Thanks to www.compostheaven.com for this article.

Compost Making: Some like it hot...

Easy compost making:  throw some organic matter in a pile and wait.

But of course we never let it be that easy.  For years, composters all over have been monkeying with the "how to compost" puzzle to come up with the perfect formula.  Balancing ease of composting with speed has been the holy grail of composting.

Some years ago, hot composting came in vogue.  This started the picture of the ideal compost pile:  a mound of decomposing organic matter, steaming in the cool morning air.  But if you take that picture forward, you will see the compost-master coming out with pitch fork to turn the pile.  She'd check the temperature and moisture levels.  She'd make sure her carbon to nitrogen levels were right.  She'd have compost in weeks, but they were very busy weeks.

Hot composting takes a lot of work.

And so, over time, slow composting has gained status.  Sure, the pile sits there a long time, but you're having a BBQ and drinking Margaritas while it does.

There are many, many different theories, styles and techniques to composting making if you talk to the composting aficionados.  But they boil down into 2 broad categories:hot (or fast) composting and cold (or slow) composting.

Compost Making the Hot Way:

• You need a good carbon/nitrogen ratio.
• You need good moisture (too wet and it won't get hot enough, too dry and it won't heat up either.)
• You need materials in small chunks (use a chipper?).
• Your carbon and nitrogen must be well mixed.
• Your pile must be built all at once.  You can't add to this pile as you go along.
• You are less likely to attract animals and flies.
• You must turn every 3 days.
• Making hot compost kills most weed seeds and pathogens from the temperature.
• You can gloat to your neighbors that you are a master composter and have achieved the Composting Ideal.

Gather your materials in one area and make sure you have about 2/3 brown materials (carbon) to 1/3 green (nitrogen).  Have the materials cut into smaller pieces--the smaller the better.  Small pieces are obviously easier to compost and they have many nicks and cuts which allow the bacteria and fungi to get started.

Layer the brown and green material every few inches, adding water if necessary to have the dampness of a wrung out sponge.  Add activator if desired.

Now comes the work.

Watch your pile heat up and 3 days later, turn it.  3 days later, turn again.  Make sure your pile is 120&#176 or more between turnings.

Turn the pile every few days for the next couple of weeks.  When the pile ceases heating up at all, you are done.

This compost making process would be easier with a compost tumbler.  Your pile would be smaller but you would not have as much pitch forking.

Compost Making the Slow Way:

• You need a "close enough" carbon/nitrogen ratio.
• Correct moisture will help but if you have the time, everything decomposes (unless it is completely dehydrated in a desert).
• Your materials can be in bigger chunks.  The bigger, the more patience you need.
• You can add to it at your convenience.
• Your pile can take 1 (or more) years to fully decompose.
• The cool temperature allows disease-suppressing microbes to exist.  You may end up with "healthier" compost.
• The cool temperatures may not kill all weed seeds and pathogens.
• You can turn it whenever you want--or not.
• In areas where you  live near neighbors or appearances are important, having piles of compost sitting for long period of time may not be acceptable.

Gather your materials and have approximately the right balance of brown and green (link).  Layer them while making sure the moisture level is good.  When you have more, you can add more until your pile is about 1 cubic yard (1 cubic meter).

Go listen to music and have a glass of wine.

If you're feeling good and the weather is nice, turn your pile.  If not, sit back down with a good book and relax.

Compost making the "cool" way is also the lazy way.  If you have the room for your pile to sit, this is absolutely the way to go.

Propagating Gooseberries From Cuttings

Mid autumn (late September to early November) is the time to take gooseberry cuttings. Select a healthy looking stem about 22cm (9in) long and cleanly cut it from the parent plant (see left). Strip off all the side shoots except the top three. Remove any buds below the leaves with a sharp knife.

Dig a small hole and add a handful of blood fish and bone. Work it into the soil. Set the prepared cutting about 5cm (2in) into the ground and gather soil around it. Gently firm it down. Water well and then leave alone. In the next spring you should see the cutting sprout new leaves indicating that it has taken. If you want to move it then do this a year after the date of taking the cutting.

October Newsletter

Dear Quickcrop Gardeners,

The season is well and truly changing, we’re still refusing to put the heat on in the office but it won’t be long now. We’ve had a great harvest so far despite a late start to the season, apples were particularily good. (Speaking of apples, we’ll be stocking a broad selection of bare root fruit trees and bushes this winter, please keep an eye on our website.)
There is still plenty of stuff to do in the garden to keep us out of trouble. It’s all about harvesting and storing the last of your produce, tidying the garden and getting ready for next year.

