HUNTINGDON (Huntingdon
Co.) When the dog days of
summer yield to the cooler days of
autumn, homeowners may want to
build a compost pile to recycle
leaves, garden plants, kitchen
scraps and grass clippings. And
the composting process can con
tinue through the coldest days of
winter, says an expert in Penn
State’s College of Agricultural
Sciences.
“Nearly 30 percent of the waste
homeowners throw away each
year can be composted,” says Dr.
j. Robert Nuss, professor of orna
mental horticulture. “Composing
turns wastes into a valuable soil
conditioner to use in gardens,
around trees and on lawns.”
Composting is an inexpensive,
natural process that decomposes
organic matter into a dark, crumb
ly material similar to humus. Fin
ished compost helps soil retain
water by increasing its organic
content. It also provides some
nutrients.
Pre-Teen To Teens
Workshop For Parents
YORK (York Co.) The
Spring Grove School District and
Celebrate Your Family Commit
tee are co-sponsoring a workshop <
on Nocember 6,1993 on parenting
pre-teens. Keeping the Celebra
tion “ Alive-Pre-Teens to Teens" is
scheduled from 8:15 a.m.-l:00
p.m. Novembers, at Spring Grove
Middle School.
Topics include Raising Respon
sible Pre-Early Teens, Building
Your Child’s Self-Esteem, Rais
Profit
from fall
lime application
Fall Is Ideal Tl
To build a compost pile, start by
deciding which type of compost
bin to use. “Composting doesn’t
require a structure or bin, but
uncontained heaps can be visually
offensive to neighbors,” Nuss
says.
Ready-made compost bins arc
available at Hardware or lawn and
garden stores or from gardening
catalogs. An inexpensive bin can
be made from masonry blocks,
boards, wire or snow fence. The
bin should be at least three feet
high and three feet wide.
Place the bin on level ground
and fill it with organic household
or yard waste, such as plant mat
ter, vegetable scraps, egg shells,
coffee grounds, sawdust even
small amounts of newspaper.
The pile should contain a mix of
carbon-rich and nitrogen-rich
materials because both are essen
tial for the microorganisms that do
the decomposing. “Green, leafy
wastes generally are high in nitro
gen, while woody materials tend
ing Sexually Healthy Children,
Substance Abuse and Youth-
What’s a Parent To Do?
In addition, a panel of Spring
Grove Middle School students
will share their feelings and exper
iences as pre-teen and early teens.
For registration information
call Family Child Resources at
(717) 757-1227 or Penn State
Cooperative Extension at (717)
757-9657.
me To Build
to be high in carbon,” Nuss says.
“Fertilizer and manure also are
good sources of nitrogen.”
The composting microorgan
isms require water, so the pile
should be kept moist. One way to
gauge moisture is the squeeze test.
“Tightly squeeze a handful of
material from the pile,” Nuss says.
“If more than one or two djops of
water come out, the pile is too
moist If the pile feels drier than a
wrung-out sponge, it’s too dry.”
Decomposition without oxygen
can cause bad odors, so turn the
pile weekly with a pitchfork to
aerate it. Using a fair amount of
course material dry leaves or
Cultivate A Tradition
NEWARK, Del. For $5O
you and your family could spend
next weekend at a show or splurg
ing on dinner at a favorite restaur
ant. Or, for about the same
expense, you could devote your
time to planting a tree.
“Tree planting is the pefect
family activity,” says University
of Delaware Cooperative Exten
sion horticulture specialist Susan
Barton. “And, unlike the transit
ory pleasures of a night at the the
ater or dining out, you and your
family will continue to enjoy the
tree you’ve planted for many
years to come.”
Often, families imbue tree
planting with symbolic meaning,
notes Barton. They may plant a
tree to mark the birth of a new
baby, a child’s first day in kinder
garten or the death of a loved one.
As a tree grows, kids may find
that it’s the perfect place to build a
fort or twirl on a tire swing. Adults
may find that the shady spots
beneath its branches are just right
Improve your soil by applying
Martin’s quality Hi-magnesium or
Hi-calcium agricultural limestone.
Call your local Martin Limestone
dealer or call Blue Ball, Pa.
(800) 233-0205
(717) 354-1370
Martin
LIMESTONE
Compost Pile
bulky plants, for instance also
helps ensure that the pile gets
proper aeration.
With proper aeration and ample
amounts of carbon, nitrogen and
moisture, the pile should reach at
least 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the
middle. Temperatures up to 140 F
will kill weed seeds in the com
post. but higher temperatures can
kill the composting microbes. A
soil thermometer can be used to
check the soil temperature. If the
temperature gets 100 high, turn
thre compost pile. “As long as the
pile is large enough to insulate
itself, it will continue to decom
pose throughout the winter with
out being turned,” Nuss says.
Plant A Family Tree
for planting impatiens or parking a
chaise lounge.
Kids and adults together can
collect and press the tree’s leaves
and search the branches for berries
and flowers, says Barton. By
studying a tree in all its seasons,
children learn about the cycles of
nature of growth, maturation,
dormancy, death and new life.
Have we convinced you to get
your ifamily together and go plant
a tree?
Good. Then your first order of
business is to check the selection
of trees at your local garden shop.
Barton advises against planting
from seed because the cultivars
available at retail outlets tend to be
hardier and provide improved hor
ticultural attributes, such as
brighter fall colors.
“When you are ready to dig
your tree’s hole, remember that
deeper isn’t better,” says Barton.
“On the contrary, since 80 percent
of the roots grow in the top 8
inches of soil, a fiat, pancake-
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 30, 1993-811
"When warm weather returns in
the spring, begin turning it again.”
The compost is ready to use when
the pile cools and the material is
dark, crumbly and sweet
smelling, like soil.
Complete information about
starting a home compost pile is
available in “Composting to
Reduce the Waste Stream: A
Guide to Small Scale Food and
Yard Waste Composting,” a
48-page publication featuring
easy-to-read charts and guide
lines. Copies of the guide are
available for $4.00 from the Publi
cations. Call your local Penn State
Extension office for a copy or
more information.
shaped hole is ideal.”
An adult should dig the hole,
but children can get involved in
the backfill process. For example,
when Barton planted a tree with
her daughter’s kindergarten class,
she had the children use sand
shovels to smooth out the
backfilled hole.
After filling the hole, everyone
can help add a 2- to 3-inch layer of
mulch, being careful not to get
mulch on the trunk itself. Finally,
give the children responsibility for
seeing that the tree gets 1 inch of
water per week if not from the
clouds then from a garden hose.
Tell the children to set the hose at
a small trickle and allow it to run
for a half hour to an hour.
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STAUFFER
PUMP WORKS
SOI Coopers Drive
Kirkwood, PA 17536
Samuel S. King, owner
Cooperative Extension offers
“Trees,” a booklet that covers the
selection, planting and care. The
cost is $2.50. Pick up a copy at
your county Extension office.