Hello, I have farmed and gardened all my life, but, not organic. My garden is already producing. I am looking to next year. How do I start? What can I do now for a fresh start next year? At the end of the season I clear the garden, rototill and plant winter wheat. How do I start a compose pile? To many questions I have, help.

punxey,

It's great to see yet another who is interested in learning a new, safer way to garden. Congratulations and welcome!

After performing a search in the archives right here using the keywords compost ratios, I found a few useful threads for you to check out:
COMPOST INFO FOR NEWBIES
greens in compost
green/ brown ratio?HELP
Winter composting

Go ahead and try your own searches, and read, read, read. As you go and you find your questions become more specific, let us know. I don't mean to sound like I'm brushing you off, but such a broad question as you have asked is more than likely going to generate very general answers. Good luck and happy reading!

Yes, the best thing you can do now, is to read all you can on the subject, stop spraying chemicals and then build a compost pile. Most new gardeners are put off, discouraged or confused by the emphasis experienced composters often put on carbon/nitrogen ratios. Ignore the technical jargon for now.

The simplest method is to make a pile of any organic matter, keep it moist and know that it will eventually rot. It may take years but it will rot.

To speed up the process, try to have a good mix of materials. (You will see these referred to as greens and browns.) Include dry or woody stuff (cardboard, dried leaves, wood shavings, etc) along with a goodly amount of fresher stuff, like grass clippings, kitchen scraps, manure, etc.) What this does is help approach the carbon/nitrogen or greens and browns ratio that we are ignoring for now. Turn the pile with a fork occasionally.

If the pile is very slow to get "cooking," (that is if it shows little progress in the rotting process,) add more fresh, stuff. If it starts to stink to high heaven, add more dry stuff.

Read the links that Daisy Dew posted but the main thing to remember is that organic stuff will rot eventually if kept moist and though it make take some time, there is little chance of failure.

A pile of wood on the ground will compost (rot) over the course of years and a pile of grass clippings will compost very quickly, though much more odiferously.) The trick is to build a mix of materials that will compost in a reasonable time to use in your garden.

Good luck. You're on the right path.

Wayne

Thank you! I have been reading all afternoon. Lots of good ideas. 1 more questions. I lime my tomatoes when fruits are about to turn red, the purpose of this is I stake plants and I read one time to prevent blossom end rot in dry season they need calcium, so is lime ok in organic gardening?

As for the blossom end rot, from what I understand, once your soil is built up enough to contain a good amount of nutrients, BER won't be a problem. And other organic gardeners have suggested lime to me, so I'd assume it's acceptable.

As a newbie myself, I'd recommend going to your local library and picking up a stack of books on the subject. There is a TON of information out there. I suppose the internet is as useful if not more-so, but I do like the portability of books, and there are some great ones.

Lime is OK to add organically, but will change the pH and make your soil more alkaline. This could cause more problems than you are trying to solve. Do a soil test and add it in the spring before planting only if the soil is too acidic for what you are growing.

While many people think Organic Gardening is not using certain things it is much more than that and starts with your soil. I would guess that "punxsy phil" indicates you live in Pennsylvania so contacting your local office of the Pennsylvania State University USDA Cooperative Extension Service about having a good, reliable soil test for base soil pH and soil nutrient load and then dig in with these simple soil tests,
1) Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top.

2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up.

3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart.

4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer you soil will smell.

5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy.
to see what your soil does have and what it needs mroe of.

Thank you Kimm1. Started the compost pile last night. I will try your soil test and also send one to Penn State.

Borrow from your public library.
.......
How to Grow More Vegetables
by John Jeavons
Sixth Edition Revised
2002
.......
Gook Luck
Good Growing
Good Eating
bill in socal