Grow Your Own, Nevada! Fall 2011: Growing and Composting in Small Places

AA/EO

• Angela O‟Callaghan, Ph.D.

• Area Specialist

• Social Horticulture

Gardening in small places

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What do you want

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Definitions

Photosynthesis Plant takes water

and carbon dioxide

and creates sugar.

Takes place

only in light

Requires

energy

Respiration Plants breaks down

sugar into carbon

dioxide and water

Takes place in

light and in

dark

Gives off

energy

Transpiration Plants carry water

from soil through

leaves. Nutrients

are dissolved in

water

Pull from the

leaves delivers

water and

nutrients

Keeps plants

upright

Light:

Amount Duration Direction

Nutrient levels

Water (precipitation or irrigation)

Day temperature

Night temperature

Protection from Pests:

insects

weeds disease 2/25/2013 4

Patio gardener‟s tool kit

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Before starting, answer the following

• Easy access to water?

• How many hours of sunlight does the area

receive?

• From what direction is the light?

• What is the level of time, strength &

interest?

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Getting started

Often easiest to start annuals from seed.

Can be planted in a tray or in peat pellets (dry out too quickly?) .

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Starting seeds

indoors

Can be more or

less of a

production

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• Do not use field soil

• Use potting mix (peat moss, perlite, vermiculite,

nutrients)

• Seed per package directions

• Maintain moisture

• Temperature – Key

Too high, spindly plants that dry out quickly

Too cool, promote disease

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• Root system will

develop before top

growth.

• Roots must be

clean and healthy

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.

• Transplant seedlings after true leaves have

formed

• NEVER pull or handle the transplant by the

stem (throat)

• Exercise care not to destroy roots

Plants that have large seeds tend to be

less successful as transplants

– Beans

– Corn

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• We have small yards or patios

• We want a lot out of a small space

• We must resist the temptation to crowd so

much together that we make the plants

unhappy and ourselves crazed.

• Hardy, even frost tolerant

• Seeds germinate at lower temperature

• Root systems shallower

• Plants smaller

• May be susceptible to bolting if - too cool or

too warm for too long

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• Roots

• Tubers

• Stems

• Leaves

• Up to, not including, flowers

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• Must have 8 hours or more bright direct light

• Generally grow best between 70 and 80

(with exceptions)

• Most seeds will not germinate at temperatures

< 50

• Produce may suffer chilling injury at

temperatures < 50

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Warm season vegetables

• Flowers

• Fruits

• Seeds

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• Most herbs are grown either for leaves

(basil, oregano, mint) or flowers (dill)

• Many can grow as companion plants

• Some (e.g. mint) should be kept in pots to

control spread

• May be used as houseplants

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• Garden can be

– in the ground, well amended soil

– In a raised bed

– In a pot

– In a barrel

• It’s up to the gardener

• AS LONG AS THERE IS SUFFICIENT

DRAINAGE and FERTILITY

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•Unglazed clay (terra cotta)

•Glazed clay

•Plastic

•Wood

•Biodegradable material

•Large

•Small

•Sitting

•Hanging 2/25/2013 23

Express the gardener‟s taste

Sophisticated

Rustic

Urban

Antique

Eclectic

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Not for all crops

Can be built to size, height and mobility

needs of gardener

Can be made of

brick, block, wood,

plastic, etc.

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Dry faster than sitting

Smaller dry faster than

larger

Clay faster than plastic

or glazed

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• Insulation

• Conserves water

• Moderates heat

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Mulching

• Even a plant in a pot can be mulched

• Conserves water

• Keeps temperature more level

• Your choice of materials

• Vegetables are often grown as annuals,

although they may technically be something

else

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• We treat most of the vegetables we grow as

annuals, whether they are or not

• Many of our common vegetables are not

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• Annuals will flower and produce seeds once

before dying

• Biennials will flower and produce seeds once,

and only if they have experienced a chilling

period with short days

• The desired part of many biennial vegetables

is produced only in the first year

• Perennials can produce for several years

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Flowering broccoliFlowering carrots

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Gardeners generally need to increase fertility

Soluble fertilizers are commonly used– May be organic or

conventional

– Very convenient

– Concentrated levels of nutrients

– In addition to NPK, micronutrients may be present

– Potted plants – often best to fertilize with ¼ strength with each watering.

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If you want to grow

organically, then

conventional

fertilizers are a no-no

If you want what is

usually most

convenient, then

organic methods

might be too much of

a bother

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How do you water these things?

