Composting basics and troubleshooting tips

 

Saturday, September 26, 2026

Composting requires oxygen, moisture, microbes, “greens”, and “browns”.  Microbes come from soil, finished compost or compost starter.  “Greens” sources include fresh grass clippings, kitchen scraps, coffee/tea grounds, lifestock/chicken manure, green leaves, fresh weeds, seaweed, hair, fur, spent brewery grains.  Greens provide moisture and nitrogen to feed the microbes.  “Browns” sources include dry leaves, cardboard, paper (avoid glossy or heavily colored), straw, wood pellets, sawdust, wood chips, pine needles, crackers, corn meal, bread, coir, corn chips. 

 

Different ways to compost

Traditional-pile that is at least 3’x3’x3’.  First layer should be 4-6” of twigs or wood chips to provide oxygen and drainage.  Then alternate between 4-8” of moist brown material with 2-4” of green material.  Throwing some soil on every few layers help distribute microbes throughout the pile to speed up composting.

Tumbler-used for smaller amounts of composting materials.  I use a stainless steel, insulated composter to be able to compost almost year-round.  I use dried leaves or shredded paper for my “browns” and my “greens” are coffee grounds, tea bags, kitchen and garden scraps.  

  Electric composter-mainly for kitchen scraps.  Many of these can be used indoors.  It composts quickly (2 weeks), but can be pricey.  If you are using wood pellets, you should have about 1 cup of pellets to 10 cups of food scraps.  Sawdust or coir should be used in a ratio of 1 cup of coir to 3 cups of food scraps or other “green” materials.

Direct garden composting-kitchen and garden scraps.  Dig a trench and continuously add scraps and cover with soil.

Worm bin composting (vermicomposting)-used mainly for kitchen scraps.  Uses red wigglers which have to be kept above freezing in moist shredded paper.  The plastic bin should have holes in it around the bottom.  You add scraps that the worms eat and make worm castings.

Homemade worm bin

Watchouts for composting

The only way weed seeds and disease is killed in composting is if the temperature of the entire pile gets above 145F for 30 continuous days.  To be on the safe side, do not put any weeds with seeds in the pile or no diseased plants or produce.  I would never put any part of Bermuda grass in a compost pile.

 

It can take years for large, fresh limbs to decompose so stick to smaller “browns”.

 

With a traditional compost pile or a tumbler type, the more you turn the pile, the faster it will break down.  However, a traditional pile will eventually break down into compost in 6 months to 2 years.  I turn my tumbler every time I add to it.

 

Fresh or dry grass can mat.  Be sure to fluff them or mix with leaves when adding to allow oxygen in.

 

If you are using your compost pile mainly for yard waste, be sure to have the right balance of “browns” and “greens’.  If you are composting mainly kitchen scraps, make sure you are adding in enough “browns”.

 

If adding tea bags, remove the staple first.

 

Troubleshooting your compost

My compost pile never heats up

-Is it dry?  Sprinkle some water over it.  If that doesn’t help, water some nitrogen (urea) in (your compost may not have enough “greens”).

-Is it really wet and smelly?  See bad smells below.

-Is it really cold outside?  For the tumbler types, put a hot water bottle or two in the heap to get it jump started, or just wait for warmer weather.  In winter, it is good to have your composter out of the wind and where it can get good sun.

Next time you take out some compost, make sure to leave some behind.  Your finished compost has all the good microbes in it to keep the compost a comin’.  

 

I have maggots!  

-Is it really wet?  Add some “browns” like wood pellets, dried leaves, or sawdust and mix well to get your pile at the right moisture level.  

-Is the pile chilly?  See above.

 

I am growing mushrooms.  Is this okay?

-Mushrooms are a natural occurrence.  No need to worry.

 

I have big lumps.

-Your scraps are too wet.  Add “browns”, break up the clumps, and mix well.

 

My compost pile smells like ammonia.  Phew!

-The pH of your heap is too high.  Add “browns” and mix well.

It smells like something is dead in there.

-Scraps are too wet or there is too little “browns”.  Add more “browns” and mix well.

 

It smells like cheese or acidy.

-Not enough air getting in to let the microbes do their thing.  Can be caused by stuffing too much in your composter.  Remove some material, add “browns” and mix well.  If you are using the heap method, add browns and mix well.

-Scraps are too wet.  Add “browns” and mix well.

