Animal-free fertilizers for the garden

  As an eco-friendly gardener, I have often mentioned substances to add to garden soil that I believe are less toxic to the environment. Many of them are animal by-products, such as animal waste and fish byproducts.

But there’s a blog post on Mother Nature Network which suggests ANIMAL-free choices, stating that,

“these days, a lot of people are choosing to grow their gardens without the addition of animal products, and for many reasons: They may be vegan or have an ethical objection, they may have religious limitations or they may have allergies, just to name a few.”

Here’s a synopsis of what they have listed as animal-free fertilizers. Head on over to the full article for more details.

1. Compost - It’s incredibly rich in myriad minerals, and it also provides important beneficial bacteria and other essential micro fauna. These organisms help to colonize the soil, keeping it “clean” and within a desirable pH range.
2. Liquid herbal infusions - Many of the most common plants, even some that are considered pests, can be full of important minerals such as nitrogen, iron, calcium, magnesium and sulfur.
3. Seaweed - Sea vegetables are an excellent source of trace minerals, like sodium, copper, zinc and more.
4. Mulch with straw - The benefit of mulching with straw is that the organic matter slowly breaks down and “feeds” the soil.
5. Nitrogen-fixing crops - Also called “green manure,” this is another technique that uses actual plants to create an organic fertilizer.

For all the details, visit: Animal-free fertilizers for your healthy home garden

Nibbles from an Article on Feeding the Soil

   I found a great article online recently that I would like to share. It is called Feeding the Soil Builds Sustainable Lawns and it was written by Karen Fitzgerald.
The article is chock full of great “green” gardening information, from start to finish, so I encourage you to devour the whole thing. Here are a few nibbles from the article to whet your appetite for more:

“Spraying chemical fertilizers and pesticides on lawns is like giving kids junk food, says landscape designer Cathy Bilow. They’ll be invigorated for a while, but eventually they’ll crash and burn….

A sustainable lawn is one that thrives with as little inputs and labor as possible. It is better for the environment, not only because it lessens chemicals going in the ground, but it also reduces carbon emissions from mowing and supports bees, butterflies and other wildlife….

… the key to a sustainable lawn is cultivating healthy soil. “When soil is healthy, plants will thrive, and thriving plants are more tolerant of disease and drought,” she said. Instead of killing soil bacteria, insects and earthworms, we should be nourishing them with compost….

One cup of soil contains as many bacteria as people on the planet, she said….

One of the easiest ways to feed microbes is to leave mowed grass on the lawn, preferably mulched by your lawnmower to decompose faster….
A cubic yard of compost applied annually is all that is needed to fertilize a thousand square feet of soil….

Weeds will begin to move out on their own once the soil is vibrant enough to support lush growth…
Grass should be mowed at the highest setting to discourage weeds, and there should be enough room in the soil to permit the flow of air and water.

In designing a sustainable landscape, the goal is to replace as much lawn as possible with native plantings…
Bilow suggests adding a rain garden to the landscape to manage water flow and prevent soil erosion…”

As I said, those are little nibbles from a great, worthwhile article. I encourage you to read the whole thing.
And visit our new Topic Index page to find more posts about these topics on this blog.

Feathers, fur and flights of fancy – May is Garden for Wildlife Month

“Green” gardening and wildlife habitats go hand in hand. Some people learn the pleasures of sharing their gardens with wildlife after they have begun to create a more eco-friendly landscape and the birds, butterflies and other critters just start showing up in the native plants and chemical free, critter safe zone.
Other gardeners make a concerted effort to create habitat for wildlife, which by its nature and definition, results in a more environmentally friendly landscape.
Since May has been designated as Garden for Wildlife Month, now is the perfect time to learn how to make your own landscape more wildlife friendly.
To create a wildlife friendly landscape, a property should provide wildlife with food, water, shelter and places to raise their young. Other sustainable gardening practices which help to create a more environmentally friendly habitat are:

• the use of rain barrels
  
• water-wise landscaping
  
• mulch
  
• rain gardens
  
• integrated pest management
  
• removal of non-native plants
  
• use of native plants
  
• reduced lawn areas
  
• elimination of chemicals
  
• composting

You can learn more about creating wildlife friendly landscapes by visiting some of the links at the bottom of this post.
I would also like to thank Donna Williamson, a fellow wildlife lover who contacted me about the photo I used  of hornworms in a bowl of soapy water as a form of eco-friendly pest control. Donna, author of the book The Virginia Gardener’s Companion, pointed out that hornworms are the caterpillars of the sphinx moth, and instead of disposing of them, another option is just to grow enough plants to share with them! Donna said:

“I wanted to share some info about the sphinx moths/tobacco hornworms - it was disconcerting to see them drowning in a bowl on your blog which I usually enjoy so much and I applaud your effort to get folks to realize the danger of homemade pesticides! I grow lots of tomatoes so the hornworms and I can share, and I also support the wasp predators that lay their eggs in some of the caterpillars.”

