Hi JadaE: I'm sorry - I JUST saw this question yesterday! Typically in a compost turner situation, the "ingredients" are added all at once and then turned daily (or what-have-you) until the compost is finished. It's sort of a one batch at a time thing. As to whether or not to add to the tumbler - that's up to you. If you don't add anything more (unless you need to because you're low on nitrogen or carbon) everything will be ready all together. If you keep adding, you'll need to sift the compost before you use it because some things won't be broken down and some will. That said, I'd keep turning, because keeping the oxygen running through the pile will keep the process going. Although it's so cold that everything is going to take some time to break down. As to whether or not to add to the tumbler - that's up to you. If you don't add anything more (unless you need to because you're low on nitrogen or carbon) everything will be ready all together. If you keep adding, you'll need to sift the compost before you use it because some things won't be broken down and some will.

I'm thrilled that you liked the article in Urban Farm! Your worms herd will freeze in your garage where you live. You could try some insulation like Styrofoam,hay bales, or another type of wrap. Other worm farmers have had great success with this. Another is when spring comes and goes again - create a "worm bin on the ground" (which is really just a cold compost pile). As long as there is organic material on the soil, the worms will hang around doing their decomposing work. Even in the freezing temps, they'll go just a layer below for the winter only to come back up again in the spring to do more decomposing. One thing, though. Red wigglers like the top several inches or so of the soil. So there needs to be organic matter there at all times. When the soil runs out and becomes bone dry - these dudes die.

Oh, yes! Couldn't forget my flowers! ("...and companion flowers such as marigolds or coreopsis.")

Ohh..rattlesnake beans - lovely...

Great post, JadaE! There's a bazillion of us frustrated gardeners out here just waiting for the spring to arrive. Sprouts not only bring us health in the winter, but bring us *gardening* in the winter!

Excellent post, Jodi!

I actually think of the stock pot as the last stop for vegetable scraps before they hit the compost container pile (or chicken yard)!

Chris

Thanks, JadaE...feeling *really* old about now! *grin*

Geeeezz, Greg - way to date my garden journal system back to the dinosaurs, LOL (see my article before yours)!

Folia looks like a blast - I'm heading over there...

nancynursez637: I think you may be talking about the lasagna-type gardening where you plant produce directly into the bed that you just sandwich-composted - immmediately. In other words, the organic materials haven't yet broken down.

Once the materials in a compost sandwich have broken all the way down to compost (humus), this type of bed would be no different than any other.

yourownvictorygarden: I'm with you...and I'm SO framing this stuff!

MMmmmm...I LOVE homemade applesauce. Thanks for the reminder! The photos look delicious!

This is good stuff, Ruth. I also enjoy taking a look at things beyond what we think we know about them. Great piece.

All I have to say is "Yeaaahhhh, for heirloom veggies!" Great article.

I so enjoy the comments of my worm-loving com padres. Worm farmer untie...er..unite!

JadaE - You simply MUST get a bunny. Lops are very friendly...holland lops and American fuzzy lops are 4 pounds as adults. Lots of poop, but easy to handle. But really, get a bunny. I have a monstrous French Lop (Banx) whom I adore but he's about 17 pounds and not easy to handle. But he's friendly and looks like a big stuffed animal (I'll have to post pics) and there is lots of poop going on here, LOL.

Ruth - I forgot the tool thing!! I HAVE to add that as it's part of my routine. Thanks, Ruth!

yourownvictorygarden: Both of those varieties grow well here, too. I'm trying some new ones this year - I'm hoping for big production, LOL. We'll see...

This is great stuff! My kids are carving pumpkins as I read this in the other room...I'm sharing this article with them!

Ruth: LOL, I love your photo! I wanted to add The Savage Garden (carnivorous plants - one of my FAVORITE topics)by Peter D'Amato and The Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart.

Harrisdog43: Yes - thanks! This is the one I was going to go with but I wanted to see what other ideas gardeners came up with.

xoxommc - Good point - thanks!

kandella: Ooooohhh...how much do I love this idea? Functionality AND festivity! I'm a Christmas light freak anyway and love having little white lights lining my back porch over-hang all year round.

I know that the old-fashioned lights do get pretty warm...let's see if I can find some still out there for sale...thanks!

JadaE: *gasp* That is like the Holy Grail of greenhouses, LOL!
About the space heater - yes, that's my first inclination to use. I'm just hoping to get several ideas to choose from as to keep my bill decent. Plus, it's great to see everyone's ideas!

* As a reminder, if someone wants to try lettucegrow's idea in their greenhouse, be aware this is an open flame and every consideration needs to be taken into account before attempting to use an unsupervised open flame.

BetsyE: I added "potentially" because you're right - some of us don't, just a lot of us do. :D

Hi Jada,

I hope Patti doesn't mind my jumping in here. I have been raising rabbits for about 15 years and although I don't "raise" them at this point (because I got out of showing some years back), I still have 5. One is my youngest daughter's bunny as she's in 4H (I used to be the rabbit leader).

I would say that owning a rabbit isn't anymore difficult than having a dog or cat with the exception that you don't have to walk them (but they love human interaction if they are used to it). They do have special needs of their own like giving them fresh hay along with their regular pellets and water.

