Simple composting question!

glad we got that worked out, definately didn't get on DG to make enemies. My mountain heritage with speak before you think just might get me in trouble lol Never been to Italy but from what I've read is something to see.

Enemy? No way! I had to look up your city on a map. You ARE in the mountains. I bet it is beautiful there.

By the way, Kitty smelled the compost and didn't even want to walk on it. She is funny about smells and won't even eat canned foot because of the smell. So I don't have the same problem that Trinawitch has. Although Kitty likes to sleep hidden in the flowers.

yes I never get tired of the four seasons that we take for granted here. Its beautiful country for sure with lots of beautiful views and tall mountains with waterfalls and grassy hills with livestock and hard working friendly people. Don't know much about Indianna but suspect not much difference in terrain and temps. My old bassette loves to lay behind my hydrangea in summer. But hey she rules so I let her.

Indianapolis is flat! And I live in the city. There are some hills in southern Indiana. But nothing like you have!!!

Flowers_Delight, here is a picture of the Tomatoes in Hay. This is four and I planted eight.

How do you stake them when they are in the hay?

I think I'm going to drive a stake into the ground and then run a piece of rope up to the rafter of the greenhouse and tie it to that. Strictly speculating right now. Will make a final decision when they get larger.

That is awsome Jim, always wondered what to do with that hay you use for halloween decorations. Want to see the tomatoes when they appear.

What type of tomato plants did you get? It will be interesting to find out how you end up supporting them.

I had my tomato plants right next to my wood fence. I thought I could just tie up the branches to the fence with double pieces of twine. It works just fine except they keep getting more branches and getting bigger. So I have tied them up 3 times already. Some are going through the fence and now over the fence so I don't have to bother with them. They can do whatever they want!

I've got tomatoe cages but that might be tough to use on a bale of hay. Bet Jim will figure something out he's pretty imaginative for sure.

Jim, do you have really cold winters in LA? It is starting the cool down going into autumn here. Next week in the 70"s. Not long before the plants have to come in-doors. Daughter got me a mandevella that I have adored all summer, don't want it to get too cold.

Vacuum cleaner bag contents is a new one. I wonder what next? I've read fingernail clippings and hair among the sillier. Nothing particularly wrong about these; they're just oddball.

To be serious, adding a sprinkling of high nitrogen fertilizer to the mix and watering it in good can speed up the decomposition.

No need to respond with the chemical makeup of fingernails and toenails and hair. Add them to your heart's content. If you've vacuumed metal or plastic particles or rat poison and other inorganic materials, I'm skeptical about the vacuum bag contents.

We had a cold winter one day, Flowers. Seriously, our winters for the past few years have been very mild. We seldom have temps to get in the 20's and last over a week. We get an occasional ice storm. We missed the one that devistated Arkansas last year by a very short distance. What makes our winters hard is the humity is so high. At 30 degrees you'll freeze to death outside. It might be in the 30's one day and in the 70's the next. Makes it hard to get use to it. The farmers really would like to see a hard freeze last for two or three weeks. It will kill a lot of insects that overwinter. The coldest I've ever seen it get is to 0 one time. Seldom get in the teens. I kept Jo's pot plants warm last winter in the greenhouse with an electric heater. Didn't have to run it over 10 or 15 times. If the outside temp doesn't get much below 30 you don't need any additional heat.

oh just rub it in that it doesn't get cold there. I hate playing eskimo! Daydreaming of a much warmer climate for winter...someplace I could wear my various collection of bikini's

Went to Florida several years ago, couldn't hardly wait to get to the beach to ogle the bikini babes. First one by weighed in at about 250. Kind of lost my appetite for bikinis. The wife laughed her head off.

Well I certainly am not any where near the 250 category...100lbs. soaking wet with 5 layers on if I'm lucky!

Now that is the right size for a bikini.

Yeah well too bad the bikinis don't come with the boobs already in them! LOL

You are definitly a mess girl. Bet you find fun in any thing.

I try too! I unfortunately was faced with my own mortality early in life...Figured out life is waaaaaaaay to short to sweat the small stuff!

Venice, I planted 3 Heat Wave, 3 Talladaga, 2 that I can't remember the name. They are all bred to stand the heat. It is so hot in the greenhouse I was afraid to try anything else. I had to cut one wall out to get some air circulation.

I have always thought that most people take themselves to seriously. If we can ever learn to laugh at ourselves we are money ahead.

very true...besides you might as well laugh at yourself because everybody else already are!

You say you are retired, what happened. You get hurt.