Thanks Donna. I really appreciate it when our readers share what they have learned to do around their own eco-friendly gardens.
Now, for more information about creating eco friendly landscapes:
May is Garden for Wildlife Month (NWF website)
10 Tips for Creating a Wildlife Friendly Garden
The Proof is in the Planting

Butterflies help remind us to be good environmental stewards

Eco-friendly gardeners say "Let me tell you about my garden critters"
Gardening for Hummingbirds

Composting Workshop – May 9th

What: GREEN LIVING SERIES WORKSHOP: Composting Fundamentals
When: Wednesday, May 9th, 6:30 to 8:00 PM
Where: Discovery Communications, One Discovery Place, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Would you like to understand the science behind composting and how it relates to what you do in your backyard?

Would you like to learn the “Seven Compost Lessons” that are essential to making "Black Gold?"

Then plan on attending this workshop to hear Master Composter Sam Patsy outline the fundamentals of composting so that you can improve your garden soil.

Mr. Patsy was raised on a small farm and has been composting all his life. From 2003 to 2010 he was head of the composting group for the Maryland Master Gardeners.

Register here for this workshop: Backyard Composting

The event is free, although donations will be accepted.

The event is being organized by Silver Spring Green (SSG), a local grassroots organization that brings together individuals, organizations, businesses, and government working together to improve our environment, economy and shared sense of community.

Information for this post provided by Kathy Jentz, editor/publisher  of Washington Gardener Magazine

Building a Compost Screener

Here is the latest project that my sweet hubby and I built for our eco-friendly, “green” garden. It is a compost sifter and we got the idea from plans that we found in Organic Gardening Magazine.

It’s very easy to make. The only materials required are a few pieces of 2 x 4 lumber, some hardware cloth with 1/2 inch square mesh, a staple gun and some galvanized deck screws.

Of course, we love compost because it provides eco-friendly, chemical free nutrients for our garden.

I hope you enjoy the video! The link to the article is below.

Build a Compost Screener (Organic Gardening Magazine)

The proof is in the planting

We just got the April/May issue of National Wildlife Magazine in the mail and I was excited to see that this issue is dedicated to Gardening for Wildlife.

If you have followed this blog for long, you probably know that my strong interest in eco-friendly gardening started because of my desire to attract more birds, butterflies and other creatures to my yard and gardens. AND my efforts to garden for wildlife became more focused after I learned about the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) Certified Wildlife Habitat (CWH) program. I really wanted to get my yard certified.

My favorite article in the issue is called Certified Success, and it is about a woman named Stephanie Widows who did a study, as part of her master’s program, to determine how successful the NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat program is in providing habitat.

For the study, Widows visited 50 homes that have certified habitats and evaluated them to see the quantity and quality of wildlife habitat that each yard had. She compared both the habitat elements and the number of wildlife species on these properties to nearby properties and to other, randomly selected properties in the same neighborhoods.

Her study concluded that the certified properties did, indeed, provide more beneficial habitat AND had more wildlife species than the neighboring yards which were used for comparison. In fact, the certified yards had more than TWICE as many species present as the other yards which were visited.

Most people who garden for wildlife can attest to the fact that their eco-friendly gardening definitely does bring in the wildlife. I am sitting outside while I am writing this and can see several species of birds and butterflies and even hear a hummingbird up chittering away in the trees. I know that most of that wildlife is here only because I have made a concerted effort to attract it.

I also know that there haven’t been many official studies done to PROVE that gardening for wildlife makes a difference. I’ve looked for research on the topic before and know it was very limited. So I was excited to read about Ms. Widows ' research.

Of course, you don’t have to have your yard certified in the NWF CWH program to attract wildlife. Certainly, anyone can create an eco-friendly landscape with wildlife in mind and provide the same benefits. But with almost 150,000 homes enrolled in the program (adding up to some 300,000 acres of habitat) the program did provide a great basis for Ms. Widows' study.

To qualify for certification in the NWF CWH program, a property must provide wildlife with food, water, shelter and places to raise their young. Other sustainable gardening practices which allow a property to earn certification are:

• the use of rain barrels
  
• water-wise landscaping
  
• mulch
  
• rain gardens
  
• integrated pest management
  
• removal of non-native plants
  
• use of native plants
  
• reduced lawn areas
  
• elimination of chemicals
  
• composting

Related Posts: Does eco-friendly gardening help local wildlife?
10 Tips for Creating a Wildlife Friendly Garden
How I Became a Bird Nerd

Dog poop in the compost?

As a thrifty, eco-friendly gardener, it’s hard to throw away anything that might have some value as compost. Composting, after all, is a great way to create our own natural soil additives at home, eliminating the need for chemical fertilizers that could cause problems for the environment.

Certainly most green food waste and plant waste makes its way into our compost pile, along with eggshells, wood chips, hair, dryer lint and many other items that would otherwise get thrown out around a home.

The question of composting pet poop, however, has always been a messy one. Even websites such as the EPA page on composting lists Animal Manure on the IN list for items to compost while at the same time listing Pet Waste on the OUT list, for items to avoid.

My friend Susan McCullough recently tackled this question on the Metro DC Dog Blog.

Apparently the folks in the Fairbanks, Alaska Soil & Water Conservation District “performed a study aimed at developing ‘easy yet effective dog waste composting practices that reliably destroy pathogens found in some dog feces.’  The study found that good composting not only removes dog waste but also saves energy (from transporting the waste to a landfill) and also enriches the soil.”

To read more about this study, you can read Susan’s post entitled The Compost Post. And be sure to subscribe to the Metro DC Dog Blog for more fun about our four-legged friends.