-If a new batch of scraps, add some finished compost or compost starter and mix well.

 

How do I tell if my compost has the right moisture in it?

-If you squeeze a handful together and it doesn’t stick, it is too dry.

-If you squeeze it and nasty liquid runs between your fingers, it is too dry.

-If you squeeze it and you can only wring out a few drops of liquid out, it is just right.

Keep a garden journal

Notebook with calendar diary

Sunday, September 20, 2026 

Every gardener should keep a journal/diary.  It is a great way to capture how your garden does, when different varieties come into maturity, which ones did well, which ones bombed, what worked well, and what you never want to repeat!  

I have tried a couple of different ways of tracking my garden.  A monthly calendar is a good way to capture what is happening in the garden throughout the seasons.  This is what I used when I first started gardening.  I'd write the highlights for each week.  I could then look back on the previous year's to see how the current year compares.

These days, I just use a spiral notebook.  I write in the date for each entry.  I capture when I do plantings and what varieties I planted.  In the beginning, I thought I could remember more than I actually could.  Now, I write it down!  Capture all your thoughts about the garden.

Jot down in your notebook what you learned and want to remember for next year’s garden:

·       which veggies did best for you that you definitely want to include in your garden for next year.

·       which ones did not do well in your garden and you don’t want to retry next year.

·       which ones that did not do as well as you would have liked and you have ideas on what to do differently next season.

·       lay out the timing of what you plant; capture if it should have been earlier or later (did you get the spring greens in too late and they bolted or the zucchini too early and the vine borer got to it).

·       the number of plants you grew for each variety and was it enough or too much (did you get swamped by too many peppers and not have enough cucumbers?).

·       ask neighbors what varieties they are growing that are doing well for them and jot them down as some to add to this year's garden or to try next year.

·       draw out your garden plan so you can remember where everything was planted; you will want to rotate locations for next year to boost harvests and reduce bugs.

·       keep track of when you fertilize, how much and with what; capture if it was enough and how well it helped the crops.

·       keep track of when you start to water and which plants needed more than others and what size pot they were in; you can put them in a larger pot or one with a self-waterer next year

·       at the end of each season, I capture what I want to plant and NOT plant next year so I don't forget.

I will do my summary in November.  Here is the one that I did last year:  Reflections on the 2025 garden and the 2026 garden plan

Keep notes in your planner the varieties that did best each month.  For those that did really well in the garden, I save the seeds and label them.  By saving the seeds of the plants that did well in your garden, you are creating plants that thrive in your ecosystem.

 You may think you will remember next year all the details, but you may not.  So, to be safe, label the baggie with the variety, date, where it did well (in the ground, pot, shade, sun), and when it produced.  I add a little hand drawn outline of what the fruit or plant looked like.

 You can also make a list of what you want to learn more about over the winter to be better prepared for spring gardening.  Did your peppers leaves turn yellow, your tomatoes not produce as much as you expected, your lettuce bolted early, what is the best fertilizing routine for the veggies you grow?

 I also recommend keeping a diary over the winter of the produce you are eating.  This will give you a great idea on what you should plant and how many you should plant come next gardening season.  I do an inventory in November each year and keep in a spreadsheet.  I do a plan in January for what I plan to do in the garden for the spring:  My 2026 Decorative and Edible Garden Plan

 You can research over the dreary winter days and dream of the warm, green, growing days to come.

Winter gardening root crops

4 season onions

 Saturday, September 19, 2026

The winter garden can provide food all the way to spring.  There are even root crops you can leave in the ground all winter. 

If your want to ramp up the flavor and nutrient value of your winter meals, consider planting the season’s last garden with some hardy plants can be pulled right out of the snow for fresh eating like carrots and onions.

There are a few root crops that will survive the entire winter in the ground.  You only have to worry that the ground will freeze so hard that you can't get to them!  Give them a good coat of mulch to minimize the days you can't pull a harvest.

There are a few root crops that are hardy enough to leave in the ground are parsnips, carrots, winter hardy beets, winter hardy turnips, winter hardy radishes,  overwintering/perennial onions like Welsh or Egyptian walking onions, rutabagas, shallots, and garlic.  Give them a warm blanket of mulch or straw for added protection.

