Well if it works you could start a whole new craze ''compost gardening''

gardengus said:Well if it works you could start a whole new craze ''compost gardening''

I've heard many people remark that after they gave up on some plant in their garden, they finally gave up, pulled it out by tyhe roots and threw it on the compost heap.

A few weeeks later they noticed it thriving on neglect!

I think there's two lessons:
1. plants love compost, and
2. sometimes we do more harm than good when we try to "help" plants.

Just to clarify, because several replies have mentioned the compost pile -- these weren't growing in my compost pile. Last winter, I buried my kitchen scraps in a newly created bed instead of composting them, anticipating they would feed the worms and other critters over the winter, and help the soil become better for when I planted shrubs in those new beds. I've actually never had anything grow in my compost pile.

That said, 12-18 months ago, I dumped out a bunch of old containers, so I could store the empty pots. This spring, I had a volunteer petunia, and a volunteer cherry tomato plant. It had been three years since I'd used that container for cherry tomatoes -- apparently the roots still had life in them even though the container itself looked totally empty other than dirt.

Thanks, I had forgotten that.

RickCorey said:Thanks, I had forgotten that.

It's cause I mentioned compost bucket, and the word compost several other times in the first post, so we all followed my lead.

I also mentally tranlated what you had said into "spot composting" but it wasn't quite that, or was more specific than that.

>> last winter, I buried my kitchen scraps in the beds I had dug between my trees.

Like priming the pump between growing seasons?

RickCorey said:I also mentally tranlated what you had said into "spot composting" but it wasn't quite that, or was more specific than that.

>> last winter, I buried my kitchen scraps in the beds I had dug between my trees.

Like priming the pump between growing seasons?

I was thinking spot composting when I wrote it, because Birds&Blooms had an article on that, linked to their facebook newsfeed, and I replied to that article about things growing unexpectedly. And yes, I was priming the pump. Red Georgia clay, my friend... anything I can do to help it along is a good thing. Now, if I only had the guts to ask complete strangers to share their horse manure with me...

Get a goat , they eat weeds and return great manure , almost weed seed free , because they are ruminants.
Much better than horse manure.
I have both.

Hee hee, just put up a sign saying "Horse...er...manure Wanted!"

Edited to add: What kind of goats do YOU have? All mine are perfectly happy to pass weed seeds through undamaged!

I have a neighbor who has conniption fits when I let the wildflowers go to seed and leave them up all winter to feed the birds... I can't imagine him being very accepting of a goat. That said, there's a place up the road that always advertises miniature horses for sale. I've been told that their manure wouldn't have weed seeds in it? (know nothing about mini horses, other than would love to see my 'gentle giant' greyhound Pippin next to one)

Hmmm, methinks that anyone who tells you that ANY sort of manure won't have weed seeds in it is someone who might also try to sell you a bridge.

And those little minis are cute as can be and a pain in the rear to care for! (We have two.)

>> Now, if I only had the guts to ask complete strangers to share their horse manure with me...

I understand, but maybe bring some cut flowers or vegetables with you when you ask. The promise of some potted-up seedlings next spring might go a long way towards motivating them.

>> Red Georgia clay, my friend...

So many people have a love-hate relattionship with their clay, or maybe hate-hate. But a Floridian said that clay is better than sand, because you can amend clay if you work at it long enough.

I remember reading used soil textbooks that praised clay as the source and buffer of mineral nutrients. Not even compost is as valuable for that as clay. It's a real mineral magnet or sponge, yet releases them again when they're needed.

I think everyone wants most, whatever they have least.
And appeciates least what they have most!

RickCorey said:>> Now, if I only had the guts to ask complete strangers to share their horse manure with me...

I understand, but maybe bring some cut flowers or vegetables with you when you ask. The promise of some potted-up seedlings next spring might go a long way towards motivating them.

>> Red Georgia clay, my friend...

So many people have a love-hate relattionship with their clay, or maybe hate-hate. But a Floridian said that clay is better than sand, because you can amend clay if you work at it long enough.

I remember reading used soil textbooks that praised clay as the source and buffer of mineral nutrients. Not even compost is as valuable for that as clay. It's a real mineral magnet or sponge, yet releases them again when they're needed.

I think everyone wants most, whatever they have least.
And appeciates least what they have most!

Well I grew up with red Ohio clay, so at least I feel at home. And I know that it needs to be amended, hence the beds that I was spot-composting.

RickCorey said:>>

>> Red Georgia clay, my friend...

So many people have a love-hate relattionship with their clay, or maybe hate-hate. But a Floridian said that clay is better than sand, because you can amend clay if you work at it long enough.

Not to be contrary here but THIS Floridian will take my lousy sugar sand any day over Ga. OR Al. red clay!

>> THIS Floridian will take my lousy sugar sand any day over Ga. OR Al. red clay!

Would you swap a few cubic yards of sand for WA clay?

I'll check out the USPS Priority Flat Rate for "cubic yards" and "metric tons".

Ha! I've been trying to get DH to go buy me a truckload of sand!

If the price is comparable, "crushed rock" might give you better drainage.

(Coarser and sharper and less rounded are all good for drainage.)

Since I have zero experience with WA clay, I can't speak on it but if it's as vexing as Ga. red clay then I feel for you. Fl. sand is empty of nutrients & won't hold any & water goes right through it but by darn you can get a spade in it.
Would gladly give you the sand but can't imagine you trying to mix it into the soil ...oops...clay.

So glad to see the old terminologies aren't dying out and forgotten: "conniption fits"