Make your own compost: a step-by-step guide with Abbie and Mark Jury.
1
Ref: 3437150 THE GIRLZ GARDEN CENTRE 12x1 G r e a t w i t h I c e c r e a m EASY TO GROW Call us today on (06) 758 8831 Open 7 days 8.30am–5.00pm Cnr Mangorei & Junction Road New Plymouth G o o d g r o w th is g ained from great knowledg e 3435402AA Large Fruiting Passionfruit Vines We have sturdy ready to grow plants of Robinsons Giant Black Passionfruit in store now! Only $11.90 each or 2 for $20 3234722AC 18 Ariki St, NP. Ph (06) 758 4152 Camping This Summer??? We Can Help!!!! knowledgeable service with a conscience - GUARANTEED! Some Clearance Stock Still Available! For a free measure and quote phone (06) 756-7997 or mobile 027 448-1849 • All farm concreting • Total landscaping MEMBER OF NZ CONCRETE PLACERS ASSOCIATION INC LIMITED LIMITED MEMBER OF NZ CONCRETE PLACERS ASSOCIATION INC Member of LIANZ For a free measure and quote phone (06) 756 7975 or mobile 027 448-1849 2394356AA 55TH ANNUAL 55TH ANNUAL GLADIOLUS SHOW GLADIOLUS SHOW Normanby Memorial Hall Sunday 23rd January 1pm – 5pm Plants for sale Admission only $2.00 Any enquiries feel free to phone 06 2728282 3430675AA Friday, January 21, 2011 TARANAKI DAILY NEWS 11 G ARDENING www.taranakidailynews.co.nz Make your own compost: a step-by-step guide with Abbie and Mark Jury. Photos: ABBIE JURY 1 Trenching is a traditional method espoused lately by Lynda Hallinan in the New Zealand Gardener. This involves digging a trench down a row of the vegetable garden and burying kitchen scraps and green waste, covering them immediately with soil. It is easy and tidy and the worms and microbes will break the waste down quickly but it only fertilises a small area at a time. There is no heat generated so weeds and diseased foliage should never be included. Neighbourhood dogs can learn about digging for victory and may excavate your trench if you add desirable food waste. 2 The black bin. We have one in the veg garden for kitchen scraps because our compost heaps are some distance away. It is tidy. The contents rot down and are something of a sludgy mess though this is fine to spread on the surrounding garden. The egg shells, however, remain whole and there can be a problem with spreading disease through potato peelings and brassicas with club root. It keeps dogs and cats out of the scraps but is not rodent proof. Because there is no heat generated, it will not destroy weed seeds or diseases (pathogens). The bin has no base to it which makes it easy to lift and move around. It acts more as a worm farm without provision to gather the worm tea. Our bin is full of tiger worms. 3 If you have many deciduous plants and a build up of too much leaf litter, raking it to a discreet area of the garden in heaps and leaving it for several months can be an easy solution. It needs plenty of rain to break down and the resulting humus will not be as nutritious as compost but it is clean to handle, adds texture to the soil and makes attractive mulch. The leaves piled to the right in the photo are about 30cm higher than the path on the left at this stage but still look tidy. 4 For small town gardens where tidiness is highly prized, the rolling compost drum may be an excellent option. It is not cheap to buy, expect to pay around $220 upwards, but it is very easy to use and as long as you rotate the drum often, it will make good compost faster than any other method we know. If you get your ingredients in the right proportions (more on this next time) and have sufficient moisture and oxygen, the contents should heat up to kill pathogens and seeds and will break down quickly, giving you small quantities of good quality compost in return for minimal effort. Home handypeople can possibly improvise a cheaper alternative. 5 Good compost does not smell, is generally dry and light textured and will leave you with clean hands so it is easy to handle. Sludgy muck, as in Step 2, is rotting organic matter where the breakdown is aided by worms and bacteria in a process which does not generate heat. It still has value but is nowhere near as pleasant to use. Well managed compost can generate enough heat in the process to kill seeds and unwanted fungi and diseases. We will look further at our tried and true techniques of how to generate clean compost in the next Outdoor Classroom. Auratum lilies I don’t cut flowers to bring indoors very often. When every window of the house looks out to a