I have a spinal chord injury..Lets just say I had not so nice step parents...I didn't know I had it until I got pregnant...I worked for a long time with it...you know no pain no gain...but my doc put his foot down and said either file for disability and fight for it or I'm yanking your drivers license

It's a real pain in the butt to get disability. Seems like those that don't really need it can get it. Don't know about your part of the country but imagine it is the same as here, automatic turn down the first two times you apply, hire a lawyer and go before a judge the third time and he will qualify you. Course they have to pay you from the time you first applied. I have helped fight people through this for years. I had a La. Supreme Court Judge that I knew that helped me twice. One was my next door neighbor and the other was an evacuee from Katrina that was staying at our church. He retired this year so I lost my in. Keep fighting. They expect and want you to quit.

I applied the first time in 95 when I first found out...but I didn't fight for it cuz I didn't think it was a big deal...the second time was 2005...again I didn't think it was a big deal and went back to work...but last summer I realized it is a very big deal thought I'd have to fight but was shocked when they approved it....so here I am kids in school all day..I play in the garden when I feel up to it...if not I play with the houseplants

Staying busy with what you love to do is like a long vacation. What others consider work I count as pleasure. Nothing like getting dirt under your fingernails

Jim, I could see where drastic temperature changes would make a persons thermostat fluxuate. Usually here if temps are 30 degrees they stay that way for a couple of weeks then either go lower or move up to 40's. The humidity is not a factor but wind chill is. Can be 50 and feel like 30. The lowest it has gotten here in the last few years is in the 20"s with sometimes windchills in the teens. The greenhouse sounds great. I bought a small one, took a day to put that sucker together. I didn't have it anchored to the ground and you guessed it the wind tore it to smitherines. Your stories are such a blessing to me and want you to know I totally respect all you and your wife stand for gby

Jo has a world of potted plants, about 90. We always put them in our old country store building under flourescent lights. Electic bill would run me about $60 a month and they would come out sick looking. When we resigned our last church and moved home, I decided to build a greenhouse. I used the back wall of the store for the north wall. Set 3 four inch x 8 ft. posts front and back and ran two x sixs for rafters. Covered the top with clear plastic sheeting (costs like rip) and 6mil visqueen outside and inside. Worked real good. Only an electric heater for heat on the coldest nights. Plants came out looking great. It is 24ft. x 18ft. All the lumber is cypress. Got a friend to saw the two bys for me on his band saw. should stand for ever. Set the posts two feet in concret with two bridge nails drive through to give extra hold in the concrete.

That IS a nice greenhouse you have!

Nothing fancy Venice. I am not much of a builder. It is a simple drop side building. The big advantage is the old metal store building that blocks all the cold north wind off it. I get good morning and evening sun. Most days I have to leave the door open to keep it from getting to hot. There was a 4x16 raised bed that I built it over. After I put the plants in I didn't need the room so I left it. I have eight tomatoes in there for this winter and also planted a couple of califlower and broccoli plants to see how they would do. The coldest days we had last winter you could go in there during the day and the temp would be about 85. I started to put a chair in there and go there to read. Hate the inside of a house.

you sound like my deceased. He would have had me one by now. He was gifted that way too.

He built a shed with a side shed with a gate just for the riding lawnmower. I look at it now and think Wow its a perfect plan.

I had always wanted to build one for Jo. She loves her plants. Got to do something different for heat this winter. We barely missed the ice storm that hit Arkansas last year. If we had got it we would have lost all the plants. I've been looking for a ten gallon butane bottle but can't find one. I have a couple of 5 gal. ones so guess I'll use them. Think I'll buy a two element, infared heater and put in there just in case.

Sorry to hear you husband is deceased. How long have you been by yourself? Jo and I will celebrate 48 years on Sept. 23. Neither of us can imagine what it would be like to be by ourselves. I think she could probably make it better than me. You gals are stronger than we guys.

If your shed gets plenty of sun, you might consider covering the sides with visqueen like I did. I did my inside and out to give me some dead air space. Made it a lot warmer.

He has been gone 5 years now, we would be celebrating our 39 anniversary this year. He was killed by a drunk driver on his motorcycle in front of my daughters house. crossed the yellow line and it was all over. Its been tough but the kids and I are really close and they help me when things get behind. I developed an auto imune problem and had to go on dissability but still plug on as thats my spirit. With the help of God and good friends I've managed. Sorry didn't mean to put a damper on the conversation. you asked.

well my shed is used only for tool storage so don't worry about the heat. I do however have a well house that he built that I managed to insulate and found it is a great place to store potatoes for the winter.

No damper. Life is full of tragedys. We find out how strong we really are and deep our faith is when we have to face them. I know it is hard but just keep your eyes on the Lord. He is able when we aren't. Thank God for our children. I can't understand people who don't want any. We have two a girl in Ohio and a son who lives about 40 miles from us. We have always been a close knit family.

Do you live in the country or in town? Do you raise a lot of your own veggies? I have always gardened but raised potatoes for the first time this year. My Dad always raised them. Raised enough for all of us.