Recycling Makes the Garden Grow

This year we planted our biggest garden ever! I was so excited with all the new things we had planted, until our lettuce decided not to grow. I'd given some extra plants to our next door neighbor and among them lettuce. Their lettuce was growing and they shared some with us. After thinking about what could be wrong with ours we came to the conclusion that because the lettuce was in the raised bed it was new soil, so not enough nutrience in it.

Then in a conversation with my sister Annie she suggested I put my weekly prep trimmings into the soil. We haven't started our compost yet so this was a short term solution. I would say 90% of our weekly garbage is food trimmings. I cringe every time I throw trimmings away because I see it as wasteful. So I was happy to take on this challenge for the day!

The trimmings started off in a small container in the morning with strawberry tops, egg shells and coffee grounds. It quickly grew and was transferred to a large and medium soup pot by the end of prep. 

After prep was done, but before the food processor was washed for the last time, I ground up all the trimmings. Yes it was a dirty job but went pretty fast. I think the task was done in just under 10 minutes. By then it was too dark to spread the trimmings over the garden, so it waited until the next day. I topped the large full soup pot and squeezed it in the fridge. 

Of course the next day I had to go out in between sprits of rain to get the job done. So barefooted with trimmings and a scraper in hand we went to work spreading the goodness over the raised bed and some in the main garden. 

 The raised bed focus was around the lettuce that needed some love.

 After I spread everything Kevin hoed it into the soil. He managed to stay clean and out of the mud.

In just a few short days, and lots of rain later, the lettuce showed a big improvement! I'm happy to say that we'll be eating some later this week! The iceberg (planted on Charlie's request) is doing better as is the leaf lettuce (my choice!). I'm anxious to get some onto a plate!

 The rest of the garden is getting very big and as a result the little things are starting to grow. This is the first tomato on the plants. I'm very excited!

Until we have our compost in place I'll be making this a weekly prep habit as that's when most of our recyclable waste is created. 

Give it a try yourself. Even if you just have flowers or a tiny garden, all will benefit!

-yvonne