garden, it doesn’t seem necessary. But as soon as the auratum lilies start to open, I reach for the kitchen scissors and head out. They are just the perfect cut flower – one stem can have up to 10 flowers, sometimes even more, and put in a tall, slender vase they not only look superb, they can spread their delicious scent through an entire room. Auratums are known as the golden-rayed lily of Japan – how lovely does that sound? The flowers are the largest of the lily family, often more than 20cm across, and they are a mainstay of our January garden. Felix Jury adored them (probably for all the same reasons that we do) and dabbled with breeding them, naming several selections. This one is the very large flowered Flossie. The upshot is that we have a lot of auratums in the garden and generally they are quite happy with benign neglect, growing in both full sun and semi shade. They prefer soils with good drainage and plenty of humus but not too rich. The bulbs are large – fist-sized even – and we tried to get around all the plants last winter to dig and divide them. They haven’t had any attention for many, many years but when the clumps get too congested, the tops tend to fall over if they are not staked. The freshly divided patches are mostly standing up like little soldiers without any assistance. Some of the taller ones can get over 2m high and they need some support though often I will intertwine them through neighbouring plants. You can sometimes find lily bulbs for sale in garden centres in winter. Make sure you avoid any dry, shrivelled specimens – they do not like to be dried out completely even when dormant. You may be lucky and find some auratums but they are not widely offered on the New Zealand market despite their spectacular summer display. Abbie Jury Morris Arboretum, United States Originally called Compton and begun by siblings John and Lydia Morris, this Philadelphia estate was their summer home. The Quakers, heirs to the I.P. Morris & Company Iron Works, devoted much of their fortune to developing the grounds. They corresponded with the leading horticulturists of the day, who supplied them with more than 3500 woody plant specimens. The arboretum now belongs to the University of Pennsylvania. www.taranakidailynews.co.nz
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Trenching is a traditional method espoused lately by Lynda Hallinan in the New Zealand Gardener. This involves digging a trench down a row of the vegetable garden and burying kitchen scraps and green waste, covering them immediately with soil.
Transcript of Make your own compost: a step-by-step guide with Abbie and Mark Jury.
Ref: 3437150
THE GIRLZ GARDEN CENTRE
12x1
Great w i thIcecre
amEASY TOGROW
Call us today on (06) 758 8831Open 7 days 8.30am–5.00pm
Cnr Mangorei & Junction RoadNew Plymouth
Goo
dgr
owth
isgained fro
m great knowledge
3435402AA
LargeFruiting
Passionfruit VinesWe have sturdy ready to growplants of Robinsons Giant Black Passionfruit in store now!
Only$11.90eachor 2 for $20
3234722AC
18 Ariki St, NP. Ph (06) 758 4152
Camping This
Summer???
We Can Help!!!!
knowledgeable service with a
conscience - GUARANTEED!
Some Clearance Stock Still Available!
For a free measure and quote phone(06) 756-7997 or mobile 027 448-1849
• All farm concreting
• Total landscaping
MEMBER OF NZ CONCRETE PLACERS ASSOCIATION INC
LIMITEDLIMITED
MEMBER OF NZ CONCRETE PLACERS ASSOCIATION INCMember of LIANZ
For a free measure and quote phone(06) 756 7975 or mobile 027 448-1849
2394
356A
A
55TH ANNUAL55TH ANNUALGLADIOLUS SHOWGLADIOLUS SHOW
NormanbyMemorial Hall
Sunday23rd January1pm – 5pm
Plants for saleAdmissiononly $2.00
Any enquiriesfeel free to phone
06 2728282
3430675AA
Friday, January 21, 2011 TARANAKI DAILY NEWS 11
GARDENING www.taranakidailynews.co.nz
Make your own compost: a step-by-step guide withAbbie and Mark Jury.
Photos: ABBIE JURY
1Trenching is a traditional method espoused lately by Lynda Hallinan in the NewZealand Gardener. This involves digging a trench down a row of the vegetablegarden and burying kitchen scraps and green waste, covering them immediately
with soil. It is easy and tidy and the worms and microbes will break the waste downquickly but it only fertilises a small area at a time. There is no heat generated soweeds and diseased foliage should never be included. Neighbourhood dogs canlearn about digging for victory and may excavate your trench if you add desirablefood waste.
