Welcome to the November meeting. Today we again have a cooperative meeting with guest Molly Dupre of Gateway Greenings at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. Molly is the Education Coordinator working with the surrounding schools about Vernicompost, grow lab and school garden projects.

     As we learned last month, how important fall is for planting and why. Fall is also time to enjoy football games – making or purchasing cider to sip/enjoy and great gardening.

     Stress reduction for plants. Fall installation gives plants a chance to establish a strong root system. Plants entering dormancy are not under pressure to produce top growth and blooms. Most perennials flower in the spring. However, if planted then, they may not have enough time to bloom.

     Water requirements diminish. In many parts of the country fall and winter are wet months, the heat is reduced and transpiration reduced, reducing the need for watering. This doesn’t mean you can forgo watering altogether. Always check soil moisture during the fall or winter months. Fall is more forgiving than summer, when plants can die quickly if you forget to water.

     Mulch sources abound. Leaves and grass clippings are plentiful in fall. In the past, these might have been thrown on a bonfire, but now we put them to good use as mulch. Mulch aids moisture retention and reduces weeds.

     With all of the above mulch make a nice neat blanket/cover for your landscape with all the advantages of keeping warmth, moisture and temperature fluctuation down, plus a natural way of feeding.

     Feeding your landscape/garden naturally, or some call it organic gardening – I feel it just makes logic sense and cents. You do need to be aware that if you have diseased peony stems, that should NOT put into the compost and remove them from the site/location.

     Composting, for all is really quite easy and as simple as having a leaf pile. Basically there are only two “rules” to composting: Stop throwing that stuff away, and pile it up somewhere.

     The rest is all the solar-powered naturally and bioactiveately. Natural “sheet” composting has been keeping our forest soils fluffy and loose for eons, without our being buried neck-deep in leaves.

     But we’ve gotten so used to having our yard debris hauled from our curbside to a landfill, some folks have begun thinking that leaves are an unnatural thing in the yard. This must stop.

     You might say what is compost….? Compost is a dark, (usually) partially decomposed/decomposing form of natural organic matter. These are by-products of the landscape. Garden and can be turned into useful compost additive. In many cases, the compost will serve the same function as peat moss and thereby reducing your gardening costs. Returning these organic materials to the landscape perpetuates our natural biological cycles and is an ecologically sensible way of gardening.

     Composting is a fast, systematic way of building your own topsoil and is basic to gardening naturally. Since the beginning of time nature has been decomposing waste through composting. When plants, insects, and animals die, their waste is returned to the soil. Soil organisms decompose them so their nutrients can be used again by plants. Technically, composting is taking place all around us. By organizing waste material around us, we can speed up the composting process and thus become better stewards of our environment.

     As communities all across America start to become more environmentally conscience, and start to ban certain waste from public landfills including grass clippings, leaves, paper, and other natural materials, composting will become a part of our everyday lives!

HOW TO START YOUR OWN BACKYARD COMPOST PILE

1. Location. If you are the first on your block to start a compost pile, a hidden or out-of-the way location may be preferred by your neighbors. Find a flat spot with good drainage, but not beyond the reach of your garden hose. Full sun is likely to dry out your compost pile, so try to find an area that provides some shade but is still far enough from trees that their roots won’t compete for the compost’s nutrients.
2. Shape. Although it is not absolutely necessary to have a compost pile enclosed, a bin is the neat, practical and efficient way to go. You can buy a ready-made bin or fashion your own from flexible wire fencing material. The pile should be no more than 4 feet high or the weight of the material will suffocate the bottom layers.
3. Contents. Anything that used to be part of a plant or animal can be used for compost. That list includes straw, manure, grass clippings, ashes, coffee grounds, sawdust, leaves, paper, vegetable peelings and bird feathers. Some municipalities do not allow any food scraps to be placed in an outdoor compost bin, so check local ordinances. At any rate, avoid food scraps with high fat content like meat and dairy products.
4. Preparation. You can hasten the decomposition process by shredding material before putting it into the compost bin. Leaves, for instance, take quite awhile to break down unless they are shredded first. If you don’t own or have access to a chipper/shredder machine, try mowing and collecting dry leaves in a bagging attachment before composting them.
5. Layering. Your compost pile will need air and water to generate enough heat to work properly, so it is best to layer the contents. Alternate several inches of “wet” material like grass clippings, vegetable peelings or manure with several more inches of “dry” material like straw, bark or dry leaves.
6. Ventilation. A compost pile takes in oxygen and gives off carbon dioxide, so it needs fresh air. Turn the contents in the pile with a rake, pitchfork or specially designed compost turning tool once a week. If you turn it more often you’ll slow down the decomposition process; if you turn it less often the pile will likely start to smell.
7. Watering. A compost pile needs moisture, but too much water will drown it. The contents should feel like a squeezed-out sponge; add only enough water to bring a dry pile to that consistency.
8. Troubleshooting. Take a whiff of your compost pile as you turn it. If you smell ammonia, be assured that everything is working as it should. If the pile smells bad, like rotten eggs, it isn’t getting enough oxygen. In this case, cut down on watering, add more dry material to the pile and turn it often enough that the extra moisture evaporates. A pile that does not smell at all is probably so dry that decomposition has stopped. In cold weather the pile may freeze, but don’t worry; it will start up slowly again in the spring.

