11 min
Segment 1 of S4E33 Winter composting- The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener Radio show The Gardening with Joey & Holly radio show Podcast/Garden talk radio show (heard across the country)
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- Home & Garden
The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener Radio Show from
March – Oct weekly
Heard on Joy 1340 AM & 98.7 FM Milwaukee, WI Saturday mornings 7-8 AM CST https://tunein.com/radio/Joy-1340-s30042/
Heard on WCRN 830 AM Westborough/Boston, MA Saturdays 8-9 AM EST https://tunein.com/radio/WCRN-AM-830-Full-Service-Radio-s1112/
Heard on KYAH 540 AM Delta/Salt Lake City, UT Saturdays 1-2 PM MST Reply Sundays 9-10 PM MST https://www.yahradio540.com/listen-live/
Heard on KDIZ 1570 AM Minneapolis, MN Saturdays 4-5 PM and replay Sundays 2-3 PM CST http://player.listenlive.co/57071
Heard on WAAM 1600 AM & 92.7 FM Ann Arbor, MI Sundays 7-8 AM EST https://tinyurl.com/p68cvft
Heard on WOGO 680 AM & 103.1 FM Chippewa Falls, WI Sundays 9-10 AM CST https://www.christiannetcast.com/listen/player.asp?station=wogo-am
Heard on KFEQ 680 AM & 107.9 FM St. Joseph/Kansas City, MO Sundays 10-11 AM CST http://www.680kfeq.com/live-stream/
Heard on WNAX 570 AM Yankton SD Sundays 10-11 AM CST https://tunein.com/radio/Radio-570-s36447/
Heard on WRMN 1410 AM & 96.7 FM Elgin/Chicago, IL Sundays Noon-1 PM CST https://www.wrmn1410.com/
Heard on KMET 1490 AM & 98.1 FM Banning, CA Tuesdays 9 - 10 AM PST https://www.kmet1490am.com/
Check out https://thewisconsinvegetablegardener.com/
Email your questions to Gardentalkradio@gmail.com
Or call 24/7 leave your question at 1-800 927-SHOW
In segment 1 Joey and Holly talk Winter composting
Keep adding carbon
First to remember is that the compost has to be fed the right balance of green (nitrogen) and brown (carbon) ingredients. Green scraps will be produced in your kitchen over the winter, but most of the brown matter such as dried leaves, straw and plant debris, will have been produced in the fall. Gather the fall leaves and bag them, or put them in a dry place near the compost, to balance the green scraps that are added through the winter. Bear in mind that slightly more brown matter is needed to balance the green added to the compost.
While leaves can be a great carbon source for the compost, and more are needed for winter composting, there can be too much of a good thing. That is why a separate leaf compost can be set up.
Collect leaves in the fall and store under cover for composting use throughout winter.
To start a leaf compost pile, gather together the leaves and layer with dirt: use one layer of dirt for each foot of leaves. The pile should be about 4ft in diameter and 3ft deep. Make sure it is damp enough that a drop or two can be squeezed out of a handful from the center of the pile. Cover with plastic, weighing down the edges with rocks. Try not to compress the leaves. The compost will be ready when it is dark and crumbly, in about five to six months. This compost is not for fertilizer, as it really does not have many nutrients in it; but it is an excellent organic addition to soil.
Insulate the active compost
Even in the coldest weather, the microbes in the compost must be kept active. This means making sure they stay warm. In preparation for this, harvest the finished compost in fall to make room for new additions to the mix over the winter. Use it in houseplants; spread it over the lawn, over the gardens and around shrubs. When overhauling the compost system, move the bin into the sun for the winter or into a warmer part of the yard. Be realistic when choosing its location, considering what it will be like to add kitchen waste in heavy rains, wind or just plain cold temperatures. Start rebuilding with a layer of leaves, or with straw, cardboard or sawdust. Put the active part in the middle, and then cover it with more brown matter. This insulates the active compost.