2The black bin. We have one inthe veg garden for kitchenscraps because our compost
heaps are some distance away. It istidy. The contents rot down and aresomething of a sludgy mess thoughthis is fine to spread on thesurrounding garden. The egg shells,however, remain whole and there canbe a problem with spreading diseasethrough potato peelings andbrassicas with club root. It keepsdogs and cats out of the scraps but isnot rodent proof. Because there is noheat generated, it will not destroyweed seeds or diseases (pathogens).The bin has no base to it which makesit easy to lift and move around. It actsmore as a worm farm withoutprovision to gather the worm tea. Ourbin is full of tiger worms.
3If you have manydeciduous plantsand a build up of
too much leaf litter,raking it to a discreetarea of the garden inheaps and leaving itfor several monthscan be an easysolution. It needsplenty of rain tobreak down andthe resultinghumus will notbe as nutritiousas compost butit is clean tohandle, addstexture to thesoil and makesattractive mulch.The leaves piledto the right in thephoto are about30cm higher thanthe path on the leftat this stage butstill look tidy.
4For small town gardens where tidiness is highly prized, the rolling compostdrum may be an excellent option. It is not cheap to buy, expect to pay around$220 upwards, but it is very easy to use and as long as you rotate the drum
often, it will make good compost faster than any other method we know. If you getyour ingredients in the right proportions (more on this next time) and have sufficientmoisture and oxygen, the contents should heat up to kill pathogens and seeds andwill break down quickly, giving you small quantities of good quality compost inreturn for minimal effort. Home handypeople can possibly improvise a cheaperalternative.
5Good compost does not smell, is generally dry and light textured and will leaveyou with clean hands so it is easy to handle. Sludgy muck, as in Step 2, isrotting organic matter where the breakdown is aided by worms and bacteria in
a process which does not generate heat. It still has value but is nowhere near aspleasant to use. Well managed compost can generate enough heat in the processto kill seeds and unwanted fungi and diseases. We will look further at our tried andtrue techniques of how to generate clean compost in the next Outdoor Classroom.
Auratum liliesI don’t cut flowers to bringindoors very often. When everywindow of the house looks out toa garden, it doesn’t seemnecessary. But as soon as theauratum lilies start to open, Ireach for the kitchen scissorsand head out. They are just theperfect cut flower – one stem canhave up to 10 flowers, sometimeseven more, and put in a tall,slender vase they not only looksuperb, they can spread theirdelicious scent through an entireroom.
Auratums are known as thegolden-rayed lily of Japan – howlovely does that sound? Theflowers are the largest of the lilyfamily, often more than 20cmacross, and they are a mainstayof our January garden. FelixJury adored them (probably forall the same reasons that we do)and dabbled with breeding them,
naming several selections. Thisone is the very large floweredFlossie. The upshot is that wehave a lot of auratums in thegarden and generally they arequite happy with benign neglect,growing in both full sun and semishade. They prefer soils withgood drainage and plenty ofhumus but not too rich. Thebulbs are large – fist-sized even –and we tried to get around all theplants last winter to dig anddivide them. They haven’t hadany attention for many, manyyears but when the clumps gettoo congested, the tops tend tofall over if they are not staked.The freshly divided patches aremostly standing up like littlesoldiers without any assistance.Some of the taller ones can getover 2m high and they need somesupport though often I willintertwine them throughneighbouring plants.
You can sometimes find lilybulbs for sale in garden centresin winter. Make sure you avoidany dry, shrivelled specimens –they do not like to be dried outcompletely even when dormant.You may be lucky and find someauratums but they are not widelyoffered on the New Zealandmarket despite their spectacularsummer display.
Abbie Jury
Morris Arboretum,United StatesOriginally called Compton andbegun by siblings John andLydia Morris, this Philadelphiaestate was their summer home.The Quakers, heirs to the I.P.
Morris & Company Iron Works,devoted much of their fortune todeveloping the grounds. Theycorresponded with the leadinghorticulturists of the day, whosupplied them with more than3500 woody plant specimens. Thearboretum now belongs to theUniversity of Pennsylvania.
www.taranakidailynews.co.nz
