Filed under: Family time, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Landscaping & Gardening, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles | Tags: Compost, Composting, Fall Cleanup, Free Compost, Garden Maintenance, Gardening, Leaf cleanup, Leaf Control, Leaf Stripper, Leaves, Mulch, Starting a compost pile
I have been asked a few times on the radio lately about composting, so I went back in the archives and pulled this up. This was 1st published 10 years ago â To the day!
A big blowing storm is coming thru tonight, ie; A leaf stripper! Plenty to get yaâ started
âFall is one of my Favorite seasons! Cooler weather, fall planting and gardening and all the great family gatherings and food are wonderful. Fall is also a GREAT time to start a compost pile. All those leaves, plants and grasses to cut back and all of the upcoming holiday food scraps add up too a great supply of usable components in a compost pile!
Starting a Compost pile is quick , easy and wonât cost you anything to get started! Compost is one of natureâs best mulches and soil amendments and you can use it instead of chemical fertilizers. Compost improves soil structure, texture and increases the soilâs water-holding capacity. Compost loosens clay soils and helps sandy soils to retain water. The organic matter in compost provides food for microorganisms, which in turn keeps the soil in a healthy, balanced condition. Nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus are produced naturally by the feeding of microorganisms, so few if any soil amendments will need to be added.
Itâs easy to get started .
-Bag your grass clippings and mulch up all those leaves for the compost pile!
-Save those kitchen scraps and add them to the compost pile. Kitchen scraps are typically high in nitrogen, which helps heat up the compost pile and speed up the composting process. Egg shells, coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable peels and scraps are good candidates for the compost pie. But DONâT add meat, grease or other animal products!
â With a compost pile, bigger is often better. Heat builds up with a bigger pile, but you donât want to get much bigger than about 3 feet by 3 feet, if itâs too big it can be hard to work around. Multiple piles may be in order .
â Aerate your compost! If you are composting with a pile, or in a static (non-tumbling) compost bin, be sure to mix up the contents so that the pile gets oxygen and can break down effectively. Insert a few pvc pipes to get oxygen to the core and Turn it with a pitch fork from time to time .
â Donât let the compost completely dry out. A compost pile needs moisture to keep the composting process active , BUT , donât keep it too wet.
â Too much of any one material will slow down the composting process. If you have all leaves, all grass clippings or an overload of any other single type of material, it can throw off the balance of the pile. Itâs best to keep a balanced mix of green (nitrogen) and brown (carbon) materials.
When ready, this compost will be wonderful for the whole garden!
Good Luck and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!â
Mark Carter
Carterâs Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
YouTube pg. â
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6dPkQiE04jcr385SOL0gkw
Facebook pg. â https://www.facebook.com/mark.carter.775
Pinterest pg. â https://www.pinterest.com/cartersnursery
Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: Autumn Leaves Falling on Water, Burning Leaves, Fall Cleanup, Leaf Control, Leaf Stripper, Leaves, Sunday, Sunday Breakfast, Sunday in the Garden, Sunday Inspiration, Sunday Morning Coming Down, Sunday Mornings, Sunday Poem, Sunday Reflections, Sunday Sunrises, Sunday with Family, Sundays, Windy Day, Windy Night
The wind blew last night! So much that I had to take down one of our wind chimes that has never been a problem… WOW!
Bill Way used to call that windy night that always comes in November a âLeaf Stripperâ. Last nights wind was definitely that! All the Birch trees are bare. As are the pecans, walnut, maples, sassafras, and persimmon trees. The oaks held on to many like they always do. But the writings on the wall… Winter is Coming!
Donât yaâ just love fall! đ đ„
“Come, little leaves,” said the wind one day.
“Come o’er the meadows with me, and play’
Put on your dress of red and gold,â
Summer is gone, and the days grow cold.”
Soon as the leaves heard the wind’s loud call,
Down they came fluttering, one and all;
Over the brown fields they danced and flew,
Singing the soft little songs they knew.
~ George Cooper
Have a great Sunday!
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Hummingbirds, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pond Tips, Pondless Waterfalls, Sunrises, Sunsets, Videos, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: 1st Day of Fall, Autumn Leaves Falling on Water, Autumnal Equinox, Burning Leaves, Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria, Cool Season Koi Food, Cool Season Water Treatments, Cool Temp Koi Food, Cooler Weather is Coming, Corn Stalks, Fall, Fall is Coming, Fall is Here, Fall maintenance, Fall Planting, Football, Football Time In Tennessee, Gourds, Harvest Home, Harvest Moon, Leaves, Mums, Pansies, Pumpkin Carving, Pumpkins, Stay Cool, Vernal Equinox
Today is the âOfficialâ 1st day of Fall. The Autumnal Equinoxâ! A very special day! The sun is right above the equator, and day and night are almost exactly equal in time đ°Â From here, the days get shorter and shorter as we slide towards the shortest day of the year… The Winter âïž Solstice, aka: The Longest Night đÂ
Today the nighttime and daytime hours are equal. The days will get shorter and the nights longer all the way into the first day of Winter, aka: The Winter Solstice.
