Saturday afternoon, I went to a soil composting class at Growcology. It was very informative.
I have been throwing my kitchen scrapes in my compost for ever, it seems like. But I haven't been able to get my husband to allow me to save ALL the yard cuttings and weeds that have been hoed. I can't even get him to let me have the Jacaranda leaves from the neighbors tree that fall all over my driveway.
Well at this class of soil composting, the things I learned I really have to think about. I need to some how get him to let me put all of it in my compost pile. I have a very big pile of dirt that has been breaking down over the last two years and we have used some of it for various things we have planted, but the quality is probably not all that great.
I found out that I have way too much penicillin in my pile. That means I have to much citrus and when it molds and breaks down there is penicillin in there that kills everything. :(
I some how need to enrich the pile of compost now.
I went to the Growcology class and we had hands on composting. We put the greens in and then the browns, and water and mixed, and repeated this several times until the frames were full and then learned another method.
The next method was sheet mulching. Where you just chop up the exiting weeds and wet it down . Put horse manure on it lightly and wet. Put newspaper on next thick and over lapping and wet. Then some more manure and wet. But this time the layer of manure was about an inch thick. Then wood chips or shavings and wet. Then manure and water, wood chips water, etc. About six or seven layers of theses elements. This helps to build up the soil and at the same time slow or eliminate the weeds. In about six month with moisture but no turning the soil, it is good to plant in.
With about 120 people and all of us doing this , in no time we had a 25- 50 foot long fence line prepared for trees to be planted in.
At the end we were treated to a vermi-compost instruction. Just what I was in need of. I have ordered my worms as of last week and so excited about the fertilizer that I will be producing from my own home. Just from my garbage. Anyone, anywhere, who really wants to provide minerals for their plants of any kind can do this. Even if they live in an apartment it can be done.
Anyway I have some things to think about, wouldn't you say?
My daughter is trying to get approved to sell at the training camps where she was located when she was on the World Race.( This is an eleven month mission trip to eleven countries. This is where Skype comes in real handy and is a much need to stay in touch if possible and sane).
We also would like to be able to give those in need of food and water this season coming up, along with a bible. I have been asking the Lord who is He wanting us to give His word to and I am waiting for His direction.
Anyway, So this last week end my daughter was a 'sew-n-sew'. She went to town. When she wants to do something and makes up her mind to do it, she does good. As God said, "very good".
