Showing posts with label compost. Show all posts
Showing posts with label compost. Show all posts

Saturday, October 17, 2026

GardenDC Podcast Episode 304: Natural Burial and Human Composting

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Michael Judd of Morris Orchard Natural Burials. The plant profile is on American Strawberry Bush and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on "Pumpkin Ideas" from Christy Page of GreenPrints.

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month!

See how at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/subscribe

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 136: Home Composting

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/02/gardendc-podcast-episode-136-home.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 269: The Future is Nuts

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2026/01/gardendc-podcast-episode-269-future-is.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 95: Willows

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/03/gardendc-podcast-episode-95-willows.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 25: Paw Paws

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/08/gardendc-podcast-episode-25-michael.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 187: Mad About Mulches

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/03/gardendc-podcast-episode-187-mad-a

Show Notes will be posted after 10/31/2026.

We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode.

And be sure to leave us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform plus share us on social media with #GardenDC, so other gardeners can find us too!

Episode Credits:
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz
Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

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Friday, April 14, 2023

Fenton Friday: Radish Thinnings

 
It was another crazy weather week with summertime-like temps and barely any rain, so the thornless blackberry bush is covered in big white blooms and the strawberries are also flowering prolifically. The kale and broccoli from last fall have both bolted and I yanked them out. I think at this rate the garlic will form scapes in the next week or two!

We had to hand-water the seedlings and carried that water over from the rain barrel at my house as the cistern at the community garden was not open yet for the season. 

We weeded a bit and thinned out the radishes, arugula, lettuce, and carrot seedlings. The spinach seedlings are now all up too.

The pea seedlings and the Swiss chard one are both still fairly small and don't need thinning. The potato plants have not emerged yet.


We picked a few more asparagus spears and cleaned/ate the thinnings mentioned above, except for the carrots as I read they are not good to eat them.

We created a short compost trench where I hope to plant tomatoes this summer or similar "heavy feeder" plants. We posted a TikTok video of that compost trench process. See: tiktok.com/t/ZTR3KtcNs/

What are you growing in your edible garden this season?

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 12th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above (at the top, left on this blog).

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Saturday, February 04, 2023

GardenDC Podcast Episode 136: Home Composting

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Gary Pilarchik of The Rusted Garden about home composting. The plant profile is on Stinking Hellebore and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events in the What's New segment. We close out with Greg Peterson of The Urban Farm podcast, who shares the Last Word on Observation.


BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! 
See how at: https://anchor.fm/gardendc/support.

Show Notes: 01:06 Meet Gary Pilarchik of The Rustic Garden. 03:22 Home composting in small spaces. 04:40 “(Bagged) compost can be in any state of decay and they’ll call it compost.” 05:34 How to compost in a 4x4 space. 06:26 “People just don’t get started, they get paralyzed…” 07:06 You don’t have to be an active composter. 07:49 Compost happens. 08:10 Gary’s biggest tip: just get started. 09:17 Setting up a hot compost. 10:43 Pros and cons to hot composting. 11:30 If you’re lucky, cold composting takes 12 months to become usable. 12:14 “I was a little bit slow getting started on composting, and that was the barrier.” 12:34 Why tumblers are great: “At dinner time I don’t feel like walking out when it’s raining.” 13:35 How to control compost odors. 15:58 Composting is like lasagna. 17:13 How to separate hot composting into multiple piles. 18:41 You shouldn’t get overly stressed about making it right. 19:35 Turning piles adds in oxygen – fuels the decomposition process. 21:22 How Gary sets up his leaf compost. 22:08 You don’t always have to turn leaf compost – here’s how. 22:47 Leaf composting: “It’s not a lot of work, which is what I prefer.” 23:30 Chemicals on grass may not break down and can hurt your garden. 24:08 Don’t be lazy and add whole sticks. 25:29 Here’s what attracts racoons and rats to your compost. 26:23 Do creatures get into your compost? 27:10 Snakes – don’t freak out. 29:09 Weed seeds can last for years. 30:27 Things can grow out of a compost pile??? 32:28 Plants want to survive. 33:10 Experimenting with closed-bag composting. 35:49 Composting for the first time? Try three pens. 37:18 Compost activators: they don’t work. 38:10 Beer and urine in your compost! 40:07 Leaves don’t need to be sifted. 41:40 “I want to do the least amount of work.” 42:20 Compost tea – an extra step. 43:46 Organic gardening, the compost is your fertilizer. 45:07 Just get started. 45:36 Stinking Hellebore: this week’s Plant Profile. 47:07 Garden updates: Blooming crocuses! 47:22 Upcoming events: Tacoma Horticultural Club: Growing Figs; National Capital Orchid Society’s annual show and sale; Stars for Your Garden – Potomac Rose Society. 48:43 “Groundcover Revolution” by Kathy Jentz. 49:52 “The Urban Garden” by Kathy Jentz and Teri Speight 50:52 Last Word by Greg Peterson: Observation. 53:24 “Always keep a curious mind.”

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 123: Cover Crops and Winter Bed Prep
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/10/gardendc-podcast-episode-123-cover.html

This episode is archived at:

We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://anchor.fm/gardendc/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode.

And be sure to leave us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform plus share us on social media with #GardenDC, so other gardeners can find us too!

Episode Credits:
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz
Editing and Show Notes: Jessica Harden

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