By the way, I mentioned animal poop a couple of weeks ago when I was going out to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a short trip. I wondered what they do with all of the elk poop on the huge National Elk Refuge that feeds about 10,000 elk during the winter. Well, I just wanted to pass along this tongue-in-cheek conversation I had with one of the rangers out there.

Me: “Excuse me. Can you tell me what you do with all of the elk poop on the refuge?”

Ranger: “Why? Do you want some?”

Me: “Well, not now, because I am getting ready to get on a plane to head home, but it just seems like all of those nice, compact pellets would make great fertilizer.”

Ranger: “Hmmm. I have to say, we have never had that question before. How would you suggest we collect the poop?”

Me: “I know you let boy scouts pick up elk antlers and sell them to raise money. Why don’t you let them pick up elk poop and sell it for fertilizer.”

Ranger: “Right. We could have a new kind of merit badge for collecting poop.”

Me: “Or maybe just the bad boy scouts would get elk doody duty.”

Ranger: “Haha. Actually we just leave all of the poop right where it lands. And it does act as great fertilizer for the grass that grows there that helps to feed the elk. So none of it really goes to waste.”

Which just goes to show you, sometimes the simplest answer is really the best one.

You may also enjoy reading: Can I put *bleep* in my compost heap

I wonder if moose and elk poop are good for gardens?

Hubby and I are headed out west to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a week of skiing and moose watching (Tom skis. I moose watch) so its been a busy few days getting our yard ready for our absence.

Tom has rigged up an elaborate watering system that will turn our irrigation system on and deliver water through drip irrigation tubes, ONLY if the rain sensor says that it’s needed. Other plants that are in pots have been moved to areas to reap the runoff from our rain barrels, if nature provides it. On a previous trip, some of our plants blew over and dried out, because they weren’t able to catch any rainfall while on their sides, so today I went out and staked up a few pots so they don’t blow over. I also got all the bird feeders and bird baths filled.

When I got ready to pack, I realized that both of our big suitcases are REALLY beat up. I splurged and bought one new one and I’m hoping that the other one will last through one more trip without resulting in our dirty laundry being strewn all over the luggage carousel at one of the airports.

And I’m thinking that the old, torn up suitcase might be a perfect container to use for a portable garden. My friend Leslie uses old dresser drawers that she finds in people’s trash to plant her herbs in, but the suitcase might be even better, because it will let water flow through AND has convenient handles on the sides to pick it up and carry it. I’ll have to think about that when I get back.

We will get to visit our good friends Jon and Kim while we are out there. Jon and Kim are the couple that were featured in the slideshow for my post about The 12 Benefits of Raised Bed Gardening back in September, 2010.

I love Jackson Hole because there is so much wildlife. They have a huge elk refuge out there where up to 10,000 elk come down in the winter to graze. You can also see moose, wolves, bison, coyotes and bighorn sheep all within a short drive.

There won’t be any gardens for me to visit on this trip (Jon said there is two feet of snow in his yard right now) but I’m sure I’ll be thinking of my gardens back here at home. I’ll have to remember to ask the rangers what they do with all of the elk poop from the wildlife refuge. It sure seems like it would make great compost. 

Dog Poop Ain’t Sexy, but picking it up can be

When someone first asked me if they could add dog poop to their compost pile, my immediate response was a firm NO! No Way! NADA!

But just to make sure, I decided to consult an expert. And who better to consult than the self-professed Queen of Dog S*%t, Susan McCullough, author of HouseTraining for Dummies and blogger at the Metro DC Dog Blog.

Susan and I are on similar missions. We both blog about what we love (gardening for me, dogs for Susan) but we also try to encourage people to take care of the planet while they are diggin’ and doggin’. We both know that things like chemicals and dog poop should NOT go into the groundwater.

Anyway, Susan did recommend that people not put pet poop in their compost piles. But since Susan always has the latest scoop on poop, she also went on to tell me about how Cambridge, Massachusetts uses dog poop to power lights in their park and how Ithaca, NY was collecting dog poop for possible future composting.

She also showed me this hilarious video that I just wanted to pass along to my readers, since I know there are a lot of you out there who love dogs as much as I do. I’m hoping this dance will catch on and be the new rage in 2012!

Here's the scoop on worm poop

Every now and then, the rugs in my house look like this:

---

That’s because my yard is often covered with piles of this:

I don’t really LIKE having a messy home and I sure wish I could learn to wipe my feet a little better before I come inside. But I’m definitely not complaining. As an eco-friendly gardener, I know that having piles of worm poop in my yard is a very good thing.

Earthworms help aerate the soil by crawling around creating little tunnels and passageways. And the whole time, they are just eating and pooping, eating and pooping. Aristotle called worms the "intestines of the soil" for their role of converting organic matter to fertilizer. Most of that pooping occurs underground, but during times of extreme moisture, the worms migrate towards the surface and leave their poop, also called castings, in little piles around your lawn.

The scoop on worm poop is that it is full of nutrients and extremely beneficial to your lawn and plants. Worm castings contain 0.86 percent nitrogen, 0.37 percent phosphorous and 0.25 percent potassium. Other nutrients include 2.3 percent calcium and 0.72 percent iron. The castings provide natural nutrients, often eliminating the need for harmful synthetic fertilizer products. The healthy lawn will then attract more earthworms, which will further improve soil aeration and increase the penetration of rainwater.

