Sprucehaven Farms

The most important part of organic gardening is to nourish the soil. Your plants will take their nourishment from the soil, and will only be as healthy as the soil is. The healthier your plants, the fewer of them will fall victim to garden pests. The soil, therefore, is the most important part of organic farming or gardening. Feed the soil, and the soil will feed the plants. Fee the soil compost tea, and you will have healthy, productive plants.

Compost tea for organic farming or gardening is easily made. You won’t need a teapot or hot, boiling water, but you will need the best compost you can purchase or make.

Compost is organic material produced when bacteria in the soil cause garbage and biodegradable trash to decompose. It is an organic fertilizer. Making compost requires regular turning of the pile, mixing the materials in it, and exposing them to air. It is an ongoing process, and is a good way to recycle kitchen scraps and other vegetable matter.

Compost tea for organic farming or gardening will only be as good as the compost you use to make it.

Reasons for Making Compost Tea

There are a number of organic fertilizers you can use on your organic garden or farm. Why would you want to get involved in brewing, straining, and spraying compost tea? Why not just work fresh compost directly into the soil?

The main reason for making compost tea for organic farming or gardening is that it helps you increase compost’s benefits. Compost tea can be sprayed on your plants’ leaves to reduce leaf disease. Sprayed compost tea can give your plants additional nutrients besides what they absorb through their roots.

Studies have shown that compost tea can increase the nutritional value of the vegetables that come to your table. It can also improve their flavor.

Compost Tea Recipe

Compost tea for organic farming or gardening can be mixed in large or small quantities, as needed. Our compost tea recipe is for a small quantity – about 2.5 gallons.

You will need these “aquarium” items from a pet store:

* 8 to 10 feet of air tubing
* 1 gang valve
* 3 bubblers, i.e. air stones
* 1 pump, large enough to run the 3 bubblers
* 2 5-gallon plastic buckets
* 1 stirring tool or stick
* 1 small bottle of organic unsulfured molasses
* 1 Tablespoon measure
* 1 old pillowcase or half of pantyhose for straining

Water: Well water may be used as is for compost tea, but water from a municipal supply contains chlorine, which will kill the beneficial organisms you need in your compost tea. Run the bubblers in municipal supply water for at least an hour before using it for compost tea.

Directions for Making Your Compost Tea

1. Hang the gang valve on the rim of one empty bucket.

2. Arrange the 3 bubblers on the bucket’s bottom. Cut 3 lengths of air tubing long enough to connect the bubblers to the gang valve. Leave an inch extra on each so they will not be dislodged when adding compost. Connect one end of each tube to a bubbler, the other end to the gang valve.

3. Add compost loosely on top of the bubblers (don’t pack) until the bucket is about one half full.

4. Cut a piece of tubing long enough to go from the gang valve to your pump. Attach both ends.

5. Add water to the bucket of compost until it is between 2 and 4 inches from the top.

6. Turn on the pump, and watch to be sure the bubblers are all activated.

7. When all 3 bubblers are working, add 2 Tablespoons of the molasses, and stir quickly. The molasses will feed the organisms you want to grow. After stirring, reposition the bubblers to be sure they are spaced evenly and sitting on the bottom.

8. Stir your compost tea several times each day. After each stirring, check the bubblers to be sure they are spaced evenly and sitting on the bottom.

9. Your compost tea will be done in 3 days. Turn off the pump, and remove the bubblers, etc. If you cannot use your compost tea immediately, continue aerating, but add 2 more Tablespoons of molasses to keep good organisms active.

Let the finished compost tea stand until the compost is well settled to the bottom. This should require 15 to 25 minutes. Strain the compost tea into your second bucket. Pour into a sprayer and apply.

The small garden design begins and ends with thoughtful, precise planning. However, small does not mean limited. A small garden design can still deliver a huge “wow” factor.

Small Garden Design: The Problems

A small garden design comes with big challenges. Perhaps your property abuts the two-story blank wall of a neighbor’s townhouse. Maybe the space is all straight lines and right angles. Or you’ve remodeled your home, changed the elevation, added a new room and reduced the size of your backyard, all of which affect the relationship to the existing landscape.

