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Baltimore, MD

This year I am going to actually start preparing my pumpkin beds in the fall. Hopefully the pumpkins will appreciate the effort. I intend to mix leaves, rabbit manure, decomposing apples and straw, and chopped up corn stalks and canna foliage under the assumption that it will decompose over the winter and possibly attract more worms to the area. Does this sound like a good idea? These are all things have around my yard that I know will add nutrients to the soil. I am hoping that by the material being uncomposted that it will warm the soil to warm up faster in the spring. Also I like to think that while the plants grow nutrients will be released slowly.

It seems to work well with my cannas at least. I always chop up the canna tops and bury them in the hole where the tubers were. Then next season when I plant the cannas back in the same place after dividing them they are always taller than the ones that are in new holes without last seasons chopped up cannas.

Oh also I recently read on here that Starbucks gives away coffee grounds for the garden. I went the other day and got some and I suspect I will keep going back for awhile. I will be adding that to the garden as well.

10/25/2007 12:09:35 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

This is called sheet composting

10/26/2007 1:43:39 PM

Georgia

I use pumpkins in the fall pickings and spread them all over the patch in the fall and thier fine by the spring. But last night I was spreading some leaves and other organics and fell right were a 600 pounder was decomposing. It smelt like I just gota bath in dog crap but I still had a good laugh not as good as my girlfriend though.

10/26/2007 3:56:07 PM