Fall Planting and Compost

I've got all these little shrubs and trees that I got from the Forest in the spring and they have been sitting in our nursery waiting to be planted all summer. Its time to find a home for them so we spent the morning doing just that. Roaming the yard together discussing which plant should go where. Fall is a great time for this, it's the best time to plant shrubs and trees in the south and at the end of the season we have a better sense of how the garden is shaping up and where there are holes.

And speaking of holes, that's what these little plants are going to need, and I knew I needed to turn and sift some compost to make them happy in their new homes.

We've got a pretty basic composting rig. We use big hoops of wire to make cages to pile the compost into as its generated from the kitchen and the garden. When its time to turn it or get some out, it's easy enough to lift the cage off and fork into the pile.

Here you can see the sifter I made with rabbit wire and 2x4's fits right over the wheelbarrow and is pretty easy to push the compost through. The cage at right is the new pile, behind the wheelbarrow is the old one I'm working from. All the dry edges and gnarly vines and things I've thrown recently on the old pile like bean and squash make the bottom of the new pile.

Things that need another round: Peach, mango and avocado pits, mussel shells and corn cobs, sticks etc, get sifted out and pitched into the new pile.

The finished product, black gold full of rich humus, nutrients and worms. This will make those new plants nestle down into their spots and get cozy for the winter. Now I just have to dig those holes...