Most root crops prefer to be started from seed in place.  For onions, shallots and garlic, sets are the quickest way to harvest.  You may be able to find garlic and shallot sets this time of year in big box stores.  If not, you can find them on line.

Make sure to add a scoop of finished compost to planting holes and organic fertilizer to add nutrients to soil that may be depleted after the summer harvest and less available due to the chilly temperatures.  Espoma is readily available at most big box and hardware stores.  For greens type veggies, the general vegetable garden fertilizer is a good choice.

Choose the Right Varieties

In addition to choosing the right plants for cold-weather harvests, you can also increase winter harvests by planting specific varieties. Look for varieties marketed as: winter-hardy, frost tolerant, overwintering, for every season, year-round, remarkably cold hardy, etc. 

Because daylight hours are getting shorter in the fall, you will need to add about 2 weeks to the “Days to Harvest” your seed packet gives as the seed packet dates are based on spring planting.  Plants grow slower in fall because the days are getting shorter instead of longer. 

The list below starts with the produce that will be ready for harvesting the quickest.  You will want to get the slowest growers (at the bottom of this list) in the ground in August; you may be able to continue sowing seeds of some of the fastest crops into October or beyond.   If they don't sprout now, there is a good chance they will sprout in the spring when the conditions are right.  Those that are planted as transplants can be ready 2-3 weeks sooner than the dates listed below. 

If sowing seeds, be sure to keep the soil moist.  Seeds sown in the fall have the same needs as seeds sown in the spring.  Outdoor seed starting tips  If you are starting your seeds indoors, you will have to harden the seedlings before planting for the colder temperatures outdoors.  "Hardening off" seedlings 

Varieties for In Ground Winter Gardening

1-Radishes  Easy to grow crispy, peppery radishes

Ready for harvest in: 3 to 9 weeks

Can survive frost: Yes

Fall planting notes: For small and fast maturing radishes, broadcast seed directly in beds, or use chicken wire as a guide to space seeds 1 inch apart. Harvest after a few weeks in the ground and before the bulb becomes too hot and fibrous. You can sow seeds once a week for continuous harvests.

2-Turnips  All about turnips

Ready for harvest in: 5 to 10 weeks

Can survive frost: Yes

Fall planting notes: Harvest when roots are mature, but before they become bitter. A “neck” will begin to form when the root has reached maximum size, and quality will decline as the neck elongates.

3-Beets  All about beets

Ready for harvest in: 7 to 11 weeks

Can survive frost: Yes

Fall planting notes: Harvest when roots reach desired size.  Greens can also be eaten.  Remove greens when harvesting the roots.  Will keep in frig for 1-2 weeks.

4-Carrots  All you need to know about growing carrots

Ready for harvest in: 8 to 11 weeks

Survive frost: Yes

Fall planting notes: Carrots don't appreciate being transplanted.  Sow directly in the garden or pot.  You can use the thinnings as tasty baby carrots and salad additions. If you do start in a pot to transplant, handle the transplant carefully and make sure its main root is pointing straight down when transplanted.  Harvest mature roots at maximum diameter while they are still sweet. 

5-Rutabaga  All about beets

Ready for harvest in: 7 to 11 weeks

Can survive frost: Yes

Fall planting notes:  Prefer well drained soils. abundant with potash and phosphorus.  Harvest after at least 2 good frosts.  Sow seeds 6" apart in rows 18" apart.

6-Parsnips  All about beets

Ready for harvest in: 17 weeks

Can survive frost: Yes

Fall planting notes:  Prefer loose organic soils for straightest roots.  Harvest in early spring before tops begin re-growth for tastiest roots.  Sow seeds 3" apart, 0.5" deep in rows 18" apart.

7-Garlic, Onions and Shallots  It is garlic, perennial onion and shallot planting time!

Ready for harvest in: Next spring for mature bulbs, 6 weeks for green onions

Survive frost: Yes

Fall planting notes: Garlic, perennial onions, and shallots like loose, rich soil.  To have onions all winter, choose perennial type onions like Welsh, potato or Egyptian Walking onions.

