Home Gardens - Tips, Tricks, Methods, and the Bounty

[brr]

Also, as of two days ago DeBaggio had plenty of basil plants left, in dozens of varieties, including several Thai types. $2.99 each.

Heres another question - I picked up some basil plants, including thai basil plants at DeBaggio a few weeks ago. The Thai basil plants already seem to be trying to flower, despite not being very big - is this normal? - should I pinch back like with genovese basil?

[Biotech]

Heres another question - I picked up some basil plants, including thai basil plants at DeBaggio a few weeks ago. The Thai basil plants already seem to be trying to flower, despite not being very big - is this normal? - should I pinch back like with genovese basil?

Niall,

I've had the same problem in the past. What I do is snip back so that the basils starts getting bushier. Just pinching hasn't given me satisfatory results with the smaller basils. All of my gardening is done in containers these days and I'm doing the same with my oregano at the moment. The recent heat and sun seems to be encouraging all my herbs to bolt. Tomatoes are doing well, though.

[monavano]

Thank you Elizabeth: I really, really appreciate your proffering.

[porcupine]

The Thai basil plants already seem to be trying to flower, despite not being very big - is this normal? - should I pinch back like with genovese basil?

I've had the same problem in the past. What I do is snip back so that the basils starts getting bushier. Just pinching hasn't given me satisfatory results with the smaller basils.

I've had this problem, too. I'd cut them back a little further than the Genovese - if they're branched enough, I'd take each stem back to two sets of leaves.

[thistle]

Thanks for explaining the intricacies of pinching-I know enough to pinch, but couldn't tell you why-I also pinch off the tips of coleus, so they won't flower. I have rosemary & thyme in different spots around the yard, in case some don't make it. Somehow (I don't know how), I managed to kill the chocolate mint I planted last year (plastered on my forehead-'the only person who can kill mint!')-I got another one this year, let's see if I'm more successful.

My squash plant has flowers, I have plants popping up all over that look like cucumbers or squash, don't know if it's seeds in the compost that are sprouting or not. I'm going to sow a bunch of okra seed (Cajun Delight) in front of the bananas, on the south side of the house...

[porcupine]

I have plants popping up all over that look like cucumbers or squash, don't know if it's seeds in the compost that are sprouting or not.

Now I will admit to the single geekiest thing I've ever done in kitchen and garden. Last year, I went to put some stuff in the compost pile, and saw a plant growing from it. Hmmm, looks like... potato? Sure enough, it grew, it flowered. I waited. A month later I harvested some of the tastiest damn tiny new potatoes ever. I think they were Yukon Golds. Washed them very well, of course, and cooked 'em gently in butter and parsely. Good food from garbage.

[zoramargolis]

We had arugula volunteers in our compost for years. We ate so much of it that now my husband has "had it with arugula" and won't touch the stuff.

[thistle]

My big project this weekend is to try & install a DIY irrigation system- I got a Mister Landscaper starter kit, patio & potted plant kit, & a timer-I think if I can simplify watering the beds closest to the house, I can move my soaker hoses out to the perimeter ( I try to plant drought tolerant plants out there, but newly planted things appreciate the consistent watering.)

The tomatoes (in EBs) are still huge mutants, although 1 has aphids-used Neem, I'm wondering how long I should wait before trying something else (ladybugs or Spinosad or Sevin)-what do you experienced gardeners think?

[Ilaine]

The tomatoes (in EBs) are still huge mutants, although 1 has aphids-used Neem, I'm wondering how long I should wait before trying something else (ladybugs or Spinosad or Sevin)-what do you experienced gardeners think?

For aphids, try knocking them off with a strong stream of hose water every few days. Or else try soap, actually insecticidal soap (Safer brand) or dishwashing detergent mixed with water, 1-2 tablespoons per gallon, and make sure you saturate the aphids.

If you want to try something stronger, try diatomaceous earth, which is non-toxic except to insects, pyrethrins which are biodegradable and basically non-toxic to vertebrates, or rotenone, which can be toxic to fish. These are considered relatively safe, much safer than sevin. Sevin can actually cause an outbreak of aphids.

Keep your plants well watered and non-stressed.