And because they are domesticated animals, they rely on us for everything including playtime. There's a fantastic book that I can recommend that is truly spot on with their advice on owning rabbits. It's called "Your Rabbit: A Kid's Guide to Raising and Showing".

I know you may not be interested in the showing part, however, there's wonderful general information in the book for keeping rabbits. I've run into other books that make me knit my eyebrows as they seem inaccurate from my experience. Anyway, I'm sure Patti can share with you her experience, as well. But I hope you decide to to share your home with them because we are still enjoying having rabbits around us after 15 years!

JadaE - I agree with you ~ I think peppers work very well among the other ornamentals. St seems that the more I experiment, the more I find that the plants we often grow as food, are really lovely, to boot!

Ruth - This is fantastic! I hadn't heard of this before and I thank you so much for sharing this story.

Fantastic - thank you for this article. I'm finally saving some heirloom tomato seeds this year.

jodied: If your soil is really horrendous, just make sure you add some soil into the sandwich and even if your soil doesn't become truly loamy by spring, you can still plant it and have terrific veggies. Another thing you can do to speed things up is to cover the sandwich with black plastic to get things really heating up inside.

Don't give up on that spot. Do the sandwich again and you'll be amazed how wonderfully this works out. Besides, if you're even close to as old as I am time goes by so fast you won't even notice if it took a year.

Hi Guys,

When things get wet and slimy you'll need to add some "browns" (carbon materials) such as straw, dried leaves, or newspaper, etc. Also I wanted to mention that when you're composting you want to let the bottom of the container (assuming it has holes or no bottom at all) touch the bare earth. It helps the decomposers (microbes and macrobs) move in much faster.

Have fun - composting is one of may favorite past times!

genosgarden: LOL! How cool is that? By the way, sun-dried tomatoes on ANYTHING makes me drool! Sounds like an awesome recipe.

KathBeeSmith: LOL...for clarity's sake, I added that the shells were being vacuumed up. *grin*

JadaE: I'm certified to help people create these in their own yards - it's SO much fun! I did it in my other homes and this year, I'm letting my 4H gardening/plant science group do it in this yard. You're right, it's such a teaching opportunity for kids and I end up learning something new every time.

(Meant to type "C:N ratio") *grin*

Pouring straight ammonia onto a pile can produce an excess of nitrogen in there which could off-set the C:N ration - and create a less-then-pleasant smell to boot. Your husband is on the right track, however, if he's looking for a nitrogen source. But it's more beneficial to just add manures from herbivorous animals (rabbits, chickens, horses, sheep, etc) or other nitrogen rich sources such as grass clipping.

That said, I have heard of someone using human urine as a nitrogen source when they were desperate, LOL!

I'm so glad you posted this because many people don't realize where coriander comes from and it's so difficult to keep cilantro from bolting!

JadaE: You've just met the macro-organisms! Since I can't see them first-hand, I can't say which ones exactly, but more than likely they aren't the maggots that you fear (flies). They're the decomposers you can see as opposed to the decomposers you can't see (micro-organisms like bacteria). They're exactly the tenants you'd like living in your compost - keep going!

WhatsTheMuck- If you don't have a greenhouse situation (and I use the term loosely), am I pushing it to suggest bringing it indoors by a sunny sliding glass door?

Ruth - there are darling! I love this kind of stuff. Thanks for sharing.

Ohhh...I'll bet it does! Thanks!

idahocowgirl: Sadly, I wish I could use coolness as an excuse, but I live in Northern California and we don't have anything close to short seasons here. It's looking more an more like the problem is in my court. BUT I am going to keep the names of the ones you mentioned because I think this is a worthy experiment!

yourownvictorygarden: It's making me wonder if it's the zone. My Kentucky Wonders (pole) have never failed me...and I don't give them any special love, LOL. I agree, I need to keep trying!

djlw51554: Thanks for the "Jade" recommendation - I'll look for that one and give it a go. I have never seen this one and since that's the case, it fills me with hope.

Susan,

Thanks for reminding me of an old favorite! My friend (years ago) taught me to toast the bread and add lemon pepper...it was heavenly! Especially with heirloom tomatoes!

Yes, yes, yes! I also toss this into my worm bin, as well. They love it! thanks for sharing this with everybody!

Exactly! The little fruit at the base of the flowers tell you that those are female flowers and they need to be pollinated. If not, they shrivel up and die. We like to think that mother nature will send the cavalry (bees and the like) but, sometimes, we have to lend a helping hand!

Good call, Ruth! I actually thought of that after I wrote this...yum!

I would move the mesclun early so the roots don't become established and then get completely annoyed with the move.

I'm with you on the carrots - I'm about to do the same!

EP Cook - I think there isn't a problem at all with different bees in the same yard. I'm sure they meet up all the time.

Daska - You can absolutely feed them and leave for two weeks! Just make sure they're in a cool, dark place so their bin or condo doesn't dry out; that's really the key.

Very good points about the mold - thank you guys!

It's really amazing how many people can attest to garlic's healing properties. Thank everybody for chiming in!