I remember when I was a kid, the big thing on the equinoxâs was to stand an egg đ„ on its head đ€ I donât know if thatâs the only day you can accomplish this feat… But, I have done it on the equinox đ„đ
Have YOU ever tried to balance an egg on the Spring or Fall equinox? It was a thing when I was a kid. Iâm thinking it was around 3rd. Grade or so? I went home and worked for what seemed like hours, but finally got one to balance!
PS: science?
So, itâs time for Pansies, mums, violas, kale đ„ŹÂ Pumpkins đ gourds, straw bales and corn stalks đŸÂ Fire pits, cookouts and football đÂ
Bring. It. On! Fall is Here! đ„đđđ„đ đ Â
Have a great day!Â
Mark Carter
Carterâs Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
YouTube pg. â
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6dPkQiE04jcr385SOL0gkw
Facebook pg. â https://www.facebook.com/mark.carter.775
Pinterest pg. â https://www.pinterest.com/cartersnursery
Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Sunsets, Videos, Waterfalls | Tags: Bonfire, Burning Leaves, Custom Fire Pit, Fire, Fire Feature, Fire Pit, Fire Pit Zen, Fire pits, Fire Video, Fireplace, Leaves, Lifestyle Video, Moment of Zen, Monday Morning Moment of Zen, Morning Zen, Roaring Fire, Zen Fire, Zen Video
Yesterday was the first day of Daylight Savings… We “Sprang Forward”… SO, we got out and cleaned up the landscape a bit, raked leaves & had a nice bonfire that we used to control burn the leafs over the evening. I stayed out till after dark watching the fire till it all burned out. Watching a fire burn is very similar to watching a waterfall in my opinion. It almost hypnotizes you! Its quiet and relaxing too, very… Zen!Â
That’s why I have a fire-pit! I just love to sit out with friends and family by a nice fire đ„Â
A fire pit is a great way to enjoy the evening and watch the sun go down! Yesterday it helped get rid of some fall leaves too đÂ
Have a great day!
Mark Carter
Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, TN 38305
731-424-2206
www.cartercountry.com
Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles | Tags: Amended Topsoil, Compost, Compost Tea, Composted Manure, Composting, Food, Free Compost, Gardening Ideas, Grass Clippings, Leaves, Natural Resources, Organic, Organic Gardening, Permaculture, Soil Amendments, Starting a compost pile, Vegetable Scraps, Vernicompost
I have been asked a few times on the radio lately about composting, so I went back in the archives and pulled this up. This was 1st published 10 years ago – To the day! đ„
A big blowing storm is coming thru tonight, ie; A leaf stripper! đ Plenty to get yaâ startedđ
âFall is one of my Favorite seasons! Cooler weather, fall planting and gardening and all the great family gatherings and food are wonderful. Fall is also a GREAT time to start a compost pile. All those leaves, plants and grasses to cut back and all of the upcoming holiday food scraps add up too a great supply of usable components in a compost pile!
Starting a Compost pile is quick , easy and wonât cost you anything to get started! Compost is one of natureâs best mulches and soil amendments and you can use it instead of chemical fertilizers. Compost improves soil structure, texture and increases the soilâs water-holding capacity. Compost loosens clay soils and helps sandy soils to retain water. The organic matter in compost provides food for microorganisms, which in turn keeps the soil in a healthy, balanced condition. Nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus are produced naturally by the feeding of microorganisms, so few if any soil amendments will need to be added.
Once the process is complete you can use this free resource as mulch, soil amendments, top dressing for your lawn, to make compost tea for veggies & more. | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, Tennessee
Itâs easy to get started .
-Bag your grass clippings and mulch up all those leaves for the compost pile!
-Save those kitchen scraps and add them to the compost pile. Kitchen scraps are typically high in nitrogen, which helps heat up the compost pile and speed up the composting process. Egg shells, coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable peels and scraps are good candidates for the compost pie. But DONâT add meat, grease or other animal products!
â With a compost pile, bigger is often better. Heat builds up with a bigger pile, but you donât want to get much bigger than about 3 feet by 3 feet, if itâs too big it can be hard to work around. Multiple piles may be in order .