Harvest Longer

In fall, promote faster growth by packing plants a bit more tightly than you might normally do. You can extend your growing season by adding thick layers of mulch around plants, or by using season-extending techniques such as row covers. When nights get chilly, protect plants by covering them with a cloth or blanket, portable greenhouse or cold frame.  Extend the season with protection for plants

The fifth strategy is to grow edibles that can be easily canned, frozen or stored.  For those that don't have freezer space, here is a list of crops that can be stored without an appliance.  If you didn't include these in this season's gardening season, add them to the list for next year.  24 No Tech Storage Fruits and Vegetables 

What to plant in the September edible garden

Fall seedlings in an Italian garden

Sunday, September 13, 2026

September is typically a great time to continue planting for fall and winter harvests.  Get the most out of your edible garden by using all the seasons for fresh, homegrown goodness.  With fall gardening, you don't have to worry about pest and disease pressures plus the temperatures are enjoyable for outdoor activity.  The one challenge is if you are still experiencing temperatures in the 90's.

What is a four season garden?
You can garden year round in small space
Planning for a four season garden

A fall edible garden

This month plant more greens and root vegetables and transplant cold crops.  September is my favorite month for getting winter lettuce and greens going.  I keep pots just for year round greens.  The spring/summer greens have already bolted and gone to seed.  I cleared them out when the seeds are dispersed and the stalks turn brown.  I did have volunteer celery, lettuce, chard, and sweet mustard greens that has sprouted in some of them.  But we are letting the chickens free range and they scratched them all out.  LOL.  My Red Malabar spinach, New Zealand spinach and Giant Blue Feather lettuce is still going strong.  I started my lettuce, spinach, broccoli, chard and pac choi seeds earlier this week and most have sprouted.  I'll keep them in the shade and will transplant them when it cools off in self watering pots so that I can cover them with a portable greenhouse to keep the harvest going all fall and winter.

Time to plant lettuce seed for fall, winter salads

 Root for fall!  

September is also a great month for starting perennial veggies, fruits, and herbs as well as flowers, trees, shrubs and spring blooming bulbs.  There are 2 great things about perennials.  1) You only have to plant them once and they come back year after year.  2)  Perennial greens are the first things up in late winter, early spring.  Keep in mind t hat new transplants do need extra moisture so either wait until the rains start or water a couple of times a week until they do and it cools down.   Midwest Perennial Vegetable Garden

The hardest part is finding a spot to start the cool season crops with so many summer veggies going strong.  I like to start them in smaller self-watering, rectangular pots that are about 6" tall by 12" or so long in the shade and then transplant them out when it gets cooler and more room is opened up.  

Here are the crops you can start in the September Midwest, Upper South edible garden:

September Sowing
Austrian winter peas
Arugula
Beets

Broccoli transplants

Sprouting broccoli
Brussel sprouts transplants

Cabbage transplants

Carrots
Cauliflower transplants
Corn salad
Escarole

Fava beans
Frisee
Italian dandelion

Kale

Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mache
Mustard and Mustard Greens

Winter and Perennial Onions

Peas

Radish

Scallions

Snow peas
Sorrel
Spinach

Turnips

September Transplants

Cold hardy lettuces, spinach, collards, broccoli, all perennials, trees, shrubs, greens.  Ideally after it has cooled off and the rains started.

November edible garden

Look for cold hardy varieties when planting for fall and winter harvests.  You will be surprised to harvest all through the winter months things like greens, onions, Austrian peas, carrots, and cabbage without any cover.  You can also extend the harvest by looking for the same crop with different days to harvest timing so that they mature at different times.  

Finally, you can use cover to extend the harvest all the way to next spring.

  Extend the season with protection for plants
Winter edible garden

When planting seeds when temperatures can get hot, be sure to keep the soil moist and in a cool spot until the plants are well established.  Summer and fall planted crops take longer to come to harvest than they do in the spring.  Rule of thumb is to add 2 weeks.  It's because the days are getting shorter in fall rather than longer like in spring.  

A great and easy way to start your fall garden is to sow the seeds in a pot on a covered deck or patio.  This makes it easy to keep an eye on the seedlings and protects them from the harsh hot summer sun.  After they have a couple of sets of their true leaves, you can transplant into the garden bed.  Harden them off first by moving the pot to full sun before transplanting.  "Hardening off" seedlings  After transplanting into the garden, keep them watered regularly during hot, dry weather until well established.

For more summer seed starting tips Outdoor seed starting tips

Fall edible garden

    

Fall savoy cabbage

 Saturday, September 12, 2026

Fall is a great time to garden!  You don't have to worry about pests and there is typically good rainfall so you don't have to water all the time.  Wondering what to grow in the fall?  The crops that love the spring do great in fall.