4 Easy Steps to Compost:

1. Choose a site.
2. Build a bin.
3. Mix ingredients and add to bin.
4. Turn your compost.

Step 2: Three of the most inexpensive compost bins include the block or brink bin, the picket fence bin, and the welded wire bin. We have found that the welded wire bin is the easiest and least expensive to build, costing less than $10.00.

Step 3: Having constructed our bin, it is now time to prepare our compost pile shopping list of materials to add to our bin. To be successful your compost bin should have alternating layers of grass clippings, leaves and soil, along with a measure of Natural-Guard Enriched Compost Maker on top of each layer. Continue adding ingredients and over a period of time you should have a pile at least 4 feel high or a minimum of 6 to 7 layers for a good compost gin. Once the material is layered and watered, it will begin heating up and the composting process will begin.

Step 4: To assure top quality compost it is very important that the compost material be turned. This can be done with a garden fork or an aerating tool. Keep turning the pile weekly and you should have finished compost in 5 to 8 weeks.

Finished Compost: The compost you have made is now ready to be mixed with soil for a variety of uses, from improving garden soil to using it as a mulch over spring bulbs and perennials. So relax and dig your compost into the soil.

     Beyond incorporating compost into your soil it can also be a great mulch. The big advantage is that you can as the seasons change incorporate the mulch into your soil as a multi-purpose function.

Mulch: Is it always beneficial?

     Natural mulch occurs in moist forests where leaf and stem litter forms a thick organic layer beneath plant canopies. Because most of our landscape trees and shrubs come from such areas, we try to recreate this litter in landscapes where, generally, it is not allowed to accumulate. We assume that this mimicking of nature is beneficial to plants, and that the effects in the man-made environment will be the same. Unfortunately, there is little research to substantiate this.

Mulch selection: When you select a mulch, these are the most important criteria:

• Make certain that it permits an exchange of gases between air and soil.
• Be sure that it allows water to penetrate. Too often mulch selection is based on local availability and aesthetics. Also consider these factors:
• Uniformity of color and texture
• Ease of application
• Fire resistance
• Wind resistance
• Erosion resistance
• Possible toxicity to plants
• Permanence. Consider how long it will last.

Soil water effects. By dissipating the impact energy of each raindrop, mulches reduce both soil erosion and surface compaction. This is beneficial for water infiltration.

     The greatest benefit of mulches, however, is their ability to prevent or reduce evaporative loss of soil moisture. As evaporation occurs, water is drawn to the soil surface and lost to the air. The right mulch can act as a barrier to break up the flow of water from the soil to the air, making the soil-moisture profile more uniform and better for plant growth.

     The mulch’s physical structure influences how much moisture is conserved. Mulches coarser than the soil beneath reduce the rate of water loss from the soil surface by slowing down the diffusion rate from the soil to the air.

     If the mulch is fine or compacted, it contains smaller air spaces. This hastens the loss of soil capillary water. Generally, mulches with the lowest water-holding capacities allow less soil moisture to escape through evaporation.

     Reports of increases in the water-holding capacity of the soil through the use of mulches, as noted in some literature, are misleading: Change does not occur when material merely lies on the soil surface. Generally, mulches do not change the soil structure and, thus, the soil’s water-holding capacity is unaltered. However, when organic mulches periodically incorporated or decomposed over the time leach into the soil, the soil structure can change.

Soil temperature.

     Mulches are also credited with keeping the soil warmer during cold weather and cooler during warm weather. Generally, they do insulate the soil, which moderates the day-to-night and season-to-season fluctuations. This moderation or buffering effect is reported to be beneficial for root growth, but this effect should not be overemphasized.

