I'm trying to learn how to garden, but there is so much information out there (especially from the state extension service), that I get overloaded and confused. I know I'm supposed to compost, and the compost should be layered, but with what? I can get tons of leaves in the fall, but my mower doesn't have a bag on the back. Or I would already be using the grass clippings on my garden. What do I layer in this compost bin other than leaves?
The bin is supposed to be in the shade, but I know these things smell, so I want it in the back of my yard. The only part of my yard not shaded is the far corners in the back of my yard.
I'm supposed to mulch my vegetable garden with compost or straw. Compost is going to really stink up my car, so where do I find straw? I'm not paying $40 a bale for decorative straw. Beauty is not what I need. I'm going to rip it to shreds and throw it on the ground. What I want is cheap. I may ask my uncle. He's a farmer. He's got to know where I can find cheap straw, because I am not