Desert Messenger

10 www.DesertMessenger.com April 17, 2024 Gardening with Dennis COMPOSTING By Alex Taft If you are growing fruits, vegetables or flowers and shrubs in the desert, chances are you buy dirt. The dirt in the ground here is highly alka- line, made mostly of rock that has ground to dirt over time and very difficult to grow anything with, un- less it is a native plant. So, we buy dirt that is porous and can be used in containers or as soil amendments if you have an in-ground garden. Or you can do what Dennis did, which was to make his own dirt, which worked extremely well, but still in- volved purchasing ingredients. Composting bypasses the need to purchase soil amendments and cuts back on the amount of dirt you need to buy, if you are doing container gardening. In New England, where I first started gardening, composting was pretty much a simple matter of don'ts: don't rake the leaves that fall on the garden; in the spring don't rake the leaves, just pull them away from where you want to plant and let them pile up between the rows. Our climate does not have the ca- pacity to rot leaves like New Eng- land weather. Here, composting is a matter of do's. Save your fruit and vegetable scraps and your dryer lint and old cardboard boxes. Toss them all together and make better dirt. Composting is a process of com- bining brown and green ingredients that rot in a container over time. The resulting compost contributes to the soil's nutrients and helps seeds to sprout and plants to grow. The brown mix that goes into composting is usu- ally dry and can include dry leaves, straw, twigs, sawdust, pine needles, papers and napkins, cotton fabric, dryer lint, wooden utensils, and cor- rugated cardboard. The green mix items are the nitrogen and protein rich components that heat the pile as they break down. Green mix that goes into the compost pile includes grass clippings, veggie and fruit scraps, coffee grounds and tea bags, eggshells, leaves and plant trimmings that haven't gone to seed. Lastly, add a little of old potting soil or manure, if available. When all these ingredients are combined or layered in a box or container, where they 'cook' over time and the result is free soil amendments. Composting improves soil quality and is mostly free unless you choose to spend a lot of money on a pre- made composter. I used an old plas- tic trash can with a lid; drilled some holes in to aerate it and turn it a bit every so often. Another method is to set a box in the ground and layer the brown and green mix to create the compost. Do Not include meat food scraps in your compost or you will probably have rodents. If the com- post is too liquid, add more brown mix. If it is too dry, add more green mix. Keep your compost damp but not soaked and turn it every so of- ten. The end result is quality food for your plants. Here's what NOT to add to your compost pile: Plastics - they won't decompose. Most animal products, including meat, bones, dairy, fish, fats, and oils, will produce incredibly foul smells as they rot. They will also attract pests like flies and rodents. Anything that's been treated with pesticides or sealant could destroy the good composting organisms in the bin, and what's left over may af- fect the plants you're trying to grow later; this includes medications. This also includes tape and labels on cardboard boxes. They should be removed from the cardboard before adding it to the compost. Diseased or infected plants or weeds that have gone to seed shouldn't go into the compost mix either. You can start composting at any time of year, but it goes from brown and green mix to compost you can use, faster in the summer because the heat helps "cook" the ingredi- ents. So how do you know when it's cooked and ready to use? It is dark and crumbly with no ammo- nia smell. There is a lot written about com- posting and some of it is contradic- tory. What I have chosen is the con- sistent ingredients, cautions and suggestions. Overall, composting is a great way to have a successful garden, whether it is in-ground or in contain- ers without expense, except a little time. It also can mean there is less to haul to the dump on trash day. Note: for those who did not know Dennis, he was a part-time em- ployee of the town parks depart- ment, a Master Gardener since 1985 and instructor for the Master Gardener Class. He passed away in 2018. SNOWBIRD CAFE formerly Dorothy & Toto's Ice Cream Shop WILL BE OPEN ALL SUMMER for your convenience! ICE CREAM - KETTLE CORN BREAKFAST & LUNCH Open 9am-7pm Daily 205 W. MAIN ST. Quartzsite, AZ Indoor and Outdoor Seating 907-903-0388 The Parker Tube Float - The biggest Party on the Parker Strip! Register at www.parkerfun.com From Parker Regional Chamber of Commerce & Tourism: The 46th Annual Parker Tube Float will be held on Saturday June 8, 2024. Online Pre-Registration is now open and will close at midnight June 2, 2024. The 46th Annual Parker Tube Float registration will be at La Paz County Park from 8 A.M to 12 P.M with the float ending at 5 P.M. (NO-WAKE ZONE EXPIRES). Park at La Paz County Park ($10.00 parking fee) and we will shuttle you to Buck- skin Mountain State Park where the starting line is. The last bus will leave La Paz County Park shortly af- ter registration closes at 12 P.M. Buckskin Mountain State Park will have air compressors available to inflate your floats and get ready to launch. Ice will also be available for purchase at both La Paz County Park and Buckskin Mountain State Park. Once you are ready you will enter the beautiful Colorado River you can enjoy beautiful scenery and will pass a few bars and restaurants as you float down to the finish line at La Paz County Park/Pirate's Den Resort lo- cated where you originally parked. We strongly suggest you pre-regis- ter as it is $30.00 per person. Once pre-registration closes the fee is $40.00 per person if you register the morning of the event. An additional fee of $30.00 is required if you will be using a motorized vessel to assist your floating group. The first 300 registered will receive a free event tank top. All pre-registered will be entered into a drawing for fabulous prizes. Register online at: https://www.parkerfun.com Parker Tube Float

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