[thistle]

Thanks, I did blast them w/ water & the Neem (from Green Light) also had pyrethrin-I'll try soap next, if it doesn't clear up. It's funny how 1 plant out of the 6 in the Earthboxes is covered in aphids (Old German), while the others look fine....I also took home today the last of the 'abandoned' plants-2 peppers, oregano, parsley, 2 Purple Cherokee tomatoes-these were ones not handled well in shipping, & my boss looked at them today & said throw them away-I can't do that to any plant that is still green!

[monavano]

So how are everyone's tomato plants doing? So far, I've seen lots of yellow flowers, but no fruit yet. I'm worried that this year will be a repeat of last year, with 6 foot high plants and little tomatoes which virtually all had rot. I know the saying for corn is "knee high by 4th of July", but what is the rule for tomatoes?

Also, has anyone personally seen a lack of honeybees, affecting thier fruits etc.?

[thistle]

Most of mine have set fruit, the ones that haven't are Old German (only 1 out of 6 in EBs that has no fruit yet), Brandywine, Pink Brandywine, & Lemon Boy, which is being smothered by a volunteer compost squash. To be fair, these last 3 get less sun than the other plants, thanks to my neighbor's redbud. She's said I could trim it back, but I think it'll be too late for the tomatoes. Oddly enough, I have an unidentified white rose (probably a HT) that blooms quite well in the shade of the redbud.

I seem to have lots of bees, my plants are mixed in w/ nepeta, roses, purple fennel, & other plants. The catmint was so floppy, I had to trim it this week. I use TomatoTone, & occasional foliar sprays of Messenger, fish, & seaweed concentrates. I'm becoming an Earthbox evangelist, the plants are huge & frequency of watering is reduced. My 6 tomatoes look like a huge hedge...

Of course, my peppers are puny, all my eggplant had flea beetles & look scrawny, too...

[JPW]

All my tomato plants have flowered. A few have set fruit. Already salivating...

[porcupine]

It's been a great couple of weeks. Usually one meal a day is featuring vegetables from the garden: lots of salads, raw or braised fennel, Swiss chard. Lots of dishes garnished with chervil or dill. The first hard cutting back of the Genoa and Napoletano basils gave enough leaves for a full batch of pesto. The newly planted alpine strawberries are actually fruiting, and the earliest blueberries are just about ripe. Tomatoes are flowering and setting fruit. The only real disappointment is that all the peppers are stunted; I might only get a half dozen poblanos this year, and possibly no Thai hots or habaneros.

God I love this time of year.

[Pool Boy]

we got a slow start this year due to a couple of vacations and some business trips not to mention spreading 8 yards of mulch.

We've had a lot of salads and spinach, but everything else outside of herbs is just barely in the ground here. I'll be harvesting late late late

[thistle]

Well, I am NOT having a good tomato year-don't know if it's the heat or disease (I'm consistent w/ watering), I have lots of green tomatoes, but the plants look half-dead! On the plus side, herbs & cucmbers are thriving (I'm almost tired of cucmber salad). Maybe the best thing to do is think about planting a fall garden & just try to keep everything alive right now.

[monavano]

Well, I am NOT having a good tomato year-don't know if it's the heat or disease (I'm consistent w/ watering), I have lots of green tomatoes, but the plants look half-dead! On the plus side, herbs & cucmbers are thriving (I'm almost tired of cucmber salad). Maybe the best thing to do is think about planting a fall garden & just try to keep everything alive right now.

I hear you. I was really happy with my tomato plants with all the fruit on the vine until yesterday, when I chucked about 8 or so due to blossom end rot. I'd planted them in fertilized soil, added Tomato Tone (maybe too late?) and have watered consistently. I'm still hoping that while some had rot, the plants will give me tomatoes. This is the second year that I've planted in containers. Last year was a complete loss. Previously I've planted in gardens and never saw the problems I have now.

Also, a bell pepper plant has been flowering a lot, but no sign of little peppers. I wonder if that's a bad sign too.

[Barbara]

I hear you. I was really happy with my tomato plants with all the fruit on the vine until yesterday, when I chucked about 8 or so due to blossom end rot. I'd planted them in fertilized soil, added Tomato Tone (maybe too late?) and have watered consistently. I'm still hoping that while some had rot, the plants will give me tomatoes. This is the second year that I've planted in containers. Last year was a complete loss. Previously I've planted in gardens and never saw the problems I have now.

Also, a bell pepper plant has been flowering a lot, but no sign of little peppers. I wonder if that's a bad sign too.

