So you'd like to compost year-round, you want things to keep breaking down right through the winter, I can't say I blame you. Year round composting offers numerous benefits, no time lost on decomposition, no food waste because the compost bin was frozen, and come spring you've got beautiful compost for those vegetable gardens that you've missed oh so much over the winter. But what are your options? what can you do to keep going year round? Here's my winter composting round up for you, hopefully one of these ideas will inspire you to keep going after October all the way until May. Insulated bins:
How about an insulated compost bin? This is by far my favorite strategy despite my lack personal experience. With a little bit of skill and some readily available materials an insulated box with an insulated lid can keep decomposition going right through much our nasty winter weather. Between the heat of decomposition, the thermal mass of the pile and the R-value of the insulated bin your compost pile will keep on cooking right on through till spring. With some basic building supplies you could have one done in a day. The method is simple enough, once the first bin fills pitch the compost into the second bin and start building up compostables in the first bin again. Not only does this style bin keep going through a lot of the winters lowest temperatures but it cooks up compost faster with its stable environment in warmer months. With turn around time from food waste to garden ready compost in as little as two months.
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This garden contains mostly storage crops like potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, and winter cabbage. An ATV was driven back and forth over freshly cultivated soil to mark out approximately 3 foot wide beds. The wheel tracks from the quad make excellent garden paths. As can be seen in the picture below. Who will be doing the work? Will the garden be a group project with family members or friends who will work willingly through the season to a fall harvest, or will you be handling the hoe alone, in between camping and swimming? What do you and your family like to eat? Although the vegetables pictured in the garden catalogue look delicious, there is no value in taking up gardening space with vegetables that no one eats. Make a list of your family's favourite vegetables, ranked in order of preference. This will make a useful guide in deciding how much to plant of each. Successive plantings of certain crops, such as beans, will give you a long harvest period and increase your yield while saving space. List recommended varieties and planting dates. How do you plan to use the produce from your garden? If you plan to can, freeze, dry, or store part of the produce, this will be a factor not only in planning the size of the garden but also in plant selection since some varieties have much better keeping quality than others. Make sure the varieties you select are adapted to your area and intended use. How much space is available? That is, how much area can be converted into usable garden space, not simply how much empty ground is available. Helpful Suggestions
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March 2017
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