The Master Gardener volunteers have planned two
informative seminars on Saturday, September 22,
that should be of interest to many area gardeners.
The first seminar is entitled “Home Composting
Made Easy.” It will be conducted from 9:00 – 11:00
a.m. on Saturday, September 22, at the Galveston
County AgriLife Extension Office located in Carbide
Park at 4102-B Main in La Marque.
Composting is the controlled decomposition of organic
materials (stuff that use to be alive) using not
only aerobic bacteria (ones that need oxygen, not the
smelly anaerobic kind) and fungi, but also protozoans
and worms.
As gardeners we can speed up the composting
process and have the finished compost retain the
most nutrients for plant use.
Now you may be wondering if you have to go out
and buy a bag of “starter compost” for your compost
pile. Compost piles are kind of a “field of dreams”
proposition – build it and they will come. Commercial
additives are not necessary and there are no magic
enzymes or elixirs.
Garden soil or finished compost has all the necessary
microbes and creatures in it. How convenient!
Managing a compost pile is just helping these organisms
to do their job by providing the food, moisture
and oxygen they need.
Magazine articles sometimes make it sound like
you need a degree in biochemistry before you can
compost anything. Once you understand the basic
principles, the methods and containers for composting
can be quite diverse.
Most of the ingredients for the compost pile will be
lawn clippings and plants from the garden. Now that
fall is approaching, tree leaves will become an additional
ingredient for compost piles. Bags of leaves
can be saved to add to the pile.
A report issued by the U.S. Composting Council
stated that leaves, grass and other yard trimmings
and food residuals (including fruits and leafy vegetables)
collectively constitute 24 percent of the U.S.
municipal solid waste stream. Composting offers the
obvious benefits of resource efficiency and creating
a useful product.
Compost is a most useful product indeed. Finished
compost is “black gold” to gardeners. Forget buying
peat moss to add to soils. Use compost instead. It
acts as a great soil conditioner by loosening heavy
clay soils, improving water-holding capacity of sandy
soils, and adding all the wonderful microbes, fungi
and important plant nutrients back into the soil.
If you want to learn the basics of home composting,
be sure to reserve a seat for the upcoming seminar
on the “Home Composting Made Easy” by Master
Gardener Jim Gilliam to be held on Saturday, September
22, from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. at the Galveston
County AgriLife Extension Office located in Carbide
Park (4102-B Main St. in La Marque). Pre-register by
e-mail (galvcountymgs@gmail.com) or phone (281-
309-5065).
The next seminar is entitled “A Passion for Plumeria”
and will be conducted from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. on
Saturday, May 22, at the Galveston County AgriLife
Extension Office located in Carbide Park at 4102-B
Main in La Marque.
Plumeria is also known as the Hawaiian lei flower.
Plumerias are undoubtedly some of the most beautiful
and delightful plants grown in our subtropical
growing environment.
Do you already grow or have an interest in plumeria?
Then plan to attend this program to be presented
by Master Gardener Loretta Osteen who is
also a long-time member of the Plumeria Society of
America. Topics to be discussed include proven varieties,
proper fertilization, soil and light requirements,
pruning, propagation methods, and methods of overwintering.
The program is free-of-charge but pre-registration
is required. Pre-register by e-mail (galvcountymgs@
gmail.com) or phone (281-309-5065). Program participants
who pre-register will also be eligible to receive
a variety of door prize drawings including potted
juvenile plumeria, seedling plumeria and other plants.
There is absolutely nothing like the sweet fragrance
of a plumeria in flower, with fragrances reminiscent of
jasmine, citrus, spices, gardenia, and other delightful
scents. These flowers are treasured for their durability,
fragrances and colors of whites, yellows, pinks,
reds, and multiple pastels.
The enchanting plumeria can provide a tropical
addition to almost any landscape and deserve wider
use.
Composting helps keep lawn clippings, landscape trimmings,
tree leaves and other types of yard waste out of
landfills. Compost is the single most important supplement
you can give your garden soil. Finished compost is
called “black gold” by gardeners.
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