Reasons to Compost

My beloved dual chamber compost tumbler rusted through on one side.



We've been composting for 18 years. The tumbler is an intrinsic part of our system. All the kitchen scraps and [suitable] yard waste go in the tumbler, which tremendously speeds decomposition. You can easily give it a turn, instead of spending hour long sessions with a shovel. The tumbler sits on a frame of spindly metal legs which keeps the rats (and other critters) out while the worms do their business. We switch between active and cooking chambers, and empty the goo into the black box to "finish".

I thought we could limp it along until next summer, but the metal literally caves in with slightest touch. Total garden crisis. I talked with my husband, who asked if we could buy replacement parts. No such luck. $499 to replace the entire unit, if you can find it in stock, and money we just don't have right now.

The best options I could come up with were:

a) Stop composting and buy the stuff in a plastic bag.

b) Use only the black box and get rid of the tumbler.

c) Compost only the paper towels, coffee grinds, and egg shells to avoid the rat problem.

I wasn't happy, but tried to look on the bright side. Composting takes a lot of time. You have to stay on top of the mix, or it will easily sour. I was so relieved when Doug said he can fix it, no problem. (That sheet metal shop class from high school keeps sure comes in handy!)

This is why. He took one look at the compost I laid down on Friday.




You can't buy this. It's black gold.



I harvested 4 gorilla carts full of compost this week - that's 5.5 cubic feet per load.

Reasons to Compost

• Plants love compost. It makes the soil friable, and rich with oxygen and nutrients.
• Using compost instead of chemical fertilizer enriches the soil instead of depleting it. Plus you save money by not buying something in a box.
• The birds and salamanders will thank you for providing food instead of poisoning them.
• Compost keeps weeds at bay and significantly reduces water usage.
• It improves drainage, which the plants like, and helps the soil absorb rain instead of creating run off (El Nino).
• Top dressing your plants with a 1 -2" layer protects roots from frost in winter and the heat in summer.
• If you make it, you don't have to buy it - and cart a bunch of dirt around in your car.
• There's no real knowing what's in a box or bag. What you make is a superior product, tuned to the chemistry of your garden.
• Ameliorates the guilt of throwing out fruits and vegetables that didn't get eaten.

Pruning Deadwood and The Right Time

Sometime around June or July, the Rose Lady across the street busted me pruning the ornamental cherry tree out front.

"Tsk, tsk", she murmured. "You shouldn't being doing that at this time of year. It will bleed out."

"But this branch is driving me nuts! It's not in the right place."

I knew she was right, but rationalized it would be okay - until a few days later when I found a pile of goo in the flower bed under the tree, and couldn't figure out what it was...then I looked up, and saw sap flowing from the fresh cut.

I made a silent pact to never again prune at the wrong time, and pondered how there really is a good time - and a bad time.

Like when I over-sowed the wildflower seeds because none sprouted the year before, and then spent countless hours thinning an overgrown mass of seedlings because what I didn't realize is: the seeds didn't thrive the first time because I sowed in late Spring. California wildflowers need to lay dormant throughout a cold winter. The low sprout rate had nothing to do with viability or water or sun - and everything to do with timing.

Everything Worth Knowing About Business I Learned In the Garden
It's not an accident that "pruning deadwood" is a euphemism for letting go of employees that drag a company down. Many companies strategically use periodic layoffs to purge new hires that don't fit in, get rid of long term employees that can't cut it, and dump managers that block change and growth. Just as most plants need regular pruning to stay healthy, companies need to cut the deadwood.

But in the garden, there's a lot more to pruning than just removing the deadwood. My first priority is reducing the risk of breakage when the winter storms come. I thin the crown and lace the branches so the wind and rain can pass freely - instead of getting caught like a sail.

I shape plants to be part of the overall landscape, to create a tapestry instead of a patchwork quilt, with a plant plunked here and another over there. I take my time, sometimes multiple passes with days in between, watching how the plant responds, lest the cuts go to deep.

I take labels with a grain of salt, and spend a lot of time researching, reading what others have to say, and taking pictures of gardens I like.

I know some plants are in the wrong spot, and need to get moved to flourish. Others will never perform and need to come out. Then there's the thugs that try to take over the world, stealing resources and crowding everyone else out - those I jump on swiftly before they spread.

The Right Time
Fall is the time to prune the trees and large shrubs, when the plants are sleepy and the sap runs slow. The branches are clean of leaves and spiders, and the birds are done nesting.

Fortunately, it was only one branch, and the tree survived.

Sometimes, the right thing to do is nothing at all.