Forgot to mention - we're in the city limits with no land. We have suburban chickens!

Hi Becki_TH, I have heard nothing but great stuff about chickens in the city - it's becoming very popular, in fact.

If you'd like to get a lot of different opinions on this, try the website www.backyardchickens.com, they have a great community forum there.

Smartykate - Cucumber would be very refreshing!

This is something that has to become a habit for me. I go for months without having to think much about gardening.

Then I get all crazy with the planting come spring and have to remember to go out and give it a little lovin'! Thanks for the tip!

MizBj: This particular bag is 3 cubic feet. It'll work beautifully - the roots just go whatever direction they need to to reach soil. I haven't even used this big of a bag before and it was terrific.

This bag is sitting on top of river rock this year - just like a patio.

I don't know about all of the root crops, though. I haven't tried potatoes this way because it seems rather hard to hill up after they start growing. I have done peppers tomatoes, herbs, etc.

I would imagine veggies like radishes or carrots would do well - it would be fun to try.

Whatever you'd like to try, go for it and let us know what worked well for you - better yet, post pictures of it in the gallery!

mar32428: This one is 3 cubic feet. But, honestly, I haven't used this big of a bag before. The smaller ones (maybe 2 cu ft) worked just as well.

O-Oh! Bless you, for this picture! We're thinking of building our own coop and this is just great!
HEY - maybe you could do it stage-by-stage and sell it as an eBook !
Just sayin'.

Sansar: Great question! Here's what I have found about the tires. This was from a man who promotes tire-planting.

"There is no appreciable risk in using recycled tires in the vegetable garden. While it is a fact that rubber tires do contain minute amounts of certain heavy metals, the compounds are tightly bonded within the actual rubber compound and do not leach into the soil.

One of the ingredients in the rubber recipe is zinc. Zinc, in fact, is an essential plant element. I also expect that rubber is safer to use than treated lumber that contains copper and arsenic. Tires are durable. The very qualities that make them an environmental headache make them perfect for our uses in the garden. Once they are in place, they won’t rot and will likely be there for your grandchildren to use."

Charles Sanders at www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/sanders98.html

erock: Glad you asked! The difference is that while both consist of the breakdown of organic materials and give a terrific plant product for the garden, worms bring there own special blend to the table.

Worms ingest your food scraps and after they have passed through the worm's gut, the end product is a biologically active material. The castings contain more beneficial micro-organisms, enzymes, humus, and plant stimulants.

Castings present these nutrients in high percentages in a slow-release form and have excellent soil binding, and water retention abilities. They also have wonderful aeration, porosity and structural properties.

By the way, worms are present in general garden compost as well, they are part of the breakdown in a regular heap - so you're getting this there, too. Worm composting in a container just intensifies the end product, so you have a super-charged dressing or amendment.

rosegirl7: To be sure about what you're dealing with, I would take one that's been obviously affected down to a (reputable) local nursery for some ideas on what problems are normally seen for gladiolus' in your area.

Could be Fusarium wilt? Glads are often affected by this fungal disease. Unfortunately, if it is...the best plan is to get rid of them.

In fact, try planting something else there in it's place. If you really want to grow glads, try a different place in the yard with brand new corms.

jennifers - Good one! Chickens will eat them, too.

Delolds - Very interesting - Thanks for adding this!

Vawildflowers -

It really doesn't make any difference. I have used whatever I have around. If you did want to just use topsoil, you can add compost on top during the growing season, etc.

gardenshare -

No worries. The roots just grow all around inside there with no problem at all. I have had a few stragglers come out the bottom (where we made the cuts for drainage), but it really works out fine.

If this were a shrub or perennial (which, technically, tomatoes are, but I digress), this wouldn't be suitable for the rest of it's life. But for the growing season for tomatoes - works beautifully.

I'll put it over there. These aphids are unique dudes. I'll explain them in the photo gallery.

mainegardener -

Ooooo...love the Smart Pot idea! Another super-cool and fast way to garden.

(BTW, the plastic bag doesn't break down in the soil.)

Chris McLaughlin

LizG -

Just to be clear, the tomato plant in the picture was planted as an example. We just happened to have it on the lawn when we planted it. We have it sitting in an all-rock area at this point to grow in a place that otherwise would have been useless in our yard.

Sally 529-

You're on the same wave-length as me! Straw bale planting is a terrific no-dig garden idea and one I was going to write about next. But you did a terrific job explaining it. :D

Chris McLaughlin

Hi Ron,

Welcome - we like men it the garden around here! I have mixed my own and wrote about it (if I may) here:
http://www.examiner.com/x-2485-SF-Gardening-Examiner~y2009m2d8-Mix-your-own-soil-blends-for-potted-plants-and-garden-beds

Yes - another great way to use a cold frame! This is a whole other article. *grin*

Ruth,

Sounds like an awesome little frame you had! I just LOVE having hale bales around - they are good for so many cool ideas.

Fantastic!
I just taught my 4H gardening/plant science group all about vermicomposting. They each make their own bin and LOVED it!

I ate snails once, too; off of the sidewalk when I was one. Eeeewwww.