Thursday, March 27, 2014

Could Deer Be Good For Your Garden?


So, I’m driving home a few weekends ago, pull in my driveway, and what do I see?  Five big deer staring at me.  Being the nature lover and city dweller that I am, I love seeing those beautiful brown-eyed animals trotting around my yard.  I know, I know, they eat hostas, tomatoes, and, let’s face it, about anything you want to grow yet I still love having them around.
Staring at these deer face-to-face got me thinking: what happens to their poop?  (A question that I am sure has popped in your head from time to time – admit it). I mean, we have a lot of deer in our yard and a lot of plants, so naturally I assume we have a lot of deer poop.  But, I didn’t even know what deer poop looked like.  After a quick Google search, I immediately apologized to the teeny tiny dog down the street that I’ve been blaming for the poop.  Then, I thought, could this poop be put to a better use than throwing it away? 

O.k., o.k., I’m getting to the composting part.

Can you backyard compost deer poop?  
Short answer: turns out, you can.  Deer are herbivores, so their poop shouldn’t have harmful pathogens in them.

What’s the catch?
There’s always a caveat, right? You still want to make sure your compost pile gets hot enough to kill any nastiness in the poop as there have been reports of deer eating meat occasionally. 
Just like in other “areas of our life”, you want to be regular… with turning your pile that is. Now that spring is officially here, break out that pitch fork and start turning.

And, by the way, when handling your compost, wear gloves.  Let’s be serious, we all love talking about poop but don’t want to touch it.

Back to one of my first questions:  yes, deer poop can be put to good use.  How’s that for a silver lining the next time deer are chomping on your award-winning hostas?
 
Guest Post from our Mystery Blogger. :)

Thursday, March 13, 2014

How to Compost Like a Leprechaun

Pretty soon the Irish, Irish descendants, and everyone who wishes they were Irish will be celebrating the “greenest” holiday of the year, St. Patrick’s Day. Before joining in the celebration, I decided to catch a leprechaun and forgoing the normal wishes, I instead asked him to give me three of his best composting tips. Take a gander at what the little man said:

1. Wear Green

If a three-piece green suit isn’t your style, consider showing your love of composting with one of our "I heart Compost" bumper magnets. Available at our upcoming compost seminars or by emailing me.

 
2. Store your “Gold” in a “Pot”

Using the right compost bin will keep your materials organized, keep the pile moist, and help the compost heat up.


3. Even Your Compost Likes Beer

Although unlikely to jump up and dance a jig, your compost heap could use your leftover and stale beer to speed up decomposition. The Irish even call Guinness “black stuff.” Coincidence? I think not.

 
I like to imagine that at end of my rainbow there is a beautiful finished pile of compost, freshly screened, just waiting to be used in my garden.
 
Enjoy St. Patrick’s Day and don’t forget to compost your shamrocks when it’s over. J

 
You composted me Lucky Charms.