[Tomato Dirt #186] Have You Started Next Year’s Tomato Compost Pile?

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[Tomato Dirt #186] Have You Started Next Year’s Tomato Compost Pile?
September 26, 2019

Tomato Dirt Newsletter
Volume 9, Number 20

Dear Tomato Dirt reader,

Welcome back to Tomato Dirt! A couple times a month, we’ll send you this newsletter packed with tips about growing tomatoes and using them.

Black Gold: It’s Easy to Make Your Own

Compost: it’s called “Black Gold” for a good reason. It’s the ultimate inexpensive way to recycle yard and kitchen waste back into your garden. Make sure you have what you need to start or build productive, healthy compost for next year’s garden. Take a look at composting gear used by gardeners like you!

Tomato Dirt is on Pinterest

Join us on Pinterest! Browse our 100+ boards (and growing) for all kinds of tomato inspiration and practical information: growing tomatoes, tomato seeds, cold frames for tomatoes, tomato books, tomato greenhouses, , indoor tomatoes – even crafts to do with a tomato theme. Happy pinning!

FEATURE: Start or Build Next Year’s Tomato Compost Pile

Photo: Berry Breeze

Fall and winter may be the “off season” for your tomato garden, but it is the ideal time to prepare for next season. One element to consider is compost. If you don’t have a compost pile – or if your compost is depleted from the past season – now is the time to build one.

Decide whether you want to have an enclosed compost bin or an open bin.
Choose a designated area for your bin, preferably in the sun and where it can be protected.
Layer 6-8 inches of “brown” items (dead leaves, shredded paper and cardboard, wood chips, and hay) on the bottom of the pile followed by “green” items (fruit and veggie scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells, grass clippings).
Broadcast a few handfuls of fertilizer over the organic matter layers. Moisten and repeat the layers.
Turn the pile every 1-2 weeks.

Get more information on composting basics for tomatoes to get started. And be sure to check out our Compost for Tomatoes board on Pinterest for more helpful ideas about building a compost bin or adding to yours.

Special for Tomato Dirt-ers: Gardener’s Supply Fall Clearance

Our good friends at Gardener’s Supply are cleaning out their garden shed to make way for the end of the season. Browse their clearance marketplace (updated each week) for great deals.

Tomato Growing Tip: Choose From 2 Main Types of Compost Bins

Image: Tomato Dirt

Get more tips for growing tomatoes on our Tomato Growing Tips Pinterest board.

Make Your Own Compost – Good for Your Garden, Good for Your Wallet


Yimbly, Jora, Goplus, Spin Bin and more compost tumblers	Organic compost starter to get started naturally	Cedar Compost bins: assembled or build your own

More Fall Gardening Tips

Fall Tomato Garden Clean Up	The Difference Between Frost and Freezing	How to Grow Indoor Tomatoes	How to Use Frost Covers for Protecting Tomatoes

That’s it for now. More next time.

Until then, happy gardening!

Kathy with Tomato Dirt
www.tomatodirt.com
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