Irrigation, hose,

watering can

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• Ongoing fresh crop of plants

• Some plants are only used fresh

• For instance, leafy greens

• For an ongoing supply,

– time from planting to mature plant

– amount that is planted at any one time

– How long plant(s) will stay usable

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• Bolted

• No flowering

• No fruiting

• Tip burn

• Blossom end rot

• Fruit cracked

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• Premature flower stalk

production

• Plant stress

• Excess heat

• Excess cold

• Incorrect day length

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• Nitrogen fertilizer applied just at flowering

• Insufficient phosphorus

• High winds

• High temperatures

• Incorrect day length

• Flowering stalks pruned off (problem with

woody plants)

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• When leaf was first developing, shortage of

calcium reached growth point.

• Result of irregular or insufficient watering

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• Similar to tip burn

• Water deficiency as fruit first developed

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• Temperature too high, water

taken up too fast, cracks skin512/25/2013

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Summary

• Right plant in the right place

• Plant when conditions are right

• Plant in well amended soil or good mix

• Containers should be big enough

• Containers

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Composting in small places

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Sawdust 100-500:1 Very high carbon!Paper 150-200:1 Bark 100-130:1 Wheat straw 80:1 Oat straw 74:1 Corn stalks 60:1 Leaves 40-80:1 Fruit wastes 35:1 Horse manure 25:1Vegetable wastes 12-20:1 Grass clippings 12-25:1 Apple pomace 21:1 Cow manure 20:1 Coffee grounds 20:1 Alfalfa hay 13:1 Poultry manure, fresh 10:1 Very high nitrogen!

Carbon

Nitrogen

ratios

54

N

C

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TYPES OF COMPOSTING

• Pile hot

• Tumblers hot

• Bins hot

• Trench cold

• Worms cold

Which is best for you?

1. How much space do you have?

2. How much biodegradable material do you

have?

3. How much compost will you need?

4. How much labor can you reasonably

perform?

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Hot or cold?

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Starting compost

1--Place a layer of coarse material several inches

thick for drainage on the ground

2--Place a layer of high nitrogen material ~3”

3--Place a layer of high carbon material ~6”

4--Place a layer of garden soil (&/or fertilizer or

“compost booster”) ~1”

5--Water thoroughly.

Repeat numbers 2 through 5

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Turn the pile – or not?

• Pile can be turned regularly

using a garden fork or a special

auger - Or

• Pile can be constructed, mixed

once and left to degrade slowly

- Or

• Pile can be constructed in layers

(lasagna) and left to degrade

very slowly

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Compost worms

• Red wigglers (Eisinia

foetida)

• Hungrier and tolerate

higher temperatures than

„nightcrawlers‟

• Very fast degrading of

materials

• Worms eat raw materials

• May eat their own weight

daily

• Foodstuff ground in

gizzard

• Microorganisms in worms

themselves and in

degrading materials also

involved

• Little heat generated

• compost = worm castings

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Worm bins

feedstock worms

wormsworms

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different methods

Electric heat & regular

agitation

NOT exactly composting

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http://www.naturemill.com/video_histChan.html

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Trench

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Slower

Anaerobic microbes do

work

Bury starter material

near new garden

Add small amount of

fertilizer

C/N ration not critical

Will smell bad if opened

before complete

Bokashi (anaerobic)

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Problems to confront

• Dry air

– Always keep lightly moistened

• Hot

– Place in a shady space if possible

– Always have a cover

• Insects

• Odors

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Bugs happen. They benefit compost & help to expedite process by breaking down starting material

No pesticides! Can kill bugs and worms

Decrease amount of flies and other insects in compost by freezing starting material before putting it in the composter

If roaches are a big problem, put DE on top of pile

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Compost should smell like fresh soil

Foul smells may be due to Anaerobic conditions – stir to add oxygen

Too much green or large green clumps – add some browns and stir well

Always make the top layer of the

compost brown

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Not Composting???

Possible causes:

• Turned too often, heat doesn‟t generate

• Not turned often enough, process is very slow

• Too much carbon, no food for microbes

• Pile too small, microbes can‟t get established

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Compost tea

• A brew of compost in water

• ~ one part compost to five parts water

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Compost tea (CONT.)

Properties will vary with:

1. Starting materials

2. Length of brewing time

3. Level of aeration and stirring

• Insufficient air will cause it to go anaerobic

and smell foul

Summary

Compost

• Is a terrific source of plant nutrients

• Is a source of many beneficial

microorganisms

• May control plant disease, both as compost

and tea

• Lowers the amount of organic garbage

going to the landfill.

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