Fall Composting

   If you have some trees near your home, a lawn and a mower with a bag, fall can be a great time to build up your compost pile. The green grass and fallen leaves make a great mix. I put this mix on top of my compost pile and most of the material will be ready to use next spring.

When my compost bin is almost full I then spread this green grass/leaf mix on my outdoor garden after I've harvested my tomato's and peppers; sort of like a mulch to protect the soil over the winter. Much of this mix will breakdown by spring, what doesn't I work into the soil in the spring. I do not use herbicide's, weed be gone etc. in my lawn. If you do DON"T DO THIS! You could be adding these chemicals to your garden plants i.e. the food you eat.

Please see my first article about composting if you want to learn more.  I have also answered some E-mail questions about composting that good growers might want to read.

Yes, that is a renegade tomato plant I let grow from my compost pile this year. I did not mix the pile around the tomato plant's roots and it seems to be happy, even though it does not get a lot of light. The fruits are free and delicious

Good Growing,
 Dr. E.R. Myers