You need to add lime to your soil to avoid blossom end rot. Some of my earlier ones had it on one plant, but it seems to have straightened itself out now. So, now I'm battling the squirrels for the produce.

[monavano]

You need to add lime to your soil to avoid blossom end rot. Some of my earlier ones had it on one plant, but it seems to have straightened itself out now. So, now I'm battling the squirrels for the produce.

Thanks for the advice. I thought Tomato Tone covered all needs, but apparently not. Do you have any idea how much lime to add? Just a sprinkle on the surface? Thanks.

[MC Horoscope]

First year I've ever had deer eating up my garden! (They sure like my tomatoes and chard).

I would hate to put up netting. Has anyone succeeded with something other than practically barricading the garden with an unsightly net fence? "Repellants" like baby powder or soap?

[Barbara]

Thanks for the advice. I thought Tomato Tone covered all needs, but apparently not. Do you have any idea how much lime to add? Just a sprinkle on the surface? Thanks.

I put about a cup in each container. Depending on the size of your containers, YMMV.

[thistle]

I added about 3/4 cup of lime to each container, then added some lime dissolved in water to the reservoirs about a week ago, I also used TomatoTone, red plastic mulch, used Neem, seaweed & fish fertilizer, & Messenger, & they still look wretched! These are the ones in EBs, although the ones planted in the ground look just as bad. I pulled one out, a yellow pear, because I'm sure it was dead.

[porcupine]

You need to add lime to your soil to avoid blossom end rot.

Not necessarily. I read recently that the problem has more to do with calcium motility in the plant than Ca availability in the soil. According to the University of Illinois extension service, the problem is exacerbated by wildly fluctuating soil moisture. They suggest mulching properly to keep soil moisture more even. Also, certain tomato varieties are more susceptible than others.

Be sure to remove damaged fruit - whether from blossom end rot, or insect or squirrel attack, or whatever - as soon as you find it, and discard. Let the plant put its energies into ripening the undamaged fruit.

The weather patterns this season have been weird. We had cool nights much later than normal, and I believe that resulted in stunted plant growth and restricted flowering. My initial harvest is going to be quite poor. But in the past few weeks, with the weather being really hot, my tomatoes and peppers are growing and flowering like crazy. But the initial fruit set was quite limited. It'll be interesting to see if a delayed frost [keeping fingers crossed] results in some late fruits.

Meantime, I harvested the first few tomatoes yesterday, and a few more today: Carmello and a handful of Black Cherry.

Thistle, how in the world did you get cukes already?! Mine are about an inch long. OTOH, the zukes are going nuclear.

[porcupine]

I would hate to put up netting. Has anyone succeeded with something other than practically barricading the garden with an unsightly net fence? "Repellants" like baby powder or soap?

I would love to be proven wrong in this, but... nothing works except physical exclusion. Actually, the product Liquid Fence works, but it's expensive, needs to be reapplied often, and since it's made of garlic and putrescent egg solids, you really don't want it on your edibles.

The thing about deer is, they aren't going to let themselves starve. So-called deer-resistant plants are just lower down on the deer list of preferences. Once they've exhausted the yummy plants, they'll move on to anything else available. Also, if a herd of 18 deer each takes just one bite of something, and then decide they don't like it, well... you've lost the crop, anyway.

So far, and this is always subject to change as the deer population pressure increases, they haven't touched the perennial subshrub herbs. They seem to truly avoid lavender, rosemary, oregano, savory, thyme, tarragon, and so on. So I've taken a chance and put these in the border on the outside of the veg garden.

Deer netting works but 1) it has to be 7 feet high, and 2) you have to check it frequently for tears (from squirrels, birds, high winds...). Also, if you have other wildlife, keep in mind that the net will not keep out racoons, groundhogs, rabbits, or squirrels. I learned this the hard way.

The other way to exclude deer is to build two lower fences, about three feet apart. The damn varmints don't like to jump great horizontal distances. But that just looks ugly in a different way. Also, supposedly, they won't jump a fence if they can't see beyond it. But a privacy fence would be even uglier. And, supposedly, they won't jump into small spaces, but I've never heard a definition of "small" in this context.

My veg garden is surrounded by a four foot split rail fence, lined on the inside with chicken wire that goes two feet underground (to keep burrowing vermin out). I mounted plastic-covered steel poles to the wood posts, and strung netting on these, up to seven feet. So far, no creature has attacked my vegetables.

