The Citizen, 1987-05-13, Page 14PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 1987.
=Green Thumbin9
Waste not, want not
when compost used
Composting is a way to recycle
house and garden vegetable waste
into a useful additive that will
improve the texture and fertility of
almost any soil.
“Best of all, composting is easy
to do, costs very little and,
providingyoufollow certain guide
lines, the composted material will
notsmell,” says Horticulturist
Anna Ballantyne of the Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture and Food’s
Consumer Information Centre in
Toronto.
Composting can be done in a
pile, a homemade bin or in a
commercial composter.
A pile is an easy way to start, but
it requires more work once it is
established; it is difficult to
construct neatly, is slow to break
down, and needs to be turned at
least once to ensure that the
outside decomposes.
Ahomemadebincanbe made
out of almost any kind of scrap
wood. But if you use solid
materials, be sure toplace holes in
the wood to allow air to circulate,
make the holes about three
centimetres in diameter and space
them about 15 cm. to 20 cm. apart.
Or you could build your compost
bin out of wood and chicken wire;
simply build a wooden frame and
then cover with wire mesh.
A container about one metre
long, one meter wide and one
metre high should be large enough
to hold the compostable waste from
an average-sized family. Choosing
a good location for your cornposter
is important too. It should be
situated in a semi-shaded, well-
drained area that is hidden from
view, but close enough to the house
that it is easily accessible.
Compost anything from egg
shells and vegetable peelings to
leaves and grass clippings.
“But don’t add meat and dairy
products because these will emit
bad odors and attract rodents. And
diseased plants and weeds that
have gone to seed are best
disposed of in the garbage,”
Ballantyne says.
You can start a compost pile at
any time. Fill the bottom of the
container with a 30 cm. layer of
compostable material. Compress
this layer firmly and then cover
with a layer of fertile soil; the soil is
a food source for the micro
organisms that are breaking down
the compost.
As additional material becomes
available, add it to the pile, then
compact it and apply another layer
offertile soil. If the material is dry,
wet it down thoroughly.
‘‘It is important to keep the
compost pile moist at all times and
to turn the outsides of the compost
to the centre at least twice during
the summer to ensure even
breakdown of the material,” she
says.
Composting of most materials
should take about three to four
morfths.
If you dig down below the
surface layer and discover a
dark-brown black material that
looks almost like soil, the compost
is ready to use.
Add the compost to your garden
soil or use it as a mulch around
shrubs and perennials. Compost
can also be used as a basis for
potting soil or as a soil mix for
window boxes and hanging bas
kets.
Formore information contact
your local Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture and Food office for
Factsheet No. 70-016, “Compost
ing in the home garden”, or write
to the Consumer Information
Centre, 801 Bay Street, Toronto,
M7A 2B2.
Some
reasons
bulbs
don’t
bloom
If you find your bulbs haven’t
bloomed, some of the following
could be the reason. Overheated
bulbs usually produce only leaves.
Too little moisture could cause
shrivelling of the bulb and rot could
set in. Bulbs being out of the
ground for too long could also have
an effect on blooming. Poor
storage such as too warm, too
damp, too dry, or too cold, or
storage nea„r apples or potatoes
(both give off ethylene gas) affect
bulbs also.
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