We’ve had a very interesting few days attending the ‘Blue sky day’ in Kerry. This is an initative set up by Kerry business man Jerry Kennelly. The idea is to promote entrepreneurship as a career choice to second and third level students. Speakers included Denis O‘Brien, Sarah Newman and ....us!
Mark Little of ‘Primetime’ conducted an interview with us about growing our business in these challenging times. It was great for us to rub shoulders with some of the heavy hitters of Ireland‘s business community and to realise the level of underground optimism for the future of our country.
It’s a challenge, fair enough, but nothing we can’t overcome.
Here’s a couple of links which may be of interest:
http://www.gateway-ireland.com
http://www.youngentrepreneur.ie

We have a couple of special offers on the go which I’ve included below Please remember if there is a product or service you require which isn’t on our website please let us know and we can look into stocking it for you.
We’ve been asked a lot recently about what to do with herbs coming into the winter months so I’ve included a comprehensive section on this, my favorite trick is storing fresh herb mixes in ice cubes.
We also have a great mulching and composting medium blowing around all over the place in the form of Autumn leaves. I’ve also included information on how to use this valuable addition to the garden.

Good luck and happy growing!

Andrew and Niall
Quickcrop.ie

Cutting and storing herbs.
Now is the time to turn your attention to your herb garden to ensure that your herbs stand the best chance of making it through whatever weather winter has in store for us as well as making sure that your herb plants stay in good shape for next spring. In addition now is the time to collect herb seed and harvest leaves to ensure that your kitchen remains well stocked during the months ahead.

Some herbs, such as rosemary and bay can be harvested right through the winter, as can thyme if you cut back your plants immediately after they had finished flowering and have plenty of sturdy new growth. However, if you have not previously taken your scissors to the thyme then it is best to do so now to keep the plant in good shape. Whilst you herb plant will not look at its most attractive after this, such action will reap rewards next spring. Cutting back now will encourage new growth from the base of the plant and ensure that you do not end up with a straggly, bare centred plant next year.
It is imperative however not to leave this too late as any frost may damage the new growth which the plant will need to protect it over winter. Other herb plants which will benefit from a trim include lavender, winter savory and hyssop. 
Don’t worry- there is no need to waste your trimmings.  Any cut stems can be dried and stored in dark jars (or if you don’t have any, clear jars will do in a dark cupboard). Other herbs which can be dried and stored include oregano, marjoram, sage, mint, hyssop and basil. Freezing is also an alternative, a convenient way of doing this is to chop up the herbs and freeze them in ice cubes. (See photo)
Try this with mint, parsley and tarragon.

Mint plants need slightly more than a trim. They need to be cut right back to ensure a healthy supply of fresh leaves in early spring. If your mint is in a pot which it has filled then remove it from the pot, saw it in half and re-pot the two halves into separate pots. This will avoid the problem of rot which affects many pot grown mints which have outgrown their original container.

Tender herb plants will need to be lifted before the first frosts otherwise the frost will kill them. These include lemon grass and basil. The timing of this will really depend on where you live. Some areas need not worry about this for another few weeks but it is better to be safe than sorry. As a rule of thumb this is a job you need to do before the night time temperatures drop below 4°C. Cut back the
herbs once lifted and keep in a frost free environment for winter. It is important to keep watering to a minimum during this time and avoid centrally heated rooms if at all possible.

Half hardy herbs that will need protecting with fleece if they remain outside include lemon verbena and blackcurrant sage. Here in Sligo ours survived last winter without protection against a south facing wall but there is always a risk of damage. Bay trees also like a position sheltered from winter winds.

Any herb plants growing in containers should be moved against the wall of the house so that the wall will act as a kind of storage heater. If you can’t move your pots then wrapping them in bubble wrap is an alternative. The problem is not the frost on the foliage but the fact that in very cold spells the water in the pots becomes frozen and the roots cannot take up any liquid. If you are moving your herb planters next to the wall bear in mind that the eaves may shelter them from the rain and the odd watering may be required.

