Green Tips from the Green Team: Beauty in the Compost
Nome Buckman during her composting workshop. (COURTESY PHOTO)
When you pluck a ripe tomato from the vine, wash it, slice it, and are about to devour the luscious red skin and pulpy middle, do you consider that at one time this fruit was once a pile of stinky-hot-composting material?
Thich Nhat Hanh, reminds us, “If you look deeply at a flower, at is freshness and its beauty, you will see that there is also compost in it, made of garbage. The gardener had the skill to transform this garbage into compost, and with this compost, he made a flower grow” (You Are Here, Thich Nhat Hanh).
Honestly, I will be the first to admit that when I contemplate the tomato, all I see is a mouth-watering fruit (I keep wanting to call it a vegetable) that is perfect in salads, a compliment to my favorite grilled cheeses, and just wonderful popped straight into my mouth right off the vine.
However, last Saturday, June 4, at 11 a.m., Nome Buckman, gardening coach, and owner of Coach Garden Gnome (www.coachgardengnome) helped remind us that the beauty really does lie in the compost. She provided a wonderful interactive free workshop on how to create a composting “lasagna layering” system right inside the bed where you would like to grow your veggies.
Her advice: “Some gardeners elect to “cook” their lasagna gardens (give the layers of mulch time to breakdown). You can cover your new bed with plastic for a short while to increase the heat and speed up the composting process. This reduces the height of the beds and produces high-quality workable soil more quickly…One of the greatest advantages to the lasagna gardening method is that you can layer your beds and plant your crops all in the same day [and same space!].”
Buckman stresses that the ingredients are the most important part of getting your compost pile “to cook” properly. The following is a sample list of a layering system: mulch (top of the lasagna, my favorite layer of melted cheese), finished compost, cardboard/paper, manure, grass clippings, leaves, manure, kitchen scraps, sod and native soil (bottom of the lasagna pan.
As a gardening coach, Nome Buckman will be the first to let you know that there is really no “right or wrong” way to go about composting. But there is so much information out there, that it can be a bit daunting for the novice gardener. One cardinal rule for all to follow is: No Meat, No Dairy. And, all basic composting systems need air, water, layers of green (nitrogen) and brown (carbon) materials.
As for my untrained novice gardener’s eye, I still see the luscious tomato, but also see the beauty in the dirt pile supporting the tall central stalk, and delicate lime-green leaves reaching for sunlight. And the best thing, is that the layering system is a “Lasagna” a perfect use for the lovely tomato to be harvested soon enough.
Maybe I am one step closer to achieving “veggie enlightenment.”
Wait, or is it “fruit enlightenment?”
Happy planting and growing.
10 composting tips from Nome Buckman (www.coachgardengnome.com)
1. You're more likely to compost if you don't have to run out to the composter a few times a day. Keep a lidded container in your kitchen for convenience and empty a few times a week.
2. If your into shredding documents, why take all that to the dump? Compost it!
3. Wooden pallets make excellent compost bins. Start with one pallet on the ground. Drive two metal stakes into each of the three sides leaven access. Slide additional pallets over each support and you have a bin ready for compost.
4. For faster composting keep your pile or compost bin in direct sun.
5. Soak finished compost in water to "brew" compost "tea," a nutrient-rich liquid that can be used for foliar feeding or for watering plants in your garden, backyard, or houseplants.
6. According to the EPA, yard waste and food scraps make up 24 percent of U.S. municipal waste, which ends up in landfills. Composting saves you money by not having to buy more trash bags and cutting down the frequency in which you go to the dump.
7. If adding ashes to your compost, do so sparingly. They are alkaline and affect the pH of the pile.
8. Any diseased plants or fruit should definitely NOT be added to the compost as well as meat and dairy products.
9. Turn the compost often. Adding fresh oxygen into your compost pile by turning it more frequently will help your compost break down faster
10. If you have a lot of material to compost it's a good idea to start a new pile rather than heaping on top of an existing pile and making it difficult to utilize your finished compost.
This workshop is part of a series provided by the Valley Community Garden, backed by the Mount Washington Valley Green Team. All workshops are free and open to the public, and all are located at the Tasker Hill site. Mark you calendars for other free ,onthly workshops at the Valley Community Garden’s Tasker Hill site, located at 397 Tasker Hill Road, Conway, NH 0.8 Miles from intersection of Route 153, on the left.
July 16 at 11 a.m. — Good Bugs vs. Bad Bugs: Organic Practices for Ridding your garden of Pests and Weeds with a Master Gardener from the UNH Extension.
Aug. 20 at 11 a.m. — Seed saving
Sept. 17 at 11 a.m. — Cold Frame Construction & Use for Season Growing Extension.
A limited number of plots are still available for rent. Contact garden coordinator, Sarah Audsley at mwvgardens@gmail.com or cell: (802) 299-6269
Special thanks: to Mr. & Mrs. Lanoie for the use of their land at Tasker Hill.
Earle Family Farm for supplying a generous donation of seedlings to start off the growing season (www.earlefamilyfarm.com)