Composting is not a revolutionary idea. It’s a place where you reuse/ recycle organic waste into fertilizer. by returning household wastes into your gardens you can help with garden productivity and reduce household waste heading the dump (basureros).
People have been composting for centuries. There is no 100% right way to compost , however there are methods that produce better results.
Living soil contains many types of beneficial micro organisms. The micro organisms function to decompose organic matter into nutrients to feed the microbe populations. To create good decomposition and allow the microorganisms to function properly composting needs the following;
Air:
Aerobic micro organisms need to air to live. By moving your compost pile regularly you assist in growing the microbes and they in turn decompose the pile much quicker.
Water:
Water is important for microbes to grow, however it is important to not apply to much. You can’t have too much air but you can definitly have too much water. I have seen compost piles that were piles of wet muck with little or no decomposition. The compost should be moist which is a good reason to cover the pile here during rainy season to protect it from heavy rains.
Temperature:
This is the great thing about living in the tropics particularly here in the Southern Nicoya, there is no shortage of sun or heat. These microbes function great at high heat. As a result maintaining your compost pile in a sunny area will advance decomposition providing your compost with quicker results than in a shady spot. We can assist creating the high temperature by covering the pile with plastic.
It is of the upmost importance to provide a good balance of these three components.
There are very few things you can’t compost. However to create good compost the balance between different materials will affect the process and therefore the results. Its important to use what you have around the house or property. Composting shouldn’t be difficult, complicated or expensive. Some materials you can use are dried leaves, kitchen wastes ( except citrus), manures, grass cutting, charcoal (carbon), banana stalks, and soil.
Create your pile by layering then mix it all together, moisten, cover and viola, composted soil!! If you are concerned about animals around your compost then keeping animal wastes such as meat products is important. however if you area is fenced and animal proof then you can add those items. A good balance between leaves, grass, manures, soil, and kitchen wastes are important. Sometimes it is trial and error to see how much of each material is needed for good composting. The materials such as grasses, banana stalks, and branches should be small enough in size that they can be mixed well with the other materials.
The more you move your pile by turning it the quicker it will be ready to use. When using kitchen wastes you must mix those in initially to your pile with the other materials. You cannot keep adding new materials or the compost will never complete. For this reason at La Hoja Nueva we often have 3-4 piles going so when one is ready for use another one is just starting.
There is nothing like creating compost then using it in your gardens to feel a sense of satisfaction.
Neem oil comes from the tree Azadirachta indica, a South Asian and Indian plant common as an ornamental shade tree. Neem oil can be extracted from most parts of the tree, but the seeds hold the highest concentration of the insecticidal compound. The effective compound is Azadirachin and it is found in highest amounts in the seeds. There are numerous neem oil uses, but gardeners praise it for its anti-fungal and pesticide properties.
It is a useful repellant for mites and used to manage over 200 other species of chewing or sucking insects , including:
scale
whiteflies
aphids
Neem oil can be used as a fungicide as well to combat fungus, rust and molds.
We use neem oil as a foliar spray applied early in the morning or late in afternoon. The oil can burn some foliage on trees so it’s best to apply a little as a test and see the result. Our experience shows the Neem Oil to assist against Snow Scale on citrus and other fruit trees. The Neem oil is mixed with water and sprayed to the trunk, branches and foliage. Normally we saw result after weekly applications for 4 weeks and then every 15 days as a control prevention. You can also use the neem oil in combination with micro organisms and foliar fertlizers as they help protect micro organism and act as a adherent to leaves.
Neem oil insecticide works as a systemic in many plants when applied as a soil drench. Once the product is in the plant’s vascular system, insects intake it during feeding. The compound causes insects to reduce or cease feeding, can prevent larvae from maturing, reduces or interrupts mating behavior and, in some cases, the oil coats the breathing holes of insects and kills them. Neem can come in the form of dried cakes and mixed into soil mediums where they prevent and assist against nematode problems.
There is also some reported uses of neem oil used as an anti pesticide property in dogs and cats. Again anyone who would like to try the neem oil should consult a Veterinary professional and discuss that use.
There has been concern about the use of neem oil and bees. Most studies specify that if neem oil is used inappropriately, and in massive quantities, it can cause harm to small hives, but has no effect on medium to large hives. Additionally, since neem oil insecticide does not target bugs that do not chew on leaves, most beneficial insects, like butterflies and ladybugs, are considered safe.
