10 Things to Do Now for a Better Garden Next Spring

Daox · 11-19-10, 07:59 AM

Some decent tips with lots of links to additional info which is always nice.

BTW, anyone try trench composting as mentioned in the article? Sounds like a good idea to me.

10 Things to Do Now for a Better Garden Next Spring - Planet Green

strider3700 · 11-19-10, 10:02 AM

I trench compost kitchen scraps from roughly july to october up here. I do it because my compost bin tends to be full by then and I want to be 100% sure there is no smell issues for my neighbours. End of october I empty the bin onto the gardens and start again for next year.

This year the trench composting went to a whole new level as I had probably 50 pounds of tomatoes that spoiled so I just dug holes and put the cardboard boxes they were in and all directly in the ground. I turned the garden over about a month and a half later and could identify parts of the boxes but the tomatoes had turned to a brown sludge with a ton of worms. they should be gone by spring.

One thing to remember though the seeds from everything will not breakdown in this process, there is no way it will get hot enough so if I don't turn the area and kill them I will have thousands of baby tomato, pepper, pumpkin,... plants coming up next spring. As well if any of the stuff was diseased it can't go in any compost but definitely not trench composting. It would almost certainly just infect your garden soil.

RobSmith · 04-28-11, 05:52 PM

I do trench composting too. I find it works really well because the scraps break down really quickly where I live in Oregon. Nature does it's work without too much fussing about.

basjoos · 04-30-11, 08:14 PM

I sheet compost in the garden paths. In the hot, humid southeast climate, the scraps disappear quickly and the organic matter formed can be forked onto the nearest bed when needed. It never made sense to me to haul tons of stuff over to a corner of the garden to make a compost pile, then turn around and haul the resultant compost over to another part of the garden to be incorporated into planting beds. All my weeds and other plant debris go into the paths to sheet compost where my foot traffic also helps to mash them into the ground where the worms can get to them easier.

I also don't plant cover crops since the local weeds can plant themselves and their seeds are free. I just cut the weeds down for mulch before they produce seed.

ella1985 · 07-11-11, 02:15 AM

Thanks for such impressive tips on how to do this.

strider3700 · 07-11-11, 06:42 PM

I'll have to take some pictures of the garden where I trench composted. As I said it doesn't get hot enough to kill the seeds. I've got dozens of sunflowers, what looks like pumpkin, some kale, and a bunch of tomatoes pushing through. This is after turning 3 or 4 times and then planting the area. I'm going to go with it...

11-19-10, 07:59 AM	#1
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	10 Things to Do Now for a Better Garden Next Spring Some decent tips with lots of links to additional info which is always nice. BTW, anyone try trench composting as mentioned in the article? Sounds like a good idea to me. 10 Things to Do Now for a Better Garden Next Spring - Planet Green __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

04-30-11, 08:14 PM	#4
basjoos Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 75 Thanks: 0 Thanked 10 Times in 7 Posts	I sheet compost in the garden paths. In the hot, humid southeast climate, the scraps disappear quickly and the organic matter formed can be forked onto the nearest bed when needed. It never made sense to me to haul tons of stuff over to a corner of the garden to make a compost pile, then turn around and haul the resultant compost over to another part of the garden to be incorporated into planting beds. All my weeds and other plant debris go into the paths to sheet compost where my foot traffic also helps to mash them into the ground where the worms can get to them easier. I also don't plant cover crops since the local weeds can plant themselves and their seeds are free. I just cut the weeds down for mulch before they produce seed. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-19-10, 10:02 AM	#2
strider3700 Master EcoRenovator Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Vancouver Island BC Posts: 745 Thanks: 23 Thanked 37 Times in 30 Posts	I trench compost kitchen scraps from roughly july to october up here. I do it because my compost bin tends to be full by then and I want to be 100% sure there is no smell issues for my neighbours. End of october I empty the bin onto the gardens and start again for next year. This year the trench composting went to a whole new level as I had probably 50 pounds of tomatoes that spoiled so I just dug holes and put the cardboard boxes they were in and all directly in the ground. I turned the garden over about a month and a half later and could identify parts of the boxes but the tomatoes had turned to a brown sludge with a ton of worms. they should be gone by spring. One thing to remember though the seeds from everything will not breakdown in this process, there is no way it will get hot enough so if I don't turn the area and kill them I will have thousands of baby tomato, pepper, pumpkin,... plants coming up next spring. As well if any of the stuff was diseased it can't go in any compost but definitely not trench composting. It would almost certainly just infect your garden soil.

04-28-11, 05:52 PM	#3
RobSmith Lurking Renovator Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Portland Oregon Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I do trench composting too. I find it works really well because the scraps break down really quickly where I live in Oregon. Nature does it's work without too much fussing about.

07-11-11, 02:15 AM	#5
ella1985 Lurking Renovator Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: USA Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thanks for such impressive tips on how to do this.

07-11-11, 06:42 PM	#6
strider3700 Master EcoRenovator Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Vancouver Island BC Posts: 745 Thanks: 23 Thanked 37 Times in 30 Posts	I'll have to take some pictures of the garden where I trench composted. As I said it doesn't get hot enough to kill the seeds. I've got dozens of sunflowers, what looks like pumpkin, some kale, and a bunch of tomatoes pushing through. This is after turning 3 or 4 times and then planting the area. I'm going to go with it...