Monitor the moisture
In milder climates, insulation is not so important in keeping compost bacteria active, but there may be other challenges. In cold, rainy locations such as California’s Bay Area, coastal Oregon and Washington State, it is moisture control that’s most important in maintaining active compost through (continued)
The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener Radio Show from
March – Oct weekly
Heard on Joy 1340 AM & 98.7 FM Milwaukee, WI Saturday mornings 7-8 AM CST https://tunein.com/radio/Joy-1340-s30042/
Heard on WCRN 830 AM Westborough/Boston, MA Saturdays 8-9 AM EST https://tunein.com/radio/WCRN-AM-830-Full-Service-Radio-s1112/
Heard on KYAH 540 AM Delta/Salt Lake City, UT Saturdays 1-2 PM MST Reply Sundays 9-10 PM MST https://www.yahradio540.com/listen-live/
Heard on KDIZ 1570 AM Minneapolis, MN Saturdays 4-5 PM and replay Sundays 2-3 PM CST http://player.listenlive.co/57071
Heard on WAAM 1600 AM & 92.7 FM Ann Arbor, MI Sundays 7-8 AM EST https://tinyurl.com/p68cvft
Heard on WOGO 680 AM & 103.1 FM Chippewa Falls, WI Sundays 9-10 AM CST https://www.christiannetcast.com/listen/player.asp?station=wogo-am
Heard on KFEQ 680 AM & 107.9 FM St. Joseph/Kansas City, MO Sundays 10-11 AM CST http://www.680kfeq.com/live-stream/
Heard on WNAX 570 AM Yankton SD Sundays 10-11 AM CST https://tunein.com/radio/Radio-570-s36447/
Heard on WRMN 1410 AM & 96.7 FM Elgin/Chicago, IL Sundays Noon-1 PM CST https://www.wrmn1410.com/
Heard on KMET 1490 AM & 98.1 FM Banning, CA Tuesdays 9 - 10 AM PST https://www.kmet1490am.com/
Check out https://thewisconsinvegetablegardener.com/
Email your questions to Gardentalkradio@gmail.com
Or call 24/7 leave your question at 1-800 927-SHOW
In segment 1 Joey and Holly talk Winter composting
Keep adding carbon
First to remember is that the compost has to be fed the right balance of green (nitrogen) and brown (carbon) ingredients. Green scraps will be produced in your kitchen over the winter, but most of the brown matter such as dried leaves, straw and plant debris, will have been produced in the fall. Gather the fall leaves and bag them, or put them in a dry place near the compost, to balance the green scraps that are added through the winter. Bear in mind that slightly more brown matter is needed to balance the green added to the compost.
While leaves can be a great carbon source for the compost, and more are needed for winter composting, there can be too much of a good thing. That is why a separate leaf compost can be set up.
Collect leaves in the fall and store under cover for composting use throughout winter.
To start a leaf compost pile, gather together the leaves and layer with dirt: use one layer of dirt for each foot of leaves. The pile should be about 4ft in diameter and 3ft deep. Make sure it is damp enough that a drop or two can be squeezed out of a handful from the center of the pile. Cover with plastic, weighing down the edges with rocks. Try not to compress the leaves. The compost will be ready when it is dark and crumbly, in about five to six months. This compost is not for fertilizer, as it really does not have many nutrients in it; but it is an excellent organic addition to soil.
Insulate the active compost
Even in the coldest weather, the microbes in the compost must be kept active. This means making sure they stay warm. In preparation for this, harvest the finished compost in fall to make room for new additions to the mix over the winter. Use it in houseplants; spread it over the lawn, over the gardens and around shrubs. When overhauling the compost system, move the bin into the sun for the winter or into a warmer part of the yard. Be realistic when choosing its location, considering what it will be like to add kitchen waste in heavy rains, wind or just plain cold temperatures. Start rebuilding with a layer of leaves, or with straw, cardboard or sawdust. Put the active part in the middle, and then cover it with more brown matter. This insulates the active compost.
Monitor the moisture
In milder climates, insulation is not so important in keeping compost bacteria active, but there may be other challenges. In cold, rainy locations such as California’s Bay Area, coastal Oregon and Washington State, it is moisture control that’s most important in maintaining active compost through (continued)
11 min