Turning Liabilities into Assets

With small garden design, as with all landscape design, the goal is to create spaces in which the home and architectural elements have a relationship with the yard and surrounding area. First, consider the big picture-your assets and liabilities. Begin by looking at the large, possibly immoveable factors, such as trees, a long fence-line or pool equipment, and decide if they are liabilities or assets. In this way, you test the viability and capacity of the site, a determination that will help clarify your landscape design options. Landscape designers or landscape architects can bring expertise and experience to this process.

Small Garden Design: Features to Consider

? Hardscapes. Decks, patios, pergolas, arbors and gates can be used to help define a small space, break it up or create interest. These choices, in effect, create other rooms. Your material selection adds further texture, thus making the space livelier.

? Water features such as swimming pools or outdoor water fountains. Swimming pools can be custom-made to fit into a small garden design. Also outdoor water fountains can be used to good effect in small gardens. Water features create movement and pleasant sounds, both elements that heighten your enjoyment of a landscape.

? Landscape lighting. Landscape lighting, in particular, can bring an element of drama to a small space. It is good to keep in mind that your landscape is viewed at night for about 30 percent of the time. Since so many people work and don’t come home until after dark, landscape lighting means homeowners can still enjoy their outdoor property, whenever they get home. It turns the landscape into a 24-hour event. Landscape lighting is also very practical as it provides security and nighttime lighting for any tricky steps.

? Infrastructure, like irrigation systems and drainage systems. Irrigation and drainage systems are the work-horses of Houston gardens. Sprinkler systems deliver water to plants during our long, intense summer months and drainage systems take away excess water when we get our infamous torrential rains. They save money, time and worry.

The Heart of Small Garden Design

Jeff Halper, landscape design specialist with Exterior Worlds, says, “The overall objective of any great landscape design, including small garden designs, is to create a space that breathes with the home and has a relationship to its surroundings. It should reflect the client’s visual desires and functionally work together in every aspect.”

Your perfect outdoor hideaway may be under a grove of trees, surrounded by rose bushes or in the shade of a favorite fountain. These tranquil locales each possess an individual attraction that is unique to them. They provide you with a special area to relax, bring friends and enjoy family gatherings. Their importance shouldn’t be understated, and the furniture you place there should blend in and provide a warm, inviting space.

Teak, a warm honey-colored tropical wood, provides the perfect accent to outdoor gardens. Although it is a more expensive variety of hardwood, teak is incredibly durable and weather resistant. The amount of care it needs to maintain its lush, natural finish is a simple annual cleaning and treatment with a specialized teak protector. If left untreated, it will weather to a beautiful silver patina. When proper care is given, teak will not warp, rot or splinter. Unlike many other types of hardwoods, teak does not requiring sanding or refinishing.

The resilient nature of teak garden furniture makes it an obvious choice for longevity in an outdoor setting. Where less expensive woods would rot or warp after several years, teak’s price is offset by its long lasting nature. It is an excellent investment for your favorite outdoor space.

Not only is teak weather resistant, it’s also capable of withstanding frequent, heavy use. You may use your garden furniture infrequently or on a daily basis. No matter what your usage level, teak can gracefully withstand the demands you place on it without cracking or breaking. It is an excellent choice for outdoor gardens where furniture abuse is a potential problem, such as with young children or a highly variable climate.

Teak garden furniture will blend in to an open outdoor setting better than nearly any other type of wood furniture. If kept treated, the warm finish provides an inviting scene for the outdoor area. If left to its own devices, the silver patina will provide you with a traditional looking garden set that evokes an old fashioned scene.

Even though it is incredibly durable, teak should not be left exposed to the elements unnecessarily. The legs should be kept on dry ground or patio blocks, not directly in the dirt, as even the hardiest of woods will eventually rot when left in standing water. When it is not in use, it should be covered with a tarp or plastic sheet to prevent water accumulation on the furniture itself. Teak garden furniture should be stored indoors or in a covered garden shed during the months that are prone to wet or snowy weather.

Teak will blend in perfectly with nearly any outdoor garden. The initial investment in this durable outdoor furniture will provide a return over your lifetime, as it enhances and accents your favorite outdoor space.