Earthworms help in breaking down thatch, increasing decomposition and creating usable nitrogen in the soil. In fact, five or more earthworms per square foot of soil provides the lawn with 25% of its seasonal nitrogen requirements.

Some people, however, don’t see the value in worm poop. They find these tiny piles of poop unsightly, both outside their home and when tracked inside. Weak thin lawns, which have been mowed too low, will certainly make these piles more evident.  

Dealing with Worm Poop

• Rake or sweep castings into the lawn when they are dry. You can also sweep up castings and add them to your compost pile or potting soil mixture.
• Don't overwater. Earthworms will stay near the surface if it's continuously moist.
• Mow high and keep the lawn healthy to hide the poop piles and minimize the unsightliness.
• Some sources recommend using a roller to press down the casts but over time, this can cause compaction of the soil.
• Keep castings outside where they can do some good. Put doormats outside all of your doors and use them!
• If you can’t remember to do that, sweep up worm castings that make it into your home with a hand held vacuum or broom and dump them in your potting mix! (That may sound silly, but worm castings sell for about $3.00 a pound and provide many valuable nutrients to your plants.)

Here are some more posts about the value of earthworms:

Earthworms: Wriggling Wonders of the Garden

Recycled Worm Info

No reason to be junkin' that punkin' - 18 ways to recycle pumpkins

If you love carving Halloween pumpkins, you have GOT to visit extremepumpkins.com and check out the FANSTASTIC carvings on the site. I know we will use that site for some inspiration before we do our carving this weekend.

We rarely get any trick-or-treaters at our home anymore, but my husband and I still always buy a pumpkin or two and carve some jack-o-lanterns. It’s fun, and it gives us something colorful and nutritious to add to our compost pile.

Compost, which is made of decomposed organic matter, makes a nutrient rich natural soil enhancer. Adding pumpkins to a compost pile also keeps them out of local landfills.

To speed along the process of decomposition, it is best to let your inner Halloween imp loose for a little pumpkin smashing.

Once they are smashed and bashed, toss them in your compost pile and layer with other organic materials such as shredded leaves, grass clippings and food scraps. Turn the pile from time to time and keep it moist, and by the time you are ready for your spring planting next year, you'll have some nutrient rich, home-made fertilizer to add to your planting beds.

For more information about creating compost, visit:
Composting 101 for DC Residents
Composting at Home
Composting
EPA Composting Site
Mastercomposter.com

If you haven't yet started your own compost pile, here are 17 other things that can be done with leftover pumpkin, gathered from various sites around the internet. I've provided links to the original content so you can get more info on the ideas that interest you.

1)Feed your old pumpkin to your pet - When cooked and mashed, pumpkin can be a fantastic natural digestive remedy for dogs and cats alike. A little mashed pumpkin can go a long way to treat diarrhea, weight gain, or infections in your pet, and they’ll probably appreciate the taste as well. (Source)

2) Donate it to the zoo - There are also many zoos which accept pumpkin donations and then feed them to their animals as local, seasonal treats (green, sustainable, organic zoo food!). Source: sustainablog (http://s.tt/13xJD)

3) Treat Your Skin - Pumpkin is full of rich vitamins, enzymes and even essential amino acids, all of which can benefit your skin. They also boast alpha-hydroxy acids that are known to decrease the appearance of wrinkles. Pop on over to this post to find out how to make a homemade face treatment. sustainablog (http://s.tt/13xJD)

4) Spice up your home - If you’re craving Thanskgiving already just for the scrumptious smell of fresh pumpkin pie, then you might want to make your own pumpkin pie potpourri. If your pumpkin is already hollowed and carved, you’re halfway there. If not, scoop it out clean and cut some small holes for venting. Rub cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice on the interior and insert cloves into the lid. Place a small tea candle inside and just wait for the delicious scent of warm pumpkin pie to start wafting through your home. Source: sustainablog (http://s.tt/13xJD)

5) Whip up some pumpkin purée - Pumpkin purée is the No. 1 use for the fleshy insides of your pumpkin, and it’s super easy to make. Find out how to make it here: Souce: Earth911  

6) Make a pumpkin planter - A pumpkin can make a beautiful centerpiece or front step adornment when used as a flower pot or vase. The photo on this post will inspire you to make your own: Source: ahamodernliving  

7) Roast the seeds - Roasted pumpkin seeds are a tasty fall favorite, and there are plenty of ways to use them. Reads this post to get the most from these tasty treats: Source: Earth911

8) Grow new pumpkins with the seeds - Source: How to Grow Your Own Pumpkins  

9) Feed the wildlife - Depending on where you live, a pumpkin you’d otherwise throw away could be a tasty snack for a furry or feathery neighbor. Old jack-o-lanterns are perfect food for deer, and any pumpkin seeds you don’t want to toast up for yourself will make a yummy treat for birds. Source: Earth911