â Aerate your compost! If you are composting with a pile, or in a static (non-tumbling) compost bin, be sure to mix up the contents so that the pile gets oxygen and can break down effectively. Insert a few pvc pipes to get oxygen to the core and Turn it with a pitch fork from time to time .
â Donât let the compost completely dry out. A compost pile needs moisture to keep the composting process active , BUT , donât keep it too wet.
â Too much of any one material will slow down the composting process. If you have all leaves, all grass clippings or an overload of any other single type of material, it can throw off the balance of the pile. Itâs best to keep a balanced mix of green (nitrogen) and brown (carbon) materials.
When ready, this compost will be wonderful for the whole garden!
Good Luck and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!â
Mark Carter
Carterâs Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.#Â 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
YouTube pg. â
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6dPkQiE04jcr385SOL0gkw
Facebook pg. â https://www.facebook.com/mark.carter.775
Pinterest pg. â https://www.pinterest.com/cartersnursery/
Filed under: Family time, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles | Tags: Autumn Color, Bald Cypress, Black Gum, Dogwood, Fall Color, Fall Planting, Ginkgo biloba, Japanese Maple, Leaves, Native Trees, Natural Beauty, Nature Photo's, Plant A Tree, Red Maple, Sassafras, Sourwood, Sugar Maple, Trees, White Oak
This came up yesterday on the radio – So here ya go…
âWeâve been talking a lot about fall color around the nursery, on the radio and on this blog. Have you been getting out to see it and experience it⊠I hope you have been and are still doing just that! đ Hereâs the color map â
https://smokymountains.com/fall-foliage-map/
I have had SO MANY questions the last couple of weeks about my favorite trees to plant for Fall color and what I would recommend to plant in peopleâs Landscapes. So here is a short list of some of my favorite trees that do well here in West Tennessee.â
Markâs Top Ten Trees for Fall Color â
-  Red Maple â Acer rubrumÂ
One of our best trees for Fall Color.
- Sugar Maple â  Acer saccharumÂ
Wonderful Color + the BEST Syrup everđ
- Balled Cypress â Taxodium distichumÂ
Such a unique tree! Bald Cypress are very underutilized for their seasonal interest. They are such a beautiful tree. Interesting fact : The Bald Cypress is a deciduous conifer.
- Dogwoods â Cornus floridaÂ
Everyone thinks of spring with the Dogwood tree blossoms, BUT â They are beautiful in the fall with their red tinged leaves and shiny red seeds.
- Sassafrass â Sassafras albidumÂ
One of my favorite trees for several reasons! But the biggie is the breathtaking Fall Color! | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN
- Ginko â Ginkgo bilobaÂ
A âLiving Fossilâ â This unique tree âWOWâSâ in  the Fall!
- Crepe Myrtle â  LagerstroemiaÂ
Not only does this ornamental tree bring outstanding Spring & Summer interest, they also bring eye popping color every Fall!
- Black Gum â  Nyssa sylvaticaÂ
The Black Gum or Tupelo Gum tree is one of my favorite natives!
- White Oak â Quercus albaÂ
Big native shade tree with striking, deep crimson/red Fall color.
- Sourwood â Oxydendrum arboreumÂ
A very unique native tree, really shows out in the Fall!
Mark CarterCarterâs Nursery, Pond & PatioPh.#Â 731-424-2206YouTube pg. âhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6dPkQiE04jcr385SOL0gkw
Facebook pg. â https://www.facebook.com/mark.carter.775
Pinterest pg. â https://www.pinterest.com/cartersnursery/
Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: Autumn Leaves Falling on Water, Autumn Poem, Daylight Savings Time, Fall, Fall Beauty, Fall Color, Fall Day, Fall Foliage, Fall is Here, Fall Morning, fall poem, Frosty Morning, Leaves, Poet, Sunday in the Garden, Sunday Inspiration, Sunday Naps, Sunday Poem, Sunday Reflections, Sunday with Family
The leaves have been coming down like rain the last couple of days. Itâs beautiful to watch. Add to that the 4 strait nights of freezing temps … November has made itself known đ Thanksgiving is coming!
Many trees are at peak color and the leaves are raining down when the wind blows…
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles | Tags: Compost, Compost Tea, Composted Manure, Composting, Fall Cleanup, Fall Gardening, Free Compost, Gardening, gardening 101, Gardening Ideas, Grass Clippings, Kitchen Scraps, Leaves, Organic Gardening, Permaculture, Vernicompost
We had a few calls on the radio show (The 180) Yesterday about HOW- TO start a compost pile. Here is a little info to help get you started â
This is the perfect time to start composting! You can make your own compost from the leaves, grass clippings and organic waste you already have to dispose of!
