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Try
Apartment Composting Look carefully at the drawing. The two bottles are cut differently. The
first bottle has the bottom pried off and the top cut off. The larger
portion of this bottle becomes the top chamber of the column,
The second bottle has only the bottom cut off. The bottom then becomes
the base of the column and is a dish into which excess water can drip,
keeping your kitchen counter or window dry as you fill the column with
compost. The top of the first bottle can be used as the lid, or you can
use either of the bottoms. You can recyle the parts of the bottle that
you don't use.
I put the column along the east side of my kitchen window, where it is
handy for me to throw in scraps from my vegetables and fruits which are
cleaned in the sink immediately below. I also throw in an occasional eggshell.
I can also sprinkle water into the top, and the sun provides some additional
heat to keep the compost working.
I'm not allowed a cat or a dog in the apartment, and I would not use
their droppings in this compost pit if I did. I do throw in a little manure
purchased at the local garden store, however.
The results: Last year my tomatoes grew and produced throughout the winter.
With the benefit of a little additional florescent light, they grew all
around my sink. This year I reserved the kitchen window and the florescent
lights for my miniature roses. I moved my tomatoes to a table in the living
area where they have more room. The result has been great until this last
week when one of the tomatoes began to grow a little spindly. I've harvested
about eight tomatoes, have eight tomatoes currently on my three plants,
and there are many blooms, suggesting I'll continue to have a good crop
for some months.
The tomatoes take a lot of water in this heated apartment, but my apartment
compost reduces the amount I have to give each plant. I also am sure to
water my plants twice, with a gap of about twenty minutes between each
watering, so the plants drink as much of the water as possible. Little
water is wasted, and I'm reminded each time I water, of the benefits of
having a good apartment compost column.
The trick to successful seeding is planning, starting the right seeds
at the right time in the right conditions. Generally, the right time to
start seeds depends on when the seedlings can be moved outside safely
in your specific area. No matter which zone you garden in, there are plants
that can be started indoors this month and moved outside before the end
of May.
For you other eager seeders, here are lists of vegetables and flowers
that can be started indoors in January and February, and moved outside
in early spring (March - April), if you garden in zones 4 - 8, or late
spring (April - May), if you garden in zones 2 - 3. Each chart (adapted
from Garden and Greenhouse's "Planting Guide for Spring Bedding Plants")
lists the approximate indoor starting date, the germination temperature
needed, the seed's required conditions, and the approximate number of
days until germination.
Seeds
to Start in February
Newsletter
Contest
If
Leeks could Kill: Vichyssoise to Die for
by Max Dalrymple
by Susan Ward
As soon as I've taken down the Christmas decorations and dragged out the
tree, I dig out my seed trays and start checking my supplies. I know it's
too early to get any basil or tomatoes going; I know Zinnias and Impatiens
won't be able to go into the ground until the end of May (if then!); I know
that seeds started too early indoors will turn into pathetic, lanky, weak
plants that won't do anything outside except embarrass me, but I can't help
myself; seeding fever has set in.
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| Species | Seeding Date | Temperature | Days to Germination | ||||
| Chives | Jan 29 | 70 F | 10 | ||||
| Head Lettuce | Feb 25 | 70 F | 7 | ||||
| Onion | Jan 15 | 70 F | 10 | ||||
Remember; the seed dates are approximate. If you haven't seeded Chives or Onions yet, this doesn't mean that it's too late. You'll notice from the chart that these three vegetables are ideal seeding companions, as they all need the same germination temperature.
I actually start my lettuce (including mesclun) a little earlier than this, as I love the tender young greens. I seed directly into large shallow clay pots, which I put out on my sheltered balcony after the greens have gotten big enough, as house temperatures cause lettuce to wilt. In her 1996 Gardening Calendar, Helen Chestnut has another great idea for harvesting spring lettuce early; she recommends starting leaf and butter lettuce now and then transplanting it into a cold frame or plastic tunnel in early March... sowing seed radish, spinach, and bok choy directly into the frame or tunnel when the lettuce is transplanted.
Flowers
I admit I'm a sucker for a pretty bloom. This table is organized by germination temperature, rather than alphabetically, to make it easier to group seeds.
| Flowers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Seeding Date | Temperature | Seed Requires | Days to Germination |
| Aquilegia | Jan 1 | 55 | Light | 30 |
| Armeria | Feb 12 | 55 | Dark | 10 |
| Candytuft | Feb 25 | 55 | Covered | 20 |
| Larkspur | Feb 12 | 55 | Dark | 21 |
| Myosotis | Jan 29 | 55 | Covered | 8 |
| Penstemon | Feb 12 | 55 | Light | 10 |
| Achillea | Feb 25 | 60 | Covered | 10 |
| Centranthus | Feb 25 | 60 | Covered | 10 |
| Dianthus (Sweet William) | Feb 12 | 60 | Covered | 5 |
| Pedilanthus(Jacob's Ladder) | Feb 12 | 60 | Covered | 20 |
| Poppy | Feb 25 | 60 | Uncovered | 15 |
| Scabiosa (Per) | Feb 12 | 60 | Covered | 15 |
| Alyssum (Per) | Jan 29 | 70 | Covered | 25 |
| Cheiranthus | Feb 25 | 70 | Covered | 10 |
| Geum | Feb 12 | 70 | Covered | 28 |
| Linaria | Feb 25 | 70 | Covered | 10 |
| Nierembergia | Feb 25 | 70 | Covered | 15 |
| Nigella | Feb 25 | 70 | Covered | 8 |
| Pansy | Jan 29 | 70 | Covered | 10 |
While there are many other flower seeds that can be started in February, this list only includes the tough or semi-hardy ones that can be planted outside in early spring, so you don't need to worry about keeping them alive indoors for an extra month or two while you're waiting for the temperatures outside to climb. You other Basil and Zinnia lovers know you'll have to wait another month or two to get these tender heatlovers going!
But if you have enough windowsill space or some growlights set up, you can start your indoor seeding program right away.Happy sowing!
Susan Ward is a freelance writer living in Comox, B.C. who has a passion for gardening. She is the Suite101 Editor for Gardening in B.C. and writes for magazines such as BackHome.
The Newsletter needs a new name! Terra Viva Organics would like to announce a contest for all subscribers of our monthly newsletter. We're looking for an original, catchy name.
All ideas can be sent to mailto:info@tvorganics.com?subject=Contest. The winner will be announced at the end of the month and will be awarded an Orchard Mason Bee Condo!
If Leeks could Kill: Vichyssoise to Die
for
by Phil Heiple
Vichyssoise (potato-leek soup)
- 1 Potato
- 3 Leeks
- 1 onion
- Garlic
- 1 to 2 cups cream
- Butter
Return to saucepan and heat. Good served hot or chilled.
Garnish with sour cream and chopped herbs. Drop dead easy.
Phil Heiple has been gardening since the mid-seventies. Recipes for all the stuff he grows: www.rain.org/~philfear/garden.html
Comments, questions, and article suggestions can be sent to us at info@tvorganics.com
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Terra Viva Organics invites you to read more gardening-related articles at Suite101.com. Make sure you stop by the Vegetable Garden!
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