10) Make a Pumpkin Bird Feeder Making a pumpkin bird feeder is a fun way to keep your backyard songstresses fed when temperatures begin to drop and food becomes a bit more scarce. To make a pumpkin bird feeder, select a pumpkin that is no more than about 5 pounds in weight. Cut it in half width-wise and thoroughly scrape out the goop so that the inside feels relatively dry to the touch. Leave a 1/2 inch wall on the pumpkin. Place the pumpkin seeds into this wall so that they stick up and form a ledge around the outside of the feeder.For more info: Source: ahamodernliving  

11) Make pumpkin candy - Pumpkin candy is a Mexican tradition, but when you discover just how tasty they are, you’ll likely make it one of yours, too. Find the recipe here: Source: Earth911  

12) Mix up a pumpkin cocktail- Thanks to the ever-widening selection of flavored vodkas on the market, you can make a tasty cocktail out of almost anything – even your Halloween pumpkin. While you enjoy your grown-up dessert drink, you can use some of that pumpkin purée in a tasty milkshake for the kids. Find recipes for both, here: Source: Earth911  

13) Pumpkin as a Cooler Since large, wide pumpkins are naturally bowl-shaped, they make great receptacles for beer, soda, and other bottled drinks. Choose a nice hefty pumpkin and begin by cutting off the top 1/3. Thoroughly scrape out all the goop and seeds. Next, place a glass or plastic bowl inside the pumpkin cavity. This is important to help prevent the pumpkin from getting waterlogged. If you do not have a bowl, smear Vaseline on the inside of the pumpkin, then cover it with plastic wrap. Fill the bowl with ice and bottled beverages of your choice. Source: ahamodernliving  

14) Another take on a beer cooler pumpkin If you’re feeling really ambitious, you can try your hand at this customized pumpkin beer cooler from Extremepumpkins.com. It would definitely make a good conversation topic for any fall party. Just be careful- because a huge pumpkin filled with ice is going to be pretty heavy!  

15) Pumpkin as a Stew - recipe available on ahamodernliving  

16) Make some pumpkin serving bowls - Instead of hitting the trash can, those pumpkin shells could be hitting the dinner table and impressing all of your guests. Turning your pumpkin shells into festive serving bowls is easy. Source: Earth911  

17) Have pumpkin butter with breakfast - Fruit butters are delectable additions to a fall breakfast, and pumpkin butter is one of the easiest to make. Recipe on Source: Earth911

There are many more recipes for cooking with pumpkin on the page on OpenSalon.com

Have fun! And have a safe, happy and FUN Halloween.

Autumn Honey-Do List for the Garden

Good morning honey! Happy first day of Autumn. Why don't you take a few minutes to relax while you revisit my post from last year and think about the beautiful time of year that starts today.

And now, put on your gardening gloves because I have a nice little honey-do list for you to get the gardens ship shape for Autumn. (Excerpts from the Maryland Home and Garden Newsletter)
 

Make more Compost - Fall is a good time to start a compost pile by mixing together spent plants, kitchen scraps, fallen leaves, old mulch and grass clippings. Shred your materials with a lawnmower, string trimmer or machete to speed-up the breakdown process. Keep twigs, branches and other woody materials out of the pile. Related Post

Keep the critters happy - Keep birdbaths cleaned and re-filled. Don’t remove the large seedheads of black-eyed susans, coneflowers, and other perennials for birds to feed on over the winter. Leave hummingbird feeders up through October. Related posts: Autumn in the Garden, Great Time for Backyard Birds

Mulch the leaves - Leaves that fall onto the lawn can be shredded with a lawnmower and left to decompose naturally. Run over the accumulated leaves several times with the mower to break them into small pieces. The decomposing leaves release nutrients and add organic matter to the soil; they will not hurt the turf. Remove deep piles of leaves or turf crowns may smother and die. Related Post

Move some trees - Remember those trees that were really scary because they seemed a little too close to the house during all the wind from hurricane Irene? Now is a good time to plant or transplant trees. 

However, dogwood, tulip poplar, pin oak and evergreens should not be dug up and moved (transplanted) in the fall; these species will usually fail to establish a root system in the fall. Related Post

Deal with the poison ivy - Poison ivy leaves turn red in the fall. Now is a good time to walk around the property and find where all of the poison ivy is. Deal with it as you see fit. Related Post

Cover your bald spots - Bare soil is prone to erosion especially over the winter and should be covered with mulch, groundcovers or turf. Related Post

Dispose of the chemicals - Avoid storing pesticides over the winter in sheds and garages. Cold temperatures can cause these materials to become ineffective. If you have questions about the efficacy of your pesticides call the manufacturer, using the phone number listed on the label. Related Post

When you are done with your other chores, you can. 

Have a beer with the slugs - The three types of slugs found in this area are the spotted garden slug (3-5inches), the tawny garden slug (2-3 inches) and the gray garden slug (2-3 inches). They cause damage (large holes in leaves) to a wide variety of annuals and perennials. Set out shallow saucers of beer or yeast mixed in water and a teaspoon of soap to attract and drown the slugs. ( Read more...)

   

Waste Not, Want Not - Curbside Composting

In my previous post, Do Environmentalists Need Shrinks, I mentioned how I am sometimes almost obsessive about planet polluters. This trait really rears its ugly head when I see the kind of things that people throw away. Good, usable furniture left at the curb for the garbage man to pick up, for instance, when a local thrift store would probably love to have it. Or a bin full of plastic garden pots thrown into the trash when local chain stores like Lowes and Home Depot will willingly take them and recycle them. And when I go to a party or picnic, it sometimes takes all of my will power to keep myself from poking through plastic-bag lined garbage bins to remove perfectly recyclable cans and bottles.