In an effort to keep the birds off, I have wrapped a few tomato clusters in floating row cover. So far it doesn't seem to be impeding ripening, and also so far there are no beak holes in the fruit. But only time will tell.

Good luck. Deer suck and we really need to reduce the population by about 80 percent.

[porcupine]

I added about 3/4 cup of lime to each container, then added some lime dissolved in water to the reservoirs about a week ago, I also used TomatoTone, red plastic mulch, used Neem, seaweed & fish fertilizer, & Messenger, & they still look wretched! These are the ones in EBs, although the ones planted in the ground look just as bad. I pulled one out, a yellow pear, because I'm sure it was dead.

The problem here could be partly that you're killing them with kindness. Stressed plants do not respond well to fertilizer. Remember, growth itself is a stress. This is true for any kind of plant, not just tomatoes: if the plant is under stress, whether from insects, disease, weather, soil conditions, whatever, fertilizer will not help, and probably make the condition worse, because fertilizer will force vegetative growth (if it's high in nitrogen) or flowering and fruit set (if it's high in phosphorus and potassium).

[MC Horoscope]

I would love to be proven wrong in this, but... nothing works except physical exclusion.

Thank you so much! You have a wealth of information!

Next year I'll plant herbs the deer don't like all around the perimeter. This year, and for the foreseeable future, netting.

The two fence theory gels with what I have read. If you set an interior fence and an outer fence about 3 feet apart, the deer won't jump. They don't seem to have depth perception/genes to compute that they can solve the problem by jumping twice.

Oh, and I have a wascally wabbit in my yard too! Maybe that's what's going for my chard!

[brr]

so how is everyones harvest - despite being neglected for two dry weeks while I was away I'm doing quite nicely with a variety of yummy heirlooms

[MC Horoscope]

My garden rebounded tremendously after fencing off the deer. 3 weeks ago, no more tomatoes. They ate them all and stressed the plants terribly. Today, full of tomatoes! I have been watering like crazy, though. I'd have been picking tomatoes like crazy by now if not for the poor animals.

We might be pretty dry by the end of this week. I heard dry and mid-90s for several days.

Tabasco pepper has all come out with a vengeance!

[Barbara]

so how is everyones harvest - despite being neglected for two dry weeks while I was away I'm doing quite nicely with a variety of yummy heirlooms

One of the three types of tomatoes I have grown this year has been quite fruitful. Unfortunately, I don't much care for this variety (Juliet). The squirrels have laid waste to the rest. I have actually managed to salvage a total of 2 (yes, TWO) of the others. There is hope, however, of getting a second crop like happened last year.

[porcupine]

so how is everyones harvest - despite being neglected for two dry weeks while I was away I'm doing quite nicely with a variety of yummy heirlooms

Go out of town for four days, and what happens? Effin' groundhogs have found the weak spots in my garden fortress. I will spend much of tomorrow sinking more chicken wire into the perimeter, as well as devising flanges for the gates.

F***ers have eaten every one of the eggplant, countless zukes and cukes, and about two dozen large heirloom tomatoes. If they go after the poblano peppers I'm going nuclear on them. Actually, I may go nuclear on them anyway, because if they start trying to tunnel under the fence, they'll likely kill the perennial herbs in the border.

My garden rebounded tremendously after fencing off the deer. 3 weeks ago, no more tomatoes. They ate them all and stressed the plants terribly. Today, full of tomatoes!

Good news! I'm happy for you.

[porcupine]

How's everyone's garden going? I seem to have won Battle Groundhog (for awhile, anyway), and the cucumbers have bounced back from predation. The peppers came back from the cool weather, too. Today's take:

The yellow tomatoes in the center are Sunny Goliaths; behind them are Goliaths; the orange ones front left are Carmello; front right is a Rose; far right are two Coppias; in the very front are Thai hot peppers, some Black Cherry tomatoes, the first ripe habanero, and a few poblanos.

No pesticides were used in the making of this photo. (Yeah, I'm bragging.)

I'll be bringing spicy gazpacho to the friends who are grilling steaks for us tonight.

[Pool Boy]

Porcupine, I now hate you. Well despise really. No, not really, I am just envious of your current haul out of your garden.