 

Crops fall into 2 categories-cold season and warm season crops.  Warm season crops are those that abhor frost or getting their feet chilly.  Most of the warm season crops are killed by frost and won't grow unless the soil is nice and warm.  Cold crops are those that prefer when temperatures are cool or downright cold.

A rule of thumb is that if you eat the tuber, leaf or flower, it is typically a cold season crop.  If you eat the fruit or seed, it is a warm season crop. 

For fall gardening, you actually start some varieties as early as July.  Fall crops are the same type of veggies you planted for your spring garden.  You may have to start some varieties indoors as some seeds will not germinate in the hot temps of summer.  You can extend the fall harvest by covering your veggies with crop fabric when chilly temps arrive in late October so you can harvest all winter.

 

Don't worry if you are just getting started now; there are plenty of cool season crops you can start from seed in September and many transplants you can order on line, pick up at your local nursery or big box store if you are getting a late start or just want to grab plants and plant.

Choose the Right Varieties

In addition to choosing the right plants for cold-weather harvests, you can also increase fall harvests by planting specific varieties bred for colder climes. Look for varieties marketed as: fast-maturing; short and compact; textured (such as curly kale and Savoy spinach), winter-hardy, frost tolerant, overwintering, for every season, year-round, remarkably cold hardy, etc. 

 

Because daylight hours are getting shorter in the fall, you will need to add about 2 weeks to the “Days to Harvest” your seed packet gives as the seed packet dates are based on spring planting.  Plants grow slower in fall because the days are getting shorter instead of longer.

 

Most plants growth will come to a standstill when daylight hours drop below 10 and don’t restart again until they go past 10 hours, late November to late January for us.

 

Just like in spring, seeds have to be kept moist to sprout.  You can also plant the seeds in peat pots, you can reuse the plastic annual trays you got in the spring or even use plastic salad containers to get your seedlings going.  You can put the plastic trays in a water catch pan, find a shady spot convenient to watering, fill with seed starting mix, sow your seeds and keep moist.  When the seedlings get their true leaves on them (second set), they are ready to transplant into the garden or a larger pot.

 

There are some veggies that the temps can be too high to germinate in our Zone 7, like lettuce.  These you will have to start inside or on the cool side of the house in the shade or indoors if you're having a really hot September.  

 

Good choices for fall planting:

Root crops-Beets, Burdock, Carrots, Celeriac, Garlic, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips. Radishes, Root Parsley, Rutabaga, Salsify, Scorzonera, Turnips

Greens-Arugula, Celery, Chard, Dandelion greens, Fennel, Lettuce, Mustard, Collards, Chicory, Kale, Sorrel, Spinach, Peas, Fava beans  

Brassicas-Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Chinese Cabbage  

Herbs-Marjoram, Parsley, Savory, Thyme, Sage, Cilantro, Oregano  

Below are some general sowing and planting times for cool season crops for our Zone 7 gardens:

July

Beets, carrots, Asian greens (pak choi, tat-soi), cilantro, collard greens, endive, escarole, frisee, fennel, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, mustard, onions, parsnips, scallions, and Swiss chard.  Use transplants for broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage.

August

The rest of the greens (arugula, corn salad, lettuce, miner’s lettuce, spinach, mustard, endive), kohlrabi, onions, snap peas, scallions, cabbage plants, radishes, and turnips.  Peas and Fava beans can be sown in August for spring harvests in Zone 6 or higher.  Use transplants for broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage.

September

Sow more greens, carrots, and radishes.  September is also a great month for starting perennial veggies, fruits, and herbs as well as flowers, trees and shrubs. Beginning of September for transplants for broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage.

October

The month to plant garlic for next year’s harvest and over-wintering onions.  Order your favorites early as many sell out quick.

 

If you don’t want to start seeds, some big box stores and local nurseries have begun to have fall planting veggies.   If none in your area do, there are many mail order seed companies that carry fall bedding plants.  Late August, early September is the best time to get transplants into the garden for fall and winter harvests.

 

For more information on small space fall gardening:

Outdoor seed starting tips

Indoor seed starting tips

Ideal soil temperatures for seed starting

Growing fabulous lettuce and greens

Start a kitchen herb garden!

Midwest Perennial Vegetable Garden