So far, I haven’t gotten bad enough to dig through anyone’s trash for things that would make good compost. And if Howard County, Maryland’s idea for curbside compost pickup takes off and is adopted by other jurisdictions, I may never have to.

Compost is such a wonderful thing for a garden, and almost any green food scrap, plant waste or paper product, can be utilized to help make this garden goodie. But it is estimated that, in 2009, over 33 million tons of food waste and 13 million tons of yard waste ended up in municipal landfills. (Source)

Although most “green gardeners” have learned to use their own waste products to create compost, what about the many people that don’t have a garden or want to deal with compost?

Howard County is looking for volunteer households in the Elkridge and Ellicott City areas to participate in their new food scrap collection pilot program! Participants will receive a special food scrap collection cart that will be emptied weekly on recycling day. Their list of items, which are acceptable to recycle, include a few things that surprised me, including bread and other baked goods and pizza boxes.

The collected food scraps will  eventually be composted and turned into a soil amendment. If successful, this program could reduce trash sent to the landfill in Howard County by 23%.

Another interesting fact that I read on their website (but never thought about before – I guess because we compost everything) is that composting food scraps is much better than using a garbage disposal for two reasons. 1) It saves water and 2) garbage disposal use sends excess nutrients that are expensive to treat to the wastewater treatment facilities.

If you live in Howard County, I urge you to support this program. For more information, visit the Food Scrap Recycling Page on the Howard County website.

Of course, DC area residents can have their own curbside composting through Compost Cab. Compost Cab will provide you with a bin, collect your organics and deliver them to a local urban farm for composting. There is an $8.00 per week charge for their services. BUT (and here's the really great thing) CompostCab will even help you recycle your compostable materials at parties, picnics, weddings and other special events!! With Compost Cab, I can once again attend parties angst free!

What’s in if for you? According to their website “Cleaner air. Less waste. A smaller carbon footprint. A greener home or business. A stronger community.”

And, of course, you don’t have to worry about me coming by and picking through your garbage.

Eco-friendly gardens are "no-sweat"

Every summer at about this time, I sit back, relax with an ice-cold drink, and think about some of the added benefits of eco-friendly gardening. In many ways, eco-friendly landscapes require less work, meaning that I can have more of a “no-sweat” summer than some of my friends and neighbors with more labor-intensive landscapes.

Below are some great reasons to think about turning your traditional landscape into an eco-friendly, “no-sweat” one:

1. Eco-friendly gardeners work WITH Mother Nature, not against her: choosing plants that fit the site means plants are better adapted to survive with minimal care, which means Mother Nature takes care of the plants, not you.
2. Eco-friendly gardeners leave part of their landscape natural: Why tear out existing, native species only to replace them with more labor-intensive exotics? Native plants, which are present on a property, will require less work and will provide an immediate benefit to local wildlifespan>
3. Eco-friendly gardeners plant trees with energy conservation in mind: Shade trees can significantly reduce air temperatures in and outdoors in the summer, as trees intercept and absorb the sun’s heat while transpiring cooling moisture into the air.
4. Eco-friendly gardeners incorporate drought tolerant species, which means less work watering. Drought tolerant trees drought tolerant perennials
5. Eco-friendly gardeners group plants by their care requirements : plants that do require extra water or fertilizer are all in one place, rather than scattered throughout the property.
6. Eco friendly gardeners include beneficial plants: beneficial plants attract bugs and birds that help cut down on insect pest populations, eliminating the need to apply pesticides.
7. Eco friendly gardeners have their soil tested to determine the right mix of fertilizer for their lawn rather than applying fertilizers that aren’t needed.
8. Eco-friendly gardeners identify weeds and pests rather than spending time indiscriminately killing them all. Some bugs are good bugs. And a weed-free lawn is not necessarily a healthy one.
9. Eco friendly gardeners replace lawn with ground covers : Most ground covers need little or no maintenance once they’re established.
10. Eco friendly gardeners use plenty of mulch : adding mulch helps cut down on both weeding and watering
11. If they do have lawn, eco-friendly gardeners mow less oftenMowing grass to the proper height is the single-most important thing you can do to improve the health of your lawn.
12. Eco-friendly gardeners don’t rake their grass clippings : Leaving grass where it falls adds nutrients back to the soil. However, be sure to sweep up your sidewalk, driveway or street so clippings don't pollute nearby lakes or streams.
13. Eco-friendly gardeners create compost : why lug bags of trash to the curb and bags of purchased soil enhancers to your landscape? Composting your yard and kitchen scraps saves time and money.
14. Eco-friendly gardeners water less: Plants should be watered only when they begin to droop and in the early morning hours before 10 a.m. Grasses naturally grow slower in the summer, so brown grass usually means your lawn is just dormant, not dead.
15. Eco-friendly gardeners use hardscapes creatively: Hardscapes, the landscaper’s term for paving and built features in a garden (think patios and walkways) reduce garden work and extend your home’s living space. Using permeable surfaces also allows water to percolate into the ground, rather than

8 Ways to Compost, From Treehugger

Composting is a very eco-friendly and easy process for any home gardener. When used as an additive for garden soil,compost can help plants make it through times of drought and extreme weather temperatures.

