Six times a year, this newsletter offers information & inspiration about gardening, and about resources in our area, with an organic gardening slant. We’ll continue to send it, until we hear that you don’t want it. (No offense taken if you don’t.) Let us know, via e-mail (dustymaria@donobi.net) or US Mail (P. O. Box 2416, Poulsbo, WA 98370) whether & how (e- or US Mail) you’d like to get it.

May your autumn garden yield a satisfying harvest.

-G. Maria Carlos, Certified Professional Horticulturist, Garden Consultant & Dusty Vonberg, RN, Partner, Bird- Watcher

Here’s an easy way to do it: Build a pile of organic materials 3’ 3’. Add green & brown materials in alternating 4” layers. “Green” includes any green foliage from plants, grass or weeds, or organic kitchen waste. “Brown” includes twigs, dried leaves or paper. All material should be shredded or chipped, so that it will decompose quickly. A 1” layer of garden soil or finished compost every few layers will add the microorganisms that speed up the decomposing process. Keep the whole pile as moist as a wrung out sponge. If it’s been raining, cover the pile so it doesn’t get too wet. If there’s been no rain, add water from the garden hose. Once your pile is built to 3’ high, start a new one.

To get finished compost quickly, in a few weeks or months, it is necessary to turn the pile every week or so, to incorporate lots of air. A turned pile will get hot, and decompose quickly. A hot pile will kill weed seeds & most plant diseases, making its compost the best. However, if you don’t add the seed-heads of weeds or diseased plant material to the pile, a busy gardener can leave it without further attention, and it will be ready to use in about a year.

Come to my class on Saturday, October 22 (9 am to Noon) to learn more details about composting, including a hot pile. Also, we’ll be making a worm bin for kitchen waste. $22 fee, plus $10 for materials. Call Poulsbo Parks & Recreation to pre-register: 360.779.9898.

Kitsap County

• A & L Topsoil, 360.373.7250 or 360.598.4846. Poulsbo.
• Allen Shearer Trucking, 360.275.3465 or 1.800.756.3088. Belfair.
• Emu Topsoil, 360.779.5614. Poulsbo.
• Morrison Gravel, 360.876.4701. Pt. Orchard.
• Purdy Topsoil, 253.857.5850. Purdy.
• Vern’s Organic Topsoil, 360.779.2764 or 1.888.841.8043. Poulsbo.

King County

• Bailey Compost, 360.568.8826. Snohomish.
• Cedar Grove Compost, 1.877.764.5748. Maple Valley.
• DeJong’s Sawdust & Shaving, 425.885.1821; Locations in Redmond & Lake Stevens.
• Pacific Topsoils, 1.800.884.7645 Yard locations in Mill Creek, Kenmore, Kent, Redmond, Northgate.

• Finally, harvest tomatoes, and make salads, salsa, sauce, and fried green tomatoes.
• Rejuvenate the lawn or seed a new one this month.
• Pull Dandelions often; they go to seed very quickly.
• Add a 2”-4” layer of mulch to all beds after fall cleanup.
• Fall is the BEST time to plant & transplant in our climate, with warm soil for establishing strong roots, and autumn rains coming soon.
• Visit plant sales & nurseries for perennials, shrubs & trees to plant this fall. (NHS Plant Sale, Sept. 16-17, Warren G. Magnuson Park Special Events Center; Plant Amnesty Plant Sale, Sept. 25, Magnuson Park.)
• Choose spring-blooming bulbs as they arrive in nurseries now, or check out McClure & Zimmerman or Brent & Becky’s Bulbs for mail-order. Try bulbs you’ve never heard of, like Nectoroscordum and Puschkinia.
• For holiday wreaths, harvest faded flowers of Hydrangea, oregano, and sedum, and hang to dry; leave seed-heads of crocosmia and iris to dry on the plant.
• Make new beds the “lazy gardener” way: spread 4-6 pages of newspaper on grass & weeds; add 12” compost & topsoil; sow seeds of Crimson Clover. Till just before planting in spring.
• Plant at least one large container with colorful foliage & winter-blooming shrubs to view from a window through the winter.

Saturday, Oct. 15—Pet Friendly Gardens (class) , 10 am—Noon, Poulsbo Recreation Center, $15.00 fee; call Poulsbo Parks & Recreation to pre- register 360.779.9898