Your 2024 Garden

[fuzzi]

That's because there is a lot of leeway. It's possible, but not easy, to mess up compost. Use what you have that is plant material, or chicken poop, or coffee grounds, or shredded paper, or left over food....

Some things are "less good" than other things. If you're using an enclosed bin, you don't have to worry about attracting critters. Meat and bones can and will compost, but they might stink, and my open bin would get a bunch of possums or whatever rooting around in it.

As mentioned, avoid any diseased plant material, as the diseases can pass to the soil and infect the next year's plants.

Some of the hottest compost I had was when I brought home egg shells and coffee grounds from my workplace (McDonald's). Wow, it got can't-touch-it hot! I'd dump the morning's waste on top of the pile, then cover with dry leaves, straw, hay. It was more of a lasagna method.

 

[Sally PB]

I grow collards all winter long, as they laugh at snow and ice.

Hmmm.... wonder if they'd like it in my green house? It's only passive solar heat, so it can get down to freezing mid-winter when we don't get much sun, and the angle is still low in the sky.

Wow, it got can't-touch-it hot!

Excellent! That means it's really doing well, and probably killing the stuff you don't want, like weed seeds and any pathogens.

 

[NanaK]

Does anyone here freeze greens for winter use? Spinach, chard?

I do collards and mustard. Only 2 of us so I pick more than enough for 1 meal. Cook them. We eat some and I freeze a couple packs. Then I can just heat and eat when I don't feel like picking, washing and cooking. They freeze great.

I've done the same with spinach when it cooperated and grew well. Chard always grew great but not my favorite so haven't grown it for a while.

 

[NanaK]

Hmmm.... wonder if they'd like it in my green house? It's only passive solar heat, so it can get down to freezing mid-winter when we don't get much sun, and the angle is still low in the sky.

Do it! Collards are tough as spinach.

 

[Sally PB]

I just looked up collard greens cooked in an Instant Pot. Definitely putting collards on my shopping list! It sounds amazing!

 

[fuzzi]

I just looked up collard greens cooked in an Instant Pot. Definitely putting collards on my shopping list! It sounds amazing!

Cook them with a ham bone, it makes a big difference in the taste.

 

[Jenbirdee]

I do collards and mustard. Only 2 of us so I pick more than enough for 1 meal. Cook them. We eat some and I freeze a couple packs. Then I can just heat and eat when I don't feel like picking, washing and cooking. They freeze great.

I've done the same with spinach when it cooperated and grew well. Chard always grew great but not my favorite so haven't grown it for a while.

I always blanche and freeze kale. Lots of kale.!

 

[fuzzi]

Hmmm.... wonder if they'd like it in my green house? It's only passive solar heat, so it can get down to freezing mid-winter when we don't get much sun, and the angle is still low in the sky.

Excellent! That means it's really doing well, and probably killing the stuff you don't want, like weed seeds and any pathogens.

That was back in the 1990s. My current compost efforts are a compost barrel on a crank, and a humongous pile of leaves and yard clippings that I let sit. I do toss flattened boxes on the pile, then rake the leaves over them. The soil at the bottom is black, gorgeous.

The compost barrel gets neglected. My son puts coffee grounds in it on a regular basis, so I occasionally toss in some leaves and give it a whirl. I just don't have the kitchen scraps that I used to add to the compost, most go out in the chicken yard!

 

[Jenbirdee]

So far next years gardenS are casually being mulched with used duck house straw.
My front yard garden was pumpkins in 22, potatoes in 23, and I think I want to fill it with Lambs ears for 24 and following (as it is perennial)
I had lambs ears before and I love all the bees they attract.

 

[Jenbirdee]

That was back in the 1990s. My current compost efforts are a compost barrel on a crank, and a humongous pile of leaves and yard clippings that I let sit. I do toss flattened boxes on the pile, then rake the leaves over them. The soil at the bottom is black, gorgeous.

The compost barrel gets neglected. My son puts coffee grounds in it on a regular basis, so I occasionally toss in some leaves and give it a whirl. I just don't have the kitchen scraps that I used to add to the compost, most go out in the chicken yard!

I have 4 huge compost piles. When one gets too big I start a new one. When I need "black gold" I go dig some up from the oldest pile.