Organic matter such as yard and food waste make up about 23% of the waste that is generated in the United States. Composting is a way to re-use this organic waste to keep it out of the landfills while creating natural soil additives for your gardens. When worked into the soil, compost provides essential nutrients, improves soil texture, moderates temperatures, and increases the ability of the soil to absorb air and water. It also suppresses weed growth, decreases erosion, and reduces the need to apply commercial soil additives, thereby saving you money.

There is a great new post and slideshow on TreeHugger called 8 Ways to Compost and Which One You Should Try. I couldn't really think of 8 ways, so I thought the article was worth a read. After reading the article, I'm still not sure I would really consider these 8 different ways, but here is what they have listed. Pop on over to the full post for more details.

1) Hot Composting - By creating conditions where microorganisms thrive, hot composting generates significant amounts of heat. Takes some work but the compost breaks down relatively quickly.

2) Cold Composting - Easier but slower. More likely to have weeds and diseases.

3) Vermicomposting or Worm Composting- Let worms do the work.

4) Leaf mold - Piling up your leaves and letting them rot. Similar to #2, but only made of leaves.

5) Grub Composting - A small container that uses the larva of the black soldier fly to create compost in a matter of days.

6) Compost Tumblers - Compost tumblers offer a convenient, labor-saving alternative to turning a hot compost heap—and they help to break down compost a lot faster than a cool heap too.

7) Humanure Compost - Making compost out of human waste.

8 ) Municipal Composting - Letting government agencies collect yard waste and turn it into mulch. (See our resources page for sources for free and low cost municipal mulch in the Metro DC area)

Compost for Healthy Soil & Gardening - Workshops - April 27th & 30th

What:  Compost for Healthy Soil Workshop

Presented by: George Mason University Sustainability Institute (MSI)

When: Workshop 1: Wednesday, April 27, 2011. Time: 6:00-7:30 PM.; Workshop 2: Saturday, April 30, 2011. Time: 10:00-11:30 AM.

Where:  Green Acres Center, 4401 Sideburn Road, Fairfax, VA. Room 113

Why: Why do eco-friendly gardeners love compost?

There are few practices which make as much economic and environmental sense as creating compost out of yard wastes and kitchen scraps. Composting yard waste recycles nutrients back into the yard, helps retain moisture and saves landfill space. Composting reduces yard waste volume by 50 to 75 percent. The cost of collecting, hauling, and handling yard trash is a large share of the solid waste management expense.

If you have a space for it, a compost pile or bin can be used to recycle yard wastes and kitchen scraps to make a perfect, nutrient rich soil additive. Not only can you add leaves and clippings from your yard, but fruit and vegetable peelings, fruit pulp from a juicer, dryer lint, coffee grounds, teabags, eggshells, shredded paper and sawdust can all be recycled to provide nutrients for your plants.

To learn more:

The MSI compost workshop will introduce attendees to the basics of at-home composting. Participants will be instructed on creating a simple compost system, and how to use kitchen and lawn waste to make compost. Workshop participants will leave the course with a list of materials needed to start an at-home project. The other half of the lecture will introduce participants to vermiculture, or worm composting; a fascinating, fun and easy way to recycle your kitchen waste into some of the best fertilizer on Earth. Composting Workshop 1 and 2 offer the same educational content.

Registration: Please visit http://tinyurl.com/msi-registration-form
Or, e-mail Danielle Wyman dwyman@gmu.edu for registration inquiries.

Cost: $15. Please bring cash or check at time of registration (exact change requested)

Instructor's Biography:

Dan Schwartz is a graduate of the University of Maryland and holds a B.S. Degree in Environmental Science-Soil Resources. He has been working as a soil scientist for the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District for the last 8 years. His job duties include updating the county soil survey, helping citizens with erosion and drainage problems, and educating the public about soil and storm water issues. He would like everyone to know that it is called soil, not dirt!

Help keep our planet healthy and green. Spread the word!

Free and low-cost compost and mulch

In response to a request for a good place to find low-cost soil or compost, Dodie Butler, DC area realtor and gardener, provided this info on a local forum:

Here is a link to the page in College Park's website that describes it's 'Smartleaf' Compost, likely some of the prettiest 'dirt' around. It can be picked up or they will deliver, and it may not seem cheap, until you picture what a couple of cubic yards looks like compared to a few bags of 'soil.' While Takoma Park's composted leaves are chopped up, good for 'mulch' but not really 'compost,' College Park really manages its composting by mixing leaves and grass and turning their piles and producing true compost. Super clean (no glass or paper bits), rich compost. 

I would start with a pile of the good compost and maybe mix in some sand to better approximate 'dirt.' Or add some dirt, but not much. Don't just buy bagged garden soil, it's not nearly as good as this compost. 

(BTW, while many of us find the smell of fresh compost to be lovely, when first delivered it can be pretty strong. First time I had it dumped in my driveway it didn't occur to me that there would be a smell. I had neglected to engage my neighbors in the plan and the smelly mountain of compost sat right under their kitchen window. I was mortified, but fortunately persuaded them to take a bunch of the compost. So aroma at initial delivery is a good reason to try to engage neighbors in compost purchases. The compost smell goes away quickly with exposure to the air.)  

