Compost Boosts Your Gardening Efforts

The leaves of autumn not only provide beautiful color, but also can be a source of plant nutrients through composting. Composted leaves and other plant material also help conserve moisture, improve the physical properties of the soil and reduce weed competition. Leaves and other yard wastes are banned from most landfills, making composting a viable alternative for homeowners.

Composting is the decomposition of organic materials including leaves, kitchen scraps, grass clippings, spent vegetable plants and other organic material. Avoid composting pine needles, citrus rinds, corncobs and pecan shells; they break down very slowly. Do not add meat scraps to a compost pile; they attract unwanted animals such as skunks or opossums.

Pile spent leaves and other organic material, along with soil and fertilizer, into a large compost "sandwich." If possible, shred leaves through a mower to expedite the decomoposition process. Start with a layer of leaves 10 inches or more and then add an inch of soil and a sprinkling of fertilizer. Then add another 10-inch layer of leaves. Microbes within the soil accelerate the decomposition of leaves and other material. Organic fertilizer companies have packaged bacteria and other microorganisms that specifically break down organic materials. Fertilizer supplies nitrogen, feeding the microbes that break down organic matter.

Compost bins can be as simple as a piece of wire or a pressure treated lumber frame, to electric drums which automatically turn composting material.

Turn compost piles occasionally to prevent unpleasant odors and to hasten decomposition. Turning also exposes unwanted weed seeds, insects and pathogens to high temperatures. The center of an actively decomposing pile should reach 150 to 160 degrees to complete the process.

The final product from the compost pile should be brown and earthy, similar to peat moss. Composting usually takes a year to complete.

-Darrell Blackwelder

from Cooperative Extension's Successful Gardener newsletter published monthly and available in-store free of charge at Stone Bros. & Byrd

  Cover Crops Enrich Soil

Improve your garden soil for better crop production by growing a cover crop in the off-season. Cover crops help maintain soil fertility and productivity while also helping prevent soil erosion. In addition, they help suppress weeds and reduce insect pests and diseases.

Green manure is the term used for cover crops that are incorporated into the soil while green or soon after flowering for the purpose of improving the soil. The type of cover crop you choose depends on the time of planting and your primary objective. Plant winter cover crops in late summer or fall when garden spots would otherwise lie fallow for the winter. Plant summer green manure crops in the spring to improve the conditions of poor soil. Grasses generally are used to increase organic matter and suppress weeds. Legumes add nitrogen to the soil. Consider some of the following species to fit your needs.

Recommended summer annual legumes include cowpea, soybean, velvetbean and sunnhemp. Sorghumsudangrass, German millet, pearl millet and Japanese millet are non-legumes for summer use.

Good winter annual legumes are crimson clover (photograph left), berseem clover and hairy vetch. Winter rye is a good choice if you are looking for a winter annual grass. Annual ryegras also can be used but be cautious as it can become a future weed problem in some situations. Mixtures of legumes and grass species also can be used to optimize the benefits of cover crops.

-Mike Wilder

from NC Cooperative Extension's Successful Gardener newsletter published monthly and available in-store free of charge at Stone Bros. & Byrd

  Fall Fescue Lawn Care Is First Step to Beautiful Fescue Lawn Next Spring

A look around most neighborhoods reveals that lawn care ranges from the perfect, lush green carpet to lawns that cry out for help, with many in-between these two ends of the spectrum. Here is a tip that works for anyone, regardless of their lawn condition. A beautiful lawn next spring begins this fall. Use this guide to improve the look of your lawn. Now is the time to start!

Establishing a New Lawn

• When planting a new lawn, put a lot of emphasis on soil preparation. Have the soil tested. Based on the results, apply the needed lime and fertilizer, and mix these materials into the top six to eight inches of the soil.
• For seeding a fescue lawn, the rule of thumb is to apply six pounds per 1,000 square feet of lawn.
• Mulch the newly seeded lawn lightly with straw in areas that are prone to erosion and to keep moisture around the seed.
• Keep the seed moist with frequent light waterings, two to three times per day.
• As the seed begins to germinate, water for longer periods and less frequently.
• Begin mowing when the grass is about four inches high.

Renovating an Exising Lawn

• Early fall is also the best time to renovate fescue lawns. A way to renovate a lawn is to overseed an existing stand of grass.
• Remove weeds prior to overseeding. If using a herbicide, follow instructions. Remember to use postemergence herbicides four to six weeks before overseeding. If you use a nonselective herbicide, such as Roundup, do so seven to ten days prior to renovation.
• Mow grass at the lowest setting and collect the clippings. If needed, use a dethatcher at this time to collect thatch in the grass. Next, core aerate to provide good seed to soil contact.
• Apply a starter fertilizer, according to directions, over the prepared lawn area.
• Apply the grass seed at the rate of about three pounds per 1,000 square feet of area.
• Keep renovated area moist with light sprinklings of water several times daily. As the seed germinates, reduce the frequency of watering.
• Mow the renovated lawn at a height of 2.5 to 3.5 inches. Do not bag clippings.
• In November, make your second fertilizer application. Also apply lime in November if soil test indicates a need.
• Use proper lawn management to prevent having to renovate annually.

Caring for an Established Lawn

• If you have not had a soil test within the last two to three years, complete this now. Test results will indicate how much lime, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium your lawn needs. You can use a complete fertilizer with a ratio of 4:1:2 or 3:1:3 (N-P-K or nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium) in lieu of a soil test but it is not a good substitute for a soil test. Fertilize the fescue lawn in September, November and March, using one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn.
• Continue to water the lawn in the fall, applying about one inch of water per week early in the morning.
• For weed problems, apply a broad leaf herbicide this fall. Be sure to follow label directions.
• Core aerate compacted lawns to move air and water down to the roots. This can be followed by seeding. If your lawn is well-established do not overseed.
• Continue to mow fescue grass during the fall months at a height of 2.5 to 3.5 inches.

-Toby Bost

from Cooperative Extension's Successful Gardener newsletter published monthly and available in-store free of charge at Stone Bros. & Byrd

  Pansies Brighten Winter

Pansies are a delicate-looking flower often with a "face." The delicate looks do not mean they are fragile. This charming plant is quite durable, blooming prolifically from fall, when planted, through the spring when they perish due to the heat.

The plant itself is compact, not more than 9 inches in both height and spread. As garden annuals go, this plant has one of the widest color ranges. The flowers may be of a single color or have two or three colors with a face. Flower colors include red, purple, blue, pink, black, orange, yellow, white, lavender, apricot and mahogany.

Another quality of interest to gardeners is fragrance. Some pansies have a delicate perfume-like aroma. The yellow and blue pansy flowers seem to have the strongest scent. Grow pansies in mass plantings or in containers. The idea is to concentrate the fragrant bouquet as well as the color of many plants in one area for a striking effect.

Pansies can be started inside from seed about 6 to 8 weeks before it's time to transplant them. Plant them in the garden once the summer heat breaks and cooler weather arrives. Pansies grow and flower best at temperatures below 65 degrees F, making them ideal for fall plants.

Pansy popularity continues to increase due to their ease of growing. They are relatively disease- and pest-free, blooming profusely for the gardeners' enjoyment.

-Karen Neill

from NC Cooperative Extension's Successful Gardener newsletter published monthly and available in-store free of charge at Stone Bros. & Byrd