Fall is A great time to start composting. All those leaves, plants and grasses to cut back and all of the upcoming holiday food scraps add up too a great supply of usable components in a compost pile!
Starting a Compost pile is quick , easy and wonât cost you anything to get started! Compost is one of natureâs best mulches and soil amendments and its natural! Plus you can use it instead of chemical fertilizers. Compost improves soil structure, texture and increases the soilâs water-holding capacity. Compost loosens clay soils and helps sandy soils to retain water. The organic matter in compost provides food for microorganisms, which in turn keeps the soil in a healthy, balanced condition. Nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus are produced naturally by the feeding of microorganisms, so few if any soil amendments will need to be added.
-Bag your grass clippings and mulch up all those leaves for the compost pile!
-Save your kitchen scraps and add them to the compost pile. Kitchen scraps are typically high in nitrogen, which helps heat up the compost pile and speed up the composting process. Egg shells, coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable peels and scraps are good candidates for the compost pie. But DONâT add meat, grease or other animal products!
â With a compost pile, bigger is often better. Heat builds up with a bigger pile, but you donât want to get much bigger than about 3 feet by 3 feet, if itâs too big it can be hard to work around. Multiple piles may be in order .
â Aerate your compost! If you are composting with a pile, or in a static (non-tumbling) compost bin, be sure to mix up the contents so that the pile gets oxygen and can break down effectively. Insert a few pvc pipes to get oxygen to the core and Turn it with a pitch fork from time to time .
â Donât let the compost completely dry out. A compost pile needs moisture to keep the composting process active , BUT , donât keep it too wet.
â Too much of any one material will slow down the composting process. If you have all leaves, all grass clippings or an overload of any other single type of material, it can throw off the balance of the pile. Itâs best to keep a balanced mix of green (nitrogen) and brown (carbon) materials.
Once the process is complete you can use this free resource as mulch, soil amendments, top dressing for your lawn, to make compost tea for veggies & more. | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN
Good Luck and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
â Mark Carter
Mark Carter
Carterâs Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph# 731-424-2206
www.cartercountry.com
Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pondless Waterfalls, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: Autumn Leaves Falling on Water, Fall and Winter Water Garden Care, Fall Foliage, Fall maintenance, Fall Pond Cleaning, Fall Pond Tips, Leaf Control, Leaf Dam., Leaves, Maintenance Tips, Pond Tips, Preventative Maintenance, Waterfall Leak
The color change is happening in earnest now! The leaves đ are golden, orange and red & so beautiful to see đ But soon, they will all fall, and thatâs when we have to watch for the dreaded âLeaf Damsâ that accompany Fall!
Falling leaves can pile up quick! Sometimes they can cause a dam & divert the water over the edge of the stream or waterfall and cause a leak! Keeping up with leaf cleanup as you move through the season can prevent this problem. | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, Tennessee
So my âPond Maintenance Tipâ is to keep your streams and waterfalls clear of fallen leaves and debris. This preventative maintenance, will save you later on down the road đ
Have a Great Weekend!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6dPkQiE04jcr385SOL0gkw
Facebook pg. â https://www.facebook.com/mark.carter.775
Pinterest pg. â https://www.pinterest.com/cartersnursery/
Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: Autumn, Autumn Leaves Falling on Water, Autumn Poem, Beautiful Day, Changing Seasons, Colorful Foliage, Enjoy The Day, Fall, Fall Beauty, Fall Color, Get Outside, Halloween, Leaves, Native Trees, Natural Beauty, Nature, Nature Photo's, Seasonal Interest, Sunday, Sunday in the Garden, Sunday Inspiration, Sunday Mornings, Sunday Reflections, Sunday with Family, Sundays, The Seasons, Time flies
The color is really changing in the landscape now. The Maples and Dogwoods are at peak. I try to keep my eye on the changing colors every Fall. Itâs such a beautiful time of the year đ But, blink and youâll miss something. You just gotta get out there to enjoy it đ
Fall color is here today, gone tomorrow… Get out and see it now đ
âIn the garden, Autumn is, indeed the crowning glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought and care and toil. And at no season, safe perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such superb colour effects as from August to November.â
~ Rose G. Kingsley
Have a Happy Day!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6dPkQiE04jcr385SOL0gkw
Facebook pg. â https://www.facebook.com/mark.carter.775
Pinterest pg. â https://www.pinterest.com/cartersnursery/
