Compost is a version of humus found in soil. The Australian gardener’s best friend, this is a mixture of recycled organic and household waste that you can use as a natural fertilizer to renew your soil’s composition and yield bountiful plant growth and harvests. Making compost for your garden is not as difficult as it seems. You can even create one at home using crude materials you may easily locate in your household. Here are the basic steps of making compost:

Step 1: Free the ground from debris and set-up three wooden pallets that are tied side by side.

Step 2: The two basic ingredients of compost is carbon (brown ingredients) and nitrogen (green ingredients). The former provides volume while the latter fuels the compost. A 1:4 carbon-nitrogen ratio is the standard being followed. Collect items which are potential sources of carbon like autumn or dry leaves, newspapers, vegetable wastes, sawdust etc. Nitrogen is found from organic and artificial types of activators. Organic types include soil lawn clippings, hair, weeds and blood meal. Although, artificial type of activator like commercial Nitrogen fertilizers is readily available, organic types are more effective since artificial activators do not contain protein which is essential for microorganisms’ use.

Step 3:  Compost pile consists of layers of carbon alternated with nitrogen. Place larger materials at the bottom of the heap. Putting it at the bottom of the heap increases the chances for it to breakdown and it also allows the air to move through it.

Step 4: Continue layering the materials. Water the heap as it grows and in every additional layer of nitrogen. Ensure to keep the heap moist.

Step 5: As decomposition commences, the heap will begin to subside. Smother the pile with fresh lawn clippings and water it again. You can also install a piece of PVC pipe in the middle of the heap to maintain airflow. Add additional food scraps over time and leave it for 2 weeks.

Step 6: Turn the compost pile. Fork and transfer it to 2 or more bins.

Step 8: After turning it, leave it again for another week. However, turning it more often hastens the decomposition process.

Step 9: You know it’s done when after 4-6 weeks of continuous turning, the organic materials are unrecognizable and the heap looks like organic soil.

Now that your compost is ready, you can use it in many different ways to enhance the soil with the appropriate amount of nutrients for the plants to thrive at its best!

Winter is coming so now’s the time to start preparing your soil for growing delicious Australian winter root vegetables.

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While cultivating soil can be a tedious and messy job it gives you the opportunity to transform your yard into a prolific home garden. Aside from the nutritional benefits you get from eating fresh and naturally grown fruits and vegetables from your own backyard, maintaining a vegetable garden at home can also be a good physical activity to help you stay in shape. Calories are burned when you plant the garden, sow seeds, water the plants, remove weeds, mow the lawn and, of course, it also saves you money that would otherwise be spent buying fruit, vegetables and even flowers from stores and markets.

Beginning a home garden requires a lot of planning. First, you have to decide what plants you would like to grow in your home or backyard. The next thing to do is to prepare the soil which is an essential factor to the survival of outdoor and container plants. To determine a healthy and safe soil, have it checked for water, nitrogen and phosphorus content as well as its alkalinity and acidity. In addition to that, you need to have an excellent mixture of clay, sand and silt. You can test its quality by compressing it and assessing if it can hold its shape or whether it falls apart easily when an external force is applied to it. You can then be certain that you’re close to the standards of a good soil composition. But if you think it lacks one ingredient or another you can remedy that. Peat moss or compost is used for soil that contains too much silk or sand. For too much clay, a mix of peat moss and sand should do the trick.

If your soil is deficient in nutrients you can add fertilizers one to two weeks prior to planting your seeds. Continue adding the same amount of fertilizer a week after the seeds have been sown to be certain that there is an adequate supply of the nutrients that are essential for the plants’ growth.

Garden pests can be your number one enemy in home gardening. Eliminating them totally will be close to impossible but there are ways of controlling their existence in the garden. Planting herbs like chives, coriander, basil and mint can help you with pest control. Insects are deterred by eliminating weeds, leaves and decaying matter where they could possibly reside.

There are so many things that a gardener should consider in home gardening. Spare some time and effort in learning about it and you’ll see that even without a green thumb, you can grow a garden of abundance and freshness.

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Before you rush off to purchase the first apple tree you see, consider what size apple tree you wish to grow in your garden. The height and spread of the tree will vary depending on the type brought. The size of the tree will depend on how big your garden in and how much gardening you will do. The size of an apple tree is determined by the lower part called the rootstock.

Another thought before you plant an apple tree is to decide what kind of apples you wish to grow. Do you want them for cooking? Do you like crisp, soft, or acidic apples? Apples trees can also last a number of seasons, so it is important you know which tree is what.

There is a huge selection of apple trees you can purchase with apple types ranging from pink lady, granny smith, golden delicious etc. Aside from the taste you enjoy, you must also consider pollination. Most apple trees will grow healthy apples when they get pollen from other apple trees. These apple trees are generally self-sterile.

Choosing a place for your apple tree will also have an impact on growth. When planting your apple tree, ensure you leave enough room for two trees to grow. The reason for this is that with two trees, you are more likely to get more fruit. As stated earlier, fruit will be produced from pollen from the pollens from other trees. Usually, two apples trees will produce enough fruit for 3-4 people.

When growing your apple tree, aside from water and pollen from other plants, ensure it is in an area that has a lot of sunlight. To grow to their full potential, apple trees need around six hours of sunlight a day.

To grow your apple tree so that it produces as much fruit possible, make sure the tree gets good drainage. Place your apple tree in a pH level of around 6.5 to get maximum results.

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Edible plants like basil make a perfect micro green to grow in your own home. You don’t need a big garden to grow these mini greens, just a small area. In no time you will have a micro green plant that is tasty, nutritious and looks good with your meal.

Here’s how to grow your own micro greens:
1. If you wish to, you can grow these plants in your kitchen. Get a seed tray ready and layer it with an inch of compost. Sow the seeds into the tray, apply them liberally and add some water.
2. Place the tray in a warm, sunny room or on a windowsill where you know they will be exposed to light. Cut the shoots when they reach about 2 inches and it should take about 5 to 12 days, depending on the season.
3. Add your freshly grown garnish to your meal and you’re away.

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Growing your own edible products have benefits on the environment and health and also give you rewarding physical activity. Environmentally speaking, growing your own is beneficial as:
· There are no or very little food miles
· No packaging
· No preservatives
· No or limited pesticide usage
· It is good for wildlife and biodiversity

Organic fruit and vegie gardens also have health benefits, the most noticeable being that it avoids using pesticides and artificial fertilizers to grow the products- problems that are believed to cause long term health issues and effect the wider environment.

As a plant grower, you need to have a level of control over what goes into producing the food, and growing them the natural way means you have full control.

Growing your own vegetable garden can also give you time to get outside in the fresh air and enjoy the mental space to think. Gardening gives you the chance relieve your stress, as well as make you feel satisfied when something has grown from your hard work.

Aside from the health and environmental issues, the actual product is also beneficial. Eating your own home grown food is extremely satisfying and will taste better than products you have purchased.

It will also save you money in the long run as you can use what you need when it is in season, and there will be something you can use all year round.

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