By Kira Hamman

Sure!

But if you’re going to use your compost in the garden:

1. It’s best not to compost diseased plants because disease can spread through the soil. Instead, dispose of them in the garbage, burn them, or start a separate compost pile (far from the garden) that you’re not going to use.

2. You can compost Read the rest of this entry »

By Michelle Fabio

The first frost has come and gone and you’re guessing that your tomato plants aren’t going to do anything else this year.

It’s time to throw in the tomato towel.

You could try to let your plants live a little longer by pulling them up and hanging them right-side up in a garage or basement, clipping the ends to a clothesline for example.

You don’t need a lot of sunlight and a temperature between 60 and 72 degrees is recommended. You can continue to harvest tomatoes even after the vine is dead, so you might want to try this.
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By Amelia Tucker

Now that you are putting your garden to rest for the winter, the question of what to do with the spent plants comes up.
Should you just add them to your compost pile and forget about them?

There is no one answer to this. Many gardeners have strong opinions on either side of this debate.

Those who compost them say that you should return the nutrients that the plant took up by returning the plant to the soil in the form of compost. They are also pretty adamant that compost is more important than any negatives those who don’t compost tomato plants may come up with.

Just what would a drawback to composting a tomato plant be?
Read the rest of this entry »