To also pitch Takoma Park leaf mulch — anyone can go dig at their mulch piles and take the chopped leaves away for free. (I went into the public works office there a few years ago and asked a human before I believed that my D.C. plates wouldn't cause me to be challenged for taking mulch, but was assured it was OK.) Their chopped leaves are also quite clean and superb as mulch. If you really want to kill weeds, surround the plants you want to keep with sheets of newspaper and then cover with the leaf mulch.  

Takoma Park's website tells how much they charge for filling people's trucks with mulch and has the following prices for out-of-TP deliveries:  

Outside The City Price

3 yards delivered $65

7 yards delivered $105

10 yards delivered $105 

With either the College Park or Takoma Park deliveries, consider doing a group purchase with nearby neighbors, then the cost goes down to almost nothing.

Dodie Butler, Realtor

Long and Foster Real Estate, Inc.

Dodie, thanks for giving me permission to reprint this great info. I've got a few more locations listed on the Links and Resources page.

Should anyone else be able to tell you how you "should" garden?

I was reading a lawn and garden post called Green Yard Care Tips written by Alisa Gilbert this morning and this was the first sentence:

One responsibility of being a homeowner is keeping a clean, well-manicured yard.

I had to read that line a few times to see if I agreed with it in any way, and I have to say, I just don’t. (Although I do agree with some of the writer’s other tips, which I have listed below).

My personal opinion is that landscapes should NOT be forced into being well-manicured. In fact, I don’t believe that anyone else should try to tell a person what their yard should or shouldn’t look like at all, unless it is just a dangerous eyesore.

I think that leaves should be allowed to lay where they fall to provide nutrients to the soil and cover for crawling critters. I think that plants should be allowed to go to seed to provide food for passing birds. I think piles of rotting compost should be perfectly acceptable in any yard. And like the wild, uninhibited residents of DC who participated in the 4^th Annual No Pants Metro Ride this year, I think that native plants should be allowed to do their own thing in the garden.

If there is any “should-ing” to be done when it comes to gardens, I think that people should pay a little bit more attention to keeping poisons out of their yard and not wasting water and protecting our waterways. But when it comes to how you manicure your share of the earth, and what you wear when you do it, there really shouldn’t be any shoulding about it.

Excerpts from Green Yard Care Tips with my links added.

1) The author suggests that you ditch the lawn crew. Instead, I suggest that you find an eco-friendly one.

2) Use natural fertilizers and weed killers. Use natural pesticides and other insect prevention methods.

3) Make your own compost.

4) Do you use a gasoline lawnmower? If so, consider ways to offset that carbon footprint.

5) Understand the climate and what is best, naturally, for your yard.

Anyone can compost

Many people think that they can't compost because they don't have the room for it. However, there are new, smaller compost tumblers which make composting easy for everyone.

Composting is, of course, the process of turning food and plant wastes into valuable organic soil amendments.

This video, which I first saw on VOANews.com, shows local resident Christiana Aretta creating compost on her small apartment porch in Washington, D.C.



Aretta explains that no matter how big or small your garden is, you can still help keep waste out of the landfill by creating compost.

For those that don't have ANY backyard, Compost Cab can still help you to create compost.

Compost Cab is a new business which was started in March of 2010 to help more DC residents create compost.

They provide you with a container and instructions and then pick up your compost and deliver it to a nearby not-for-profit urban farm, where they’re transformed into the fertile soil needed to grow good, nutritious food for the local community. Everybody wins.

For more information about Compost Cab, visit their website.

And here is a link to the full article on Voice of America.

For links to many more articles on creating compost, see our resources page.

Green New Years Resolution - More Bare Naked Gardening

I always make a LOT of resolutions each year. It's a great practice for me, and although I don't always keep every single resolution, I do find that having a list helps keep me on track. I make resolutions about money, health, relationships and, of course, about how I want to take care of the planet.


For the coming year, I resolve to practice more BARE NAKED GARDENING!

Be kind to the planet - everything you do in your garden affects all others  
A void overwatering - it's a waste of money and bad for the environment  
Reduce storm water runoff - it pollutes local waterways
Enhance your soil naturally - use organic fertilizers and soil additives Bare naked gardening in DC  
Nix the noxious products- choose eco-friendly options  
Add some mulch - mulch retains moisture while adding nutrients  
Keep a compost pile - it's a valuable and free source of fertilizer  
Encourage beneficials - worms and pollinating insects are good  
Determine your site conditions - work with mother nature, not against her Bare Naked Gardening in DC  
Get outside! - gardening is good for the body and good for the soul.  
Avoid indiscriminate pesticide use - choose eco-friendly options  
Raise your mower blade to 3 inches- you'll have a healthier lawn  
Don't sweep clippings or fertilizer into storm drains- they pollute waterways  
Eliminate weeds by hand pulling, hoeing and spot treating  
Nurture local wildlife - provide food, shelter and safe conditions for local wildlife  
Install rain barrels - rain barrels conserve water and prevent runoff  
Naturalize your landscape - choose native plants  
Grass-cycle - mulch your grass clippings and return them to your yard