     Generally, inorganic mulches permit more divergence in soil temperature (higher in the day and lower in the night) than organic mulches. Both types keep soil temperatures cooler during the summer. Plant response differs depending on the mulch used. Some plants grow better in cooler soils; others do better in warmer soils. Although there has been little research, the buffering effect mulches have on soil temperature may be beneficial during the fall when soil temperature can be kept higher longer into the season. With higher temperatures, root growth continues. When the soil remains unfrozen longer, aboveground stems have extended access to soil moisture, thus potentially averting some winter damage due to desiccation.

     The extent to which a mulch insulates soil for a longer period into the fall is directly related to the heat conductivity of the mulch. Tightly packed or densely structured materials allow quicker heat loss than looser ones.

     Mulches also reduce the depth of frost penetration and the corresponding condition of heaving due to alternate freezing and thawing. Roots, with their inherent decreased tolerance to low temperatures, can be protected from winter damage. The reduction or prevention of soil heaving also protects small fall transplants.

Mulch Application tips.

Before applying mulch, prepare the soil:

• Remove weeds
• Moisten dry soil.
• Aerify compacted soil.
• Incorporate or remove old mulch to prevent the build-up of too thick a layer.
• Build the mulched area beyond the grip line of trees because tree roots extend well beyond the drip line.
• Apply pre-emergent herbicides and fertilizers before you apply mulch.
• Be careful when applying rock-sized mulches around woody plants. Avoid damaging their stem and trunk tissue.
• Use a week-control mat beneath the mulch to reduce the amount of mulch required. It also will drastically reduce the decomposition rate of organic mulches. However, avoid using weed-control mats with self-rooting ground covers, such as ajuga, ivy, vinca, etc.
• Apply most mulches 3 to 4 inches deep. Coarser-textured materials may be used in thicker layers. Finer-textured mulches (like peat or sawdust) should be used in thinner layers.
• After settling, mulch should be 3 to 4 inches deep around woody plants and 2 to 3 inches deep around herbaceous perennials. Use only a light mulch over evergreen herbaceous perennials in winter, and pull it back in spring to allow soil warming. Mulch sandy soils deeper than heavy or wet soils.

  Please visit our Compost Display Site at Queeny Park next to the Dog Museum. Everyone please also pick up a copy of the Homeowner’s Composting Guide distributed by St. Louis County Department of Health and County Parks, and all the great information Molly brought us from Gateway Greening.

  FALL GARDENING CHECKLIST

  The American Nursery and Landscape Association (Formerly American Association of Nurserymen) suggests the following general guidelines for all yard and garden maintenance. For advice tailored to your specific growing zone, clip this list and review it with your local garden center.

       Rake leaves onto compost pile or shred and use for mulch.
       Fall is garden clean up time. Trim back spent perennials (except roses).
  Chop up debris and compost. Pile loose mulch-such as pine needles, straw or leaves on tender plants that require protection – roses, young seedlings, strawberries and perennials.
       Harvest cold-sensitive vegetables before frost. Dig beets, radishes and carrots when ground cracks at plant stem. Plant cool weather vegetables: kale, hardy onions, collards, cabbage, garlic and potatoes in some area. Mulch well.
       Evaluate your lawn. Some parts of the country can apply broadleaf weed killers if necessary. Fall is the time for one last now in most areas. Set mower blade to highest setting. Fescue lawns can be reseeded now; summer grasses can be over seeded with rye in mild-winter regions. Drain gas and oil from all power equipment to prevent starting problems in spring.
       Remove broken, diseased or damaged branches from trees and shrubs.
       Plant new trees in fall. Give the new transplants an extra watering before winter sets in.
       Enjoy fall annuals – mums, asters, and pansies – in warmer regions. Cut back mums after they bloom. Deadhead pansies for prolific blooms all season long.
       Plant daffodils and other spring flowering bulbs when soil is cool.
       Direct sow wildflower seed that requires cool temperatures – larkspur and poppies, for example.
       If a live (not cut) Christmas tree is in your plans, dig its hole before the ground freezes and mulch well.
       Continue to feed the birds with seed and suet – they’ll rid your trees of pest larvae, eggs and insects.
       Let the grass grow as tall as you did during the summer until the last mow of the year. At that time, lower the mower height.
       Water just one inch or less each week if you are not receiving rainfall.
       Fertilize to Mid-November with products from your local garden center.