Sutton Garden Club

Humanure??

A fellow SGC garden club member sent me a link to a video about the use of human manure in gardening. Once I got beyond the 'yuck' factor, I became quite curious about it's use and the collection process.

First, all manures need to be composted before they can safely be used in vegetable gardens. Fresh manures can be spread on gardens in Fall and Winter where they'll break down and become usable by the following growing season. However, it's best to use a 'hot'/thermophilic method to create a product that is free of harmful pathogens. Composting is a layering process where both green and brown materials are used, with moisture, to create internal heat in the pile to destroy harmful bacteria. Fresh cow, horse, chicken and ,yes, human manures are alternately layered with dry leaves and weeds or grass clippings, for example. What surprised me, though, was the suggestion that meats and fats could also be added to the compost pile. Everything that I had ever read in the past always vehemently cautioned against their use. According to this single source, if the pile becomes hot enough, these too will break down and become a nutrient source for the final composted product.

The collection methods for human manure vary. In China, human (and animal waste) are refered to as 'nightsoil'. Each evening, the household would empty the contents of their daily waste into a holding tank where it would ferment until usable. It would then be applied as a liquid form fertilizer to rainfed gardens (eg. vegetable, rice and wheat). In other countries(eg.,Canada and Europe), a sawdust toliet is used and the waste material collected and layered, according to traditional composting methods, with green and brown garden wastes. Here the pile heats up to kill the harmful bacteria and, when cooled, is spread on the gardens. With the constant addition of manure to your compost pile it will heat up and break down rather quickly, resulting in dark, humus-like compost (smelling of woodland!) in three to six months.

For an entertaining, informative and humorous approach to this subject, be sure to watch this video.

Happy gardening!!

 

 

Taking Stock

Happy New Year! What a lovely beginning with temperatures reaching 60 plus degrees in some areas.

January isn't considered a 'gardening month' but it's the time of year when we gardeners have more time to relax and reflect on the previous seasons successes and failures and to plan for the upcoming growing season. Catalogues will be coming in the mail in a pretty steady stream for a while with enticing color photos and descriptions and some include valuable gardening advice, as well. We are most familiar with names like Burpee, Stokes, Select Seeds, Cook's Garden, Johnny's and Thomson & Morgan. However, I've come across an article listing a number of catalogues I've never heard of before: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Botanical Interests, and Kitazawa Seed Company (Asian Vegetables) to name a few. Click here for the entire list.

Taking stock, or rather making stock, is also something we could be doing now. It's best if you tend to buy organic vegetables at the market, if not, you'll need to scrub and wash them well. Take the peelings of carrots, potato, squash, etc., that you usually toss into the garbage or disposal and put them in a large stock pot. If you've got some vegetables that have wilted (parsley, green onions)or are past their prime( tomato, green pepper, celery), cut them up and add them to the pot. Cover with water, add a tablespoon of whole peppercorns, 2-3 bay leaves, 2-3 cloves garlic or whatever flavorings you'd like and simmer for at least an hour. Strain out the solids and discard. Freeze the stock in an ice cube tray or in portions you would use to make hearty stews and winter soups. Mmmm! 

 

 

Herbs, Tomatoes and Mulch

I've come across a unique design for a 'formal' herb garden. Instead of the ususal square with geometric plantings veiwed from outside the garden, this one is round with paths drawing you inside to view the plants closeup. Although this example was planted with herbs hardy to the deep South, it's a design worth considering adapting to our New England climate.

I've done some postings in the past about pruning techniques for tomato plants. This video may be a repeat of some of that information, however, I feel it's worth revisiting. There's an excellent description of the difference between determinate and indeterminate tomatoes and the pruning techniques for best tomato yields from each type.

'Mulch: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'-now that's quite a title for an article! The main purpose for spreading mulch in our gardens is to reduce weeding, maintain an even soil temperature and retain moisture. Second to these reasons is aesthtics-it makes the garden, as a whole, look really nice. However, not all materials are well suited to be used as mulch and some may actually be toxic to the environment. The black mulch, that's coveted by so many, is made from ground wooden pallets and then dyed. I'd be concerned about spreading that in my gardens! Gravel and stone are sometimes used as 'mulch'. However, they can cause the soil to heat up and dry out. This is fine for succulents and some herbs but may not be suitable for other types of plants.

'Thyme' on your hands? Lucky you! The aromas of the various cultivars of this herb make working in the garden a far mor pleasant chore. Planted along garden pathways as 'stepables', on steep bankings and even in partial shade (wooly thyme for this location), they are virtually carefree. Once established, these herbs will not require fertilizer or watering. 'In fact, dry conditions improve plant vigor, and poor soil increases aromatic oil production, making thymes more fragrant.' My favorite is lemon thyme. What's yours? With over a hundred different varieties, there's bound to be one you'll love to have in your garden.