September Jobs for Traditional Gardening: 5 Essential Tasks
In the spirit of sustainability and gardening, let's delve into two practical DIY projects: building a compost bin and preserving tomato paste.
Making a Compost Bin
Transform your kitchen and garden waste into nutrient-rich soil with a homemade compost bin. You can opt for a stationary bin using recycled pallets or a tumbling composter from a large plastic barrel. For a basic bin, screw together pallets to form a box, placing it directly on soil or lawn for good drainage and microbe access. A tumbler, on the other hand, requires modifying a 55-gallon plastic barrel by drilling ventilation holes, adding a hinged door for access, mounting it on an elevated frame, and adding a rotating pole for turning the compost.
Position your compost bin in a sheltered, sunny spot near your kitchen for easy access but away from entertainment areas. Begin layering brown (carbon-rich) materials such as dry leaves, twigs, cardboard at the bottom. Alternate layers with green (nitrogen-rich) materials like kitchen scraps, grass clippings, and fresh garden waste. Optionally add compost activators to speed decomposition. Chop materials finely, keep layers thin, and avoid adding cooked foods, dairy, fats, meat, weed seeds, or diseased plants. Turn or tumble the compost regularly to aerate and mix the materials. Maintain moisture like a damp sponge but not waterlogged. When the bin is full, start a new one if possible. Finished compost is ready in a few months when dark, crumbly, and soil-like. Use finished compost by spreading it around established garden beds to enrich soil.
Preserving Tomato Paste
Autumn is an excellent time to preserve extra tomatoes as paste. Wash tomatoes before preparing them for tomato paste. Paring out stems and any rotten spots, cut them into pieces and blend them to liquefy. Strain the liquefied tomato paste to remove seeds and skins. Bring the strained tomato paste to a boil before simmering it on low until it reaches a desired consistency. For convenience, freeze tomato paste in ice cube trays or individual freezer bags.
These practices are not only cost-effective but also contribute to a greener lifestyle by recycling kitchen and garden waste into valuable resources that support healthy plant growth. Happy composting and preserving!
Incorporating the home-improvement project of building a compost bin into your home-and-garden lifestyle, you can reuse kitchen and garden waste to create nutrient-rich soil for sustainable living. Additionally, applying gardening skills in preserving tomato paste from extra autumn tomatoes not only aids in home-improvement but also supports a greener lifestyle by recycling resources for healthy plant growth.
