In 2013, I (or we) resolve:

- To always remember that gardening is supposed to be fun. When it becomes a chore, I will figure out why and make a change in the way I do things. I will slow down this year and take it easy in my garden for once. I spend too much time working in it and not enough time just enjoying it.

- To learn to be more tolerant of the bugs and diseases in my garden. They have to make a living too. I will use biological or cultural controls rather than synthetic chemicals as much as possible. I will also consider whether I need to do anything at all or if I can just “live with it” and let nature take its course.

- To make out my list of needed (and desired) plants and seeds before I start browsing the catalogs or visiting the nursery. I will try to have a plan for my landscape and stick to it as much as possible rather than buying a plant and then wondering where to put it. That usually leads to a chaotic look in the garden. Of course, if you subscribe to the chaos theory…it might all work out in the end.

- To forgive the neighborhood dogs for dropping unordered fertilizer in my lawn. (I will continue to work on forgiveness for the owners who allow them to do it.)

- To remember that mighty oaks from tiny acorns grow. One of the most common problems in the home landscape is that people plant these little seedling trees and forget that they will eventually grow into large specimens. I will pledge to avoid planting that cute little two foot tall blue spruce only three feet from the corner of the house.

- To properly identify the insect or disease problem before I do anything. Proper use of any pesticide always starts with the correct identification of the problem. I promise not to be a person who sees spots on my leaves and reaches for an insecticide when the problem is caused by a fungus and it is already too late to apply it anyway. I will be sure to use only the right product for the right pest at the right time.

-  To read all pesticide container labels carefully before I use them. I will not use 2 ounces when the label calls for one.

‑ To start and use a compost pile for clippings, leaves and other plant materials. I will take full advantage of the benefits of this “brown gold” and not fill up local landfills needlessly. In my case, I promise to clean up my pile and make it neater. Since it is hidden behind some shrubs, it is not always tops on my list of things to do.

- To protect my spouse’s blood pressure by NOT telling him/her how much I spent on those new plants. Just kidding…I think.

- To visit one beautiful garden each month of next summer. Often there are wonderful public or private gardens on display throughout the summer. Take advantage of local garden tours and open houses to get ideas that might be useful in your garden…or see things you want to avoid at all costs.

- To share more of my plants with fellow gardeners. What better way to show that you care for a friend and to get more beauty or homegrown food into the world? However, be sure that your plants are free of pests and diseases, especially virus or foliar nematodes, so you don’t pass these on.

- To attend the 2013 The American Hosta Society national meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in June 13-15. Or, the American Hemerocallis Society national meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 24-27. Or, the American Iris Society national meeting in Dallas, Texas, April 15-20. Or the national or local meeting of a plant society or gardening group of your choice.

- To work on controlling my urge to run my hands through a pile of rich, dark, wonderful, fantastic compost whenever one is near to me! (People who have taken my composting programs know about this one.)

- To keep studying, photographing and enjoying beautiful landscapes and landscape plants. It is never too late to learn…at least as long as we are still alive.

However, it is the truth that once something dies, nature starts to compost it. When we talk about “composting”, we are really talking about intervening in the process to make it go faster. Sure, you could just pile the stuff up and let it go but, depending on the types of plant material you have, it could take 5 or more years before it turns into a useable product. Most of us do not have enough room to have numerous piles of leaves and cuttings slowly decomposing. We would soon have no room for our beloved plants!

So, even though the basic process is the same, we humans can put it into high gear. Active composting is, in effect, just farming micro- and a few macro-organisms. They do all the work by eating the complex molecules in the leaves, stems and other plant parts and then running them through their tiny digestive systems. What comes out the other end are much simpler compounds and basic elements.

To be a good “farmer”, you need to provide the conditions that are required for your “livestock” i.e. micro and macro organisms to grow best. Be aware that there are two basic classifications of these organisms; aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic critters need a good supply of oxygen to survive while anaerobic ones can get by on very, very small amounts. Both will eventually do the job of composting. However, the one thing you need to remember is that aerobic equals “smells good” while anaerobic equals “smells bad”. This is due to the types of gas each group produces while they are breaking down the organic matter.

Here are the keys to ensuring that your compost pile encourages only aerobic decomposers:

A. Oxygen – Keeping the pile light and airy is important. That is why composting bins have holes or wire fencing all around the outside…to let in the air. It is also why you need to disturb i.e. turn the pile periodically to keep the oxygen mixed in.

B. Water – Like all (at least as far as I know) living organisms, decomposers need water. The key here is to keep the compost pile moist but not WATERLOGGED. Too little water and both the good and bad critters die. Too much water and only the good i.e. aerobic, organisms die, leaving only the stinky anaerobic decomposers.

C. Energy Source – Decomposers use organic matter as their energy source. For best growth, they need a certain amount of carbon (C) and a certain level of nitrogen (N). Carbon sources are generally represented by brown stuff like autumn leaves while nitrogen comes from the green like grass clippings (although you should NOT be collecting those…more on that in another post).

You will often see a C to N ratio of around 30:1 that is best for ideal composting. If the pile has too much C, the process will be extremely slow or stop all together. If there is too much N, the process will often go anaerobic and begin to smell.

D. Heat – As the decomposers do their work, they give off some of the energy as heat. The warmer the pile, the faster the compost will be completed. The better the balance of oxygen, water and C:N ratio, the warmer the pile.

E. Particle Size – The smaller the size of the organic matter used in the pile, the faster the compost will be completed. An entire oak leaf has a certain amount of surface area where the micro-organisms can be feeding. If you chop that oak leaf into hundreds of littler pieces, the surface area available increases dramatically. That is why people buy chipper-shredders during the fall. These machines will take 8 bushels of leaves and, by shredding, turn them into about one bushel of material. This greatly decreases the amount of space you need to devote to composting.

F. Volume – You need to have a proper volume of material for the process to work quickly. Spreading a couple of inches of organic matter on the ground is not enough volume. The heat from the micro-organisms will disperse too fast and the water will evaporate too quickly. If the pile is too large, oxygen will not be able to penetrate. So, for the backyard compost pile, you need a volume of about 3-4 feet high by 3-4 feet wide by 3-4 feet deep.

Finally, how do you know when the compost is “finished”? The best answer seems to be, “When you can’t tell what it was before.” A bag of composted cow manure bears no resemblance to the what came from the barnyard.