9in classic raised bed kit.
Now is a great time to build and fill your raised beds ready for the planting season next spring. You can partially fill the beds with soil and include some compost, manure or seaweed to rot down over the winter and give you a rich growing medium for next years crops. Cover the beds with a layer of mulch or piece of old carpet to stop the inevitable rain washing out your precious nutrients.
Our most popular and cost effective raised bed kit has now got even cheaper. We’re reducing the price from €39.00 to €34.00. For 4 Weeks only. Click here for link.


Wheeleasy foldable barrow.
We’ve decided to offer our ‘wheeleasy’ foldable barrow at an end of season promotional price. This surprisingly useful tool (We have 2 here and genuinely use them, very handy now for sweeping leaves into.) was €49.99 is now €39.99. This would make a great christmas present, we don‘t have many left so order now if you’d like one. Click here for link:

Collecting Autumn Leaves
The leaves will start to fall very shortly and these are a valuable resource. Prepare for them by building a leaf mould cage. Very simple to do, you just drive four stakes into the ground and staple chicken netting around to make the cage. Pile in the leaves and leave them alone for a year. You will find the pile reduces by two thirds at least, so keep filling the bin as more leaves fall. If you have one of those marvellous garden vacuum mulchers that suck up leaves and chop them, you will find the leaves rot down much more quickly.


Using leaves and leafmould


Newly fallen leaves
* Winter cover for bare soil; may have to be removed in spring for sowing and planting
* Mulch for informal paths
* Make into leafmould

'Young' leafmould
1 or 2 years old, depending on tree species. Leaves beginning to break up; easily crumbled in hand.
*Mulch around shrubs, herbaceous, trees, vegetables
*Dig in as soil improver for sowing and planting
*Autumn top dressing for lawns
*Winter cover for bare soil


Well rotted leafmould
2 years old in most cases. Dark brown crumbly material, with no real trace of original leaves visible.
*Use as for 'young' leafmould above
*Seed sowing mix - Use leafmould on its own, or mixed with equal parts sharp sand and garden compost
*Potting compost - Mix equal parts well rotted leafmould, sharp sand, loam and garden compost

Quick tip for leaves on lawns
Run the mower over leaves on the lawn with the grass box off. The shredded leaves will soon disappear into the lawn. Or run the mower over leaves on the lawn with the grass box on. Add the chopped up mown leaves and grass to a leafmould heap. They will be quicker to rot than whole leaves.

Leaves and wildlife
Don't disturb drifts of autumn leaves under hedges and other out of the way areas. They may be used as hibernating sites by hedgehogs and other creatures.

Leftover Seed
You can save money by keeping leftover seed for use next season. Most vegetable seed should last at least a couple of years, with the exception of parsnip, and some can last much longer. Before ordering new seed, check through this season's leftover packets and make a note of what is there for use next year. Store in a glass jar or plastic box in a cool, dry place. If you are unsure of the age of the seed, do
a mini germination test on a piece of damp kitchen paper in a plastic box.

Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto.

A satisfying vegetable supper that uses a basic risotto recipe and gives it an autumnal twist.

Ingredients
1kg butternut squash , peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
3 tbsp olive oil
bunch sage , leaves picked, half roughly chopped, half left whole
1½ l vegetable stock
50g butter
1 onion , finely chopped
300g risotto rice (we used arborio)
1 small glass white wine
50g parmesan , finely grated


Method

1. Before you make the risotto, heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Toss the squash in 1 tbsp oil together with the chopped sage. Scatter into a shallow roasting tin and roast for 30 mins until it is brown and soft.

2. While the squash is roasting, prepare the risotto. Bring the stock to the boil and keep on a low simmer. In a separate pan, melt half the butter over a medium heat. Stir in the onions and sweat gently for 8-10 mins until soft but not coloured, stirring occasionally. Stir the rice into the onions until completely coated in the butter, then stir continuously until the rice is shiny and the edges of the grain
start to look transparent.

3. Pour in the wine and simmer until totally evaporated. Add the stock, a ladleful at a time and stirring the rice over a low heat for 25-30 mins, until the rice is cooked al dente (with a slightly firm, starchy bite in the middle). The risotto should be creamy and slightly soupy. When you draw a wooden spoon through it, there should be a wake that holds for a few moments but not longer.

4. At the same time, gently fry the whole sage leaves in a little olive oil until crisp, then set aside on kitchen paper. When the squash is cooked, mash half of it to a rough purée and leave half whole. When the risotto is just done, stir though the purée, then add the cheese and butter and leave to rest for a few mins. Serve the risotto scattered with the whole chunks of squash and the crisp sage leaves.