. But no plant as beautiful as the wild cyclamen can remain so neatly packaged and presented as its cultivated forms may have i… 3. Hummingbirds … Attracting Those Little Flying Powerhouses By Bonnie Carrier It’s early in May a beautiful fairly warm day so I’ve decided to enjoy it and sit on the front porch.While relaxing in a rocking chair with my eyes closed, just enjoying the sun and early warmth I begin to hear a sound off in the distance. At first it’s not recognizable, sounds almost like a hum from a model airplane.As it begins to get louder I’m beginning to think I know what the source of this strange noise is.I open my eyes and sure enough just as I thought there is a small green colored H… 4. Timely Tips for Getting Your Garden Ready for Winter By Yvonne Cunnington It's fall – time to forget about the garden, right? Not so fast – getting your garden ready for winter can make a big difference next spring.Instead of playing catch-up and fixing winter's damage, you'll be out gardening and enjoying your yard as soon as the first spring bulbs come up. A final garden cleanup is the first priority, so here's a checklist for the fall jobs to do around the yard and flower garden.To do: Around the yard and flowerbeds Until the ground freezes hard, continue to wat… |
||||
