Q. I‘ve started a compost pile, but I am having trouble making it hot enough for it to decompose completely. How can I make my compost pile hotter?
A. There are two general types of compost piles, active and passive. Compost created by generating heat is called an active compost pile while the passive compost forms over an extended period of time. Heat is generated in compost piles by physically turning the material and having the proper balance of green and brown material. A fifty-fifty ratio is recommended. Grass clippings, garden trimmings, and kitchen wastes are primarily used for the green component while dry leaves make up the brown. Shredded newspapers, cardboard strips, or straw are expectable substitutes. It’s also advisable to bag the falling leaves and store them for next year. The green and brown layers are alternated to form the pile. The key to building up heat is turning the pile constantly. The pile is physically flipped, as the bottom becomes the top and the top the bottom. When done correctly, you create sufficient heat to create the ideal compost. For those who can’t manually turn a pile, you might consider a composter that rotates. They available locally and online
Q. Last winter I planted a bare root pomegranate. It has done very well, in fact, it has nearly doubled in size, but the growth is very leggy. Should I cut it back now to encourage branching, or wait until it is dormant? By pruning now, will I cut off any potential fruit?
A. Pomegranates are pruned usually during January and February, but you can start earlier when the leaves begin to drop. They’re grown as a medium size shrub or a multi-stem small tree. There are three things you need to do when pruning pomegranates: eliminate the dead wood, remove the rubbing and crossing branches, then shape the plant by reducing the length of the growth. Pomegranates naturally have long arching branches that give it an arching, vase-like form, so heavy pruning can alter the plant’s aesthetics. You preserve the natural tree look by removing branches to the trunk or larger limbs, instead of an overall shearing. The canopy should be thinned out every three years, regardless of the growth form. Of course, all of this is a judgment call on your part, as there are many correct methods of shaping, depending on the location and the plants surrounding it. Pruning can affect the size of the crop as the fruit forms on new wood. Hence, it’s important to feed annually in the early spring with a complete fertilizer to encourage the new growth. Pomegranates are one of the easiest fruits to grow. The Spaniards introduced them to California in the sixteenth century. They’re native to southern Europe and the spread throughout California with the establishment of the missions. Today they’re being rediscovered by a new generation of gardeners just like blueberries. They’re popular for the following reasons. Pomegranates are high in antioxidants and easy to grow in a wide variety of soils or in containers. They’re somewhat drought tolerant and not affected by many pests or diseases. The bright orange tubular flowers attract hummingbirds and are a popular plant choice for bonsai. Wonderful and Eversweet are the two most widely available varieties, but there are many others. And finally, you’ll also find Punica Granatum is a non-fruiting landscape shrub, that is available in our area. It grows to four feet with a three-foot spread, so it’s very adaptable to small yards.
Q. How do I separate and store the Dahlias that I have recently taken out of the ground? I planted one in April, and it has multiplied into a clump of twenty to thirty bulbs.
A. Dahlias are actually classified as a tuber and not a bulb. A true bulb contains modified leaves called Scales. It’s a basal plate that develops roots and a shoot that emerges from the center. Dahlias lack the basal plate, scales, and the roots, and the new shoots from Dahlias grow from ‘eyes’ or growth buds. Tulips, Daffodils, and Cyclamen are true bulbs, while Dahlias, and Potatoes are examples of tubers. You should first wash the dirt off the clump, exposing all the tubers. If the dirt is already dried, submerge the clump in a bucket of water. After thirty minutes, hose them off and let the clump air-dry. Next, you have two options: divide the clump into individual tubers now and store them, or store the entire clump until next year. In April or May, the clump is divided two to four weeks before planting. You’re probably not going to plant all the tubers, so select the largest and firmest, discarding the rest. Each tuber must include a growth bud or ‘eye.’ The ‘eyes’ are located along the narrow end of the tuber close to where it attaches to the main or last year’s stalk. With freshly dug Dahlias, the eyes are easy to recognize; otherwise, include a piece or section of last year stalk. All the fresh cuts should be dipped in dusting sulfur to prevent rotting. Dahlias are stored in a cool, dry location in an open container in sawdust, sand, vermiculite or perlite. Dividing Dahlias is not as difficult as it might seem. It does have a high success rate.
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