As the name implies, compost tea is made by steeping compost in water. It is a liquid version of compost. It gives a quick boost to the plants.

To make place compost in a cloth bag in the bottom of a container and add the water. Combine one part compost to three parts water. Let steep for 24 hours. Then pour tea around the base of the plants.

Try it out and let us know your results.

Understanding how to make and use compost is in the public interest. The problem of waste disposal is climbing towards a crisis level. Don’t throw away materials when you can use them to improve your lawn and garden! Start composting instead.

Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment. Best of all, compost is cheap. Using compost improves soil structure, texture, and aeration and increases the soil's water-holding capacity. Compost loosens clay soils and helps sandy soils retain water. Adding compost improves soil fertility and stimulates healthy root development in plants. The organic matter provided in compost provides food for microorganisms, which keeps the soil in a healthy, balanced condition. Nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus will be produced naturally by the feeding of microorganisms, so few if any soil amendments other than the compost will need to be added.

Fast or "active" composting can be completed in two to six weeks. This method requires four key activities:

1) Aeration- Turn your pile as often as you can. Each time you turn it will speed up the process.

2) Moisture- Keep your pile damp not wet. The "squeeze test" is a good way to determine the moisture content of the composting materials. Squeezing a handful of material should have the moisture content of a well wrung sponge. A pile that is too wet can be turned or can be corrected by adding dry materials.

3) Proper carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio -The bacteria and fungi in compost digest or "oxidize" carbon as an energy source and ingest nitrogen for protein synthesis. Carbon can be considered the "food" and nitrogen the digestive enzymes.

Strive for somewhere between a 5:1 and an 8:1 ratio, by volume, of brown materials to green, but don't get too fussy about it---if the proportion is off, it's easy enough to recognize and to remedy.

Nitrogen or Green materials – green grass, weeds, coffee, veggie scraps, tea bags,

Carbon or Brown materials – dry grass, dry leaves, straw, hay, wood shavings, shredded cardboard and newspaper

-If a pile doesn't heat up within 24 hours it needs more green material.

-A pile that develops an ammonia-like smell needs more brown materials; just work some more into the pile, and the aroma should go away.

-Do not use grease, meat, bones or dairy products.

4) Temperature - Microorganisms generate heat as they decompose organic material. A compost pile with temperatures between 90°F and 140°F is composting efficiently. Temperatures higher than 140°F inhibit the activity of many of the most important and active organisms in the pile. Given the high temperatures required for rapid composting, the process will inevitably slow during the winter months in cold climates. Some microorganisms like cool temperatures and will continue the decomposition process, though at a slower pace. 

Do not despair. I highly recommend the CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator. Its blade is a steel fingernail that becomes an extension of your hand. Watch the videos below and see how well this tools work.

To prevent rusting, place your shovels, hoes and other digging tools into a large bucket of 5 pounds of builders sand and one quart of oil. Storing them in the solution will clean and prolong the life of your tools. This is particularly helpful for rust-prone digging instruments such as shovels, garden forks, and hoes. After use, rinse with water and dry the blades. Then insert them in the oil/sand mixture. The sand will scour off debris, and the oil will coat the metal, retarding rust.

Rub linseed oil into the wooden handle of your tools. This will help prevent drying out and splintering.

Many people install hummingbird feeders to attract the birds. Hummingbirds will thank you for doing so: their rapid metabolism requires them to eat constantly. Most hummers consume about one-half of their body weight in sugar each day.

While you wait for spring to come and the hummingbirds to arrive take a peak at the hummingbirds feeding in Brazil on the Dr JB Hummingbird feeder.

Streaming video by Ustream

A good way to make composting easier is to keep a compost pail or small bin in your kitchen. It is really just a container where the food waste goes until it is transferred to the compost heap or outside compost bin.

You can buy a kitchen compost pail, and of course there are advantages to buying something custom made for its purpose. For example, kitchen compost pails often come with carbon filters to help control the smell. And frankly, they do look better than and old coffee container and so you don’t have to be kept out of sight.

At RA Nursery we carry the RSVP stoneware, bamboo and stainless steel compost pails. Watch the video below to see how handy these compost pails are.

SHOVEL
The shovel is the number one tool used by most gardeners. An angled blade makes the shovel ideal for attacking piles of soil, sand, and other materials you need to load or move. It's also typically the tool of choice for digging plants out of the ground.  Take note of how well the shovel's handle is attached to the blade. That junction is usually the weakest point of the tool.

SPADE
A spade features a flat, squared-off blade and often is short-handled. It is ideal for edging beds, slicing under sod, and working soil amendments into the garden. Look for stainless-steel blades -- they resist rust. Also, the highest-quality spades usually have steel heads that are firmly connected to the handle. Spades where the blade is riveted to the handle tend to come apart more easily.