Compost - Do It in the Garden

So you are considering a new garden plot. If you planJust rake the seed in and keep the soil damp until it
on a 25 by 50 foot garden with 3" of compost to getsprouts, about 3 to 5 days should do.
it started that is going to require 312.5 cubic feet orThe cover of the ground will be intense. Weeds will try
about 12 cubic yards of compost. Realizing that a thirdto grow but will be crowded out by the buckwheat.
of a compost pile can be lost due to moisture andScientists have reported that the crop can be used to
carbon dioxide loss while it is being made, about 18eradicate Canada thistle, sowthistle, creeping jenny,
yards need to be produced which means in turn a pileleafy spurge, Russian knapweed and perennial
3 feet by 3 feet by 54 feet. This is a lot of materialpeppergrass. Quackgrass will likely be controlled but
and a lot of work. While there is still work involved, thenot eliminated.
material can be home grown.One of the problems with buckwheat is it may deplete
The simplest way of composting in this situation is tothe nitrogen in the soil. This will not be a problem for us
perform an old farming practice developed before thebecause we will return it with the composting. Once
days of chemical herbicides and fertilizers, greenthe buckwheat is starting to bloom it is time to stop its
manuring. Just as a compost pile by passes the needgrowth before it seeds and becomes a weed problem
for a horse to make manure, green manuringitself. There are two choices. One is to cut it down and
bypasses the need for a pile to generate compost orcompost it traditionally and then dig in the stubble. The
usable organic matter. Instead of moving material to aother is to dig in the whole plant. This is by far the
pile and then from the pile to the garden, we grow it inmost effective method. The stems are hollow and
place. One of the simplest materials to use and aneasily dug in with shovel or tiller. It leaves all the nitrogen
easy one to get seed for is buckwheat.available for the soil and adds a lot of organic matter,
First dig over the garden plat and get it ready to seed.up to 3 tons per acre of dry matter plus the extensive
Do not worry about removing the sod as you might inroot system. It also adds a lot of potassium to the soil.
a normal situation, just break it up and bury it as youThe garden should be left for two weeks before
go. Sow the buckwheat heavily, as much as 1 to 2planting the next crop to begin the breakdown or
pounds of seed for the 25 by 50 plot. This is a heavycomposting in the soil and ready it for the next crop.
sowing if growing for seed but not for organic matter.