Friday, June 13, 2014

IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD TIME TO COMPOST

Pitt County Arboretum Compost Bins

If you don't already compost, it is a good time to start.  At the Arboretum we have a 3-bin system.  Raw materials such as weeds, leaves, deadheaded flowers make up a good portion of our pile.  At home you can add your vegetable and fruit peelings, grass clippings, newspaper, some cardboard, coffee grounds, eggshells, and teabags.  Just think of all the things that won't go to the landfill and in turn can be put back into your soil.  You don't need a fancy set-up.  A simple pile on the ground will suffice.  To quote a recent article in the 'Extension Gardener':
"Compost is a beneficial material used in gardens and landscapes to
 improve soil structure and drainage in clay soils, and to retain
moisture and nutrients in sandy soil.  Compost can also be used as a mulching
or topdressing material around plants or in gardens."

To read more about composting and other garden news, go to the current edition of the Extension Gardener Newsletter

Also for more composting instructions, click HERE.