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PRO NAL CE Hom-Bew Compost- AIY W1h a Twist Of Peut SPiMc SAVINGSRENT thegreen (MS) - Homemade compost - swericli and ffnendty - can use a helpilng hand in the garden; horticuttur- lets extend Its value dramnaticaly wtth equally beneficil Canadian sphagnum Peat moss. Backyard compostera, wliose "prod- uct" le theïr pnide and joy, mmx leaves, grass ciippings, kitchen scraps and anything else they can get their liands on (even weeds) into piles or bins, then throw ln a bit of aid compost to inoculate and jump-start the doompo- sitton. if the piles are kept aerated end moist a batch of useable compost oui be flnished in lem than a monte. However, sucli "hir composting 1 liard work and, sinoe composting isn't a rae, most folks simply pile Rt ail up, m Ra Ume or two, and let ftsimmer slowly on its own for four or five months. It eventually works fine, thougi corne bits may need siffing out to be composted again. Wehr you are a fast or slow cm Sposter, the finlshed product - fuit of tife, dark, crumbty and packed witli nutrients - l8 great for garden soit, and saves moniey on allier soul amend- ments. However, there can be draw- backcs. Extension liorticulturist Fetder Rushing, a iongtime composter from Miss., ctaims ta be s0 proud of hie liome-grown compost, he almast # wants ta gift-wrap it. "But," he says, ucompost atone daesn't cut R. Compost makes my soits sticky and easy to compact, then lit quickly disappears, eaten up by microbes. Besides, there's j neyer enough to go around; to keep my three bins wortdng, 1 have to beat other composters to curbside piles of t* eaves and clipptngs, and 1 stilt can't make enougli." According to Rushing, even munici- pal compost, a great trend in recycling that he and other members of the Garden Wrlters Association actively support, lias probtems. ui use R, but Ifs hlghiy variable, liard to liaul and store, and may contain oak tannins or other impurttie.0 Wliat ta do? Rushlng mixes liea com- post 50:50 with perfectty comPlemen- tary peat mass. Even though sphag- num peat moss - especially the dependable, red-rown kdnd liarvested fromn a tiny pordion of literaity mitlons of acres of hlgh-grade sphagnum bogs in Canada - seems a bit pricey comn- pared with liomemade or municipal compost, ht always lias been a stapie. Ifs a given ta gardeners, because RB universally acctaimed benefits far out- weigli the cost. Canadien spliagnumn pest moss binds sandy sals, aerates lieavy or dlay couse, lialds maisture and nutrients, and lests up ta eiglit limes as long as compost ln the sali. Ifs aico convenient, easy ta use, stores weti in its compact bag (whicli can be reused for gardon chores) and, just as impor- tant, it is "predictabe." lt's a win-win solution ta sal- impravement ditemmas. Peat mass extends tlie volume and soil life of compost, and hlps reduce coil comn- pactian. it aven cen be mixed directy into compost bins as new batches are started, where it wiii hlp serate the pile while grabbing and holding water (which ls reteased stawty as needed, saving water and time). It traps nitra- gen tliat atlierwise woutd be iost as ammonia, and hoids other valuabie nutrients that leacli f rom compost. Exterior paint advice is FREE - The paint is just a few dollars more!