I got such a terribly late start this year that I am largely still waiting for stuff to start rolling in. So far, I have harvested a variety of lettuces, some radishes (woeful compared to last year), a couple of beets, some lousy looking spinach, a boatload of herbs (one success story!) and exactly one cherry tomato. I have more beets in the final stretch (way late, I know), a pretty good looking crop of various tomatoes, 4 different kinds of peppers, but not in any large quantities, and several squash and cucumber plants that have decided to stay beautiful looking with their flowers instead of producing any fruit. BAH!

There's always next year.

[MC Horoscope]

What do I do with my oregano? Can I dry it and save it? Sell it in the open air drug markets?

[porcupine]

What do I do with my oregano? Can I dry it and save it?

Yep. Or just leave it be - it's a winter-hardy perennial, and you can harvest year round, even if you have to brush off dead tree leaves and snow to get at it.

[monavano]

Porcupine, I'm so jealous of your tomatoes! This year, I've gotten 2, count 'em 2! tomatoes. From 3 plants. When the were little I could tell that most of them had rot (despite me getting Tomato Tone finally) and I chucked them. Oh well, I will not give up! Next year I will find a spot to plant them in the ground because my potted tomato growing accumen sucks.

[Pool Boy]

I picked 5 more cherry-grape tomatoes last night. Happy days!

[Ilaine]

Now is the time to plant saffron crocus, crocus sativa. It's a fall blooming bulb, so plant it immediately. You can harvest your own saffron!

Apparently it will naturalize, and come back year after year.

I wouldn't know. I ordered mine from Brent and Becky's Bulbs last year, and was too busy to plant, and they just sprouted in the bag, but I did pick the saffron.

Is it great saffron? How would I know? I don't know from saffron.

To harvest, it's very easy, just pick the flowers, and use tweezers to pull off the three red-orange stigmas. I put mine on a paper towel on a plate, and covered with a clear glass bowl so I could check them out. After drying thoroughly, I put in an jar and put in the cabinet, and I thought it was pretty good.

If you plant in the lawn, just don't mow that spot for about six weeks.

Merrifield Garden center has crocus sativa corms, for sure.

[Pool Boy]

I just ripped out the last of the beet crop and squash that never came through for me. Also, although late, I harvested a bumper crop of tomatoes, half of which I dehydrated and made chips out of for later consumption. Pepper are progressing and I think I'll still get a few more before it gets too cold for them. Herbs are still producing like crazy. Just planted a fall crop of various lettuces and baby bok choy (late I know, but we'll see what happens).

[youngfood]

The yellow tomatoes in the center are Sunny Goliaths; behind them are Goliaths; the orange ones front left are Carmello; front right is a Rose; far right are two Coppias; in the very front are Thai hot peppers, some Black Cherry tomatoes, the first ripe habanero, and a few poblanos.

WOW. Where did you buy your plants? Our tomatoes have been coming out gangbusters but they are crummy generic types. I definitely want to track down some heirloom varietals next year.

[porcupine]

WOW. Where did you buy your plants?

DeBaggio Herbs in Chantilly.

[PollyG]

DeBaggio Herbs in Chantilly.

If you want a prolific producer, get Matt's Wild Cherry from DeBaggio's. Mine started producing in the second week of July and have been going like gangbusters ever since. This is a weedy, gangly plant that likes to spread its tendrils as much as you'll allow it. I've had it go 10 feet or so from the roots, supported by a hedge. The fruits are about 1/2 the size of a standard grape tomato but intensely flavored. It will also volunteer, but volunteers sprout and fruit a good month and a half later than the ones DeBaggio's starts.

On a typical day in August-September, we have at least 10 ripe tomatoes from a single plant. I believe it is often closer to 20. It's hard to tell exactly how many because my 7 year-old harvests them and most go into her mouth. The two of us usually snag a couple of them in the morning on our way to the bus stop and then she cleans the plant out after school.

DeBaggio's has a huge selection of heirloom varieties. We have limited space and can plant only 3 plants each year. Matt's Wild Cherry is always part of our list because it is so reliable; we've had mixed success with other varieties. I think that is in large part due to our neglect.

[chickenlover]

With temps dipping into the 40's this weekend is it time for me to pull my basil and make that big batch of pesto I've been putting off? Or will they be fine until it frosts? Thoughts and suggestion from people who know what they are talking about are appreciated.

[porcupine]

With temps dipping into the 40's this weekend is it time for me to pull my basil and make that big batch of pesto I've been putting off? Or will they be fine until it frosts? Thoughts and suggestion from people who know what they are talking about are appreciated.

Established plants weather the cold somewhat better than tender young plants. But I just can't remember from past years exactly when they've given up.. I'm kinda curious myself, and have been watching my basils. But that does you no good. Hedge your bets: leave one plant in just in case, pull the rest and make the pesto.

[Dave Pressley]

With temps dipping into the 40's this weekend is it time for me to pull my basil and make that big batch of pesto I've been putting off? Or will they be fine until it frosts? Thoughts and suggestion from people who know what they are talking about are appreciated.

Basil needs good sunlight and is an annual plant. Cut off the leaves and make your pesto. You can pot the remaining stalk indoors (water it a lot) if you have a good window with a lot of sunlight. It may regrow in the spring, but don't count on it. Consider it an experiment.

[brr]

darn, I had a bunch of thai basil that I had not gotten around to harvesting

on a brighter note, I did harvest 4 of the cutest pumpkins you've ever seen on Sunday and the kids had a whale of a time carving them....next year I think I'm going to go all out and try and grow a monster pumpkin!!

[porcupine]

Basil report, for those interested in such things: all four varieties in my garden were pretty much blasted by last night's very light frost. The bottom half or so of the Genoas- somewhat protected by the foliage on top half of the plants - barely survived, but the rest of the plants were black.

[Scott Johnston]

The frost did not kill everything, as much of my garden in next to the house. I harvested two small watermelons on Sunday and still have tons of peppers growing. I have about 40 "birdhouse" gourds that I also collected. Tomatoes have been gone for some time and I still have some Basil.

[MC Horoscope]

This has to do with preparing the garden for next year. I used one of those do-it-yourself soil testers and it seems that my soil's nitrogen is depleted. No big surprise there. Any recommendations for how to treat it? Is nitrogen just something that should be included in the fertilizers you usually find at nurseries or should I do something special?

[porcupine]

This has to do with preparing the garden for next year. I used one of those do-it-yourself soil testers and it seems that my soil's nitrogen is depleted. No big surprise there. Any recommendations for how to treat it? Is nitrogen just something that should be included in the fertilizers you usually find at nurseries or should I do something special?

Fertilizers are something of a stopgap measure. If you're anemic, you could pop an iron tablet and be cured for a day or two, but better to add some dark greens to your diet for a long term fix. Same with your garden soil. Add a lot of compost (if you don't have your own, look for Leafgro, if it's still made), then plant a nitrogen-fixing cover crop for the winter.

Different crops use soil elements at different rates. Corn, for example, is a pig for nitrogen, which is why farmers often rotate soybeans in the same field. Soybeans fix nitrogen in the soil, then corn uses it up.

[Caution: compost rant follows] Here's a racket for you: Montgomery County used to (maybe they still do) pick up leaves, either curbside or in bags, truck 'em to Dickerson, put 'em in huge piles, let 'em rot, bag the resulting crumbly black stuff and distrubute it to local garden stores for sale. Leafgro is (was?) a fantastic product, but holy cow, think of the waste! All that fuel use and heavy truck traffic on the roads could be somewhat mitigated if people would just start their own compost piles. It isn't rocket science. Here's how you do it:

1. pile leaves

2. wait

...et voila! compost. You can fancy it up if you want to, by turning it and watering it and checking its temperature and adding starter bugs and paying strict attention to nitrogen-to-carbon ratios, but the only thing accomplished is you get compost faster. Trust me, it will decompose.

Sorry for the rant. It's a matter of timing: I was just now taking a break from putting my raised vegetable beds to sleep for the season. I've used about 10 wheelbarrows full of compost in the last few days.

[zoramargolis]

Elizabeth--

Aren't oak leaves, etc. a bit acidic on their own for vegetable garden compost? Back in the old days when I lived in Santa Monica and had a big organic garden, I was something of a student of an old-time organic farmer from Northern San Diego County who was the resident expert on a Pacifica radio show that was hosted by a friend of mine. Will, the farmer, taught that compost piles should be built in layers, with many different elements. One of his side businesses was selling seaweed compost, which I used, and I would also get horse manure from a private stable, an occasional load of mushroom compost, a small amount of grass clippings and dead leaves, garden waste and household vegetable garbage, oyster shell and probably other stuff that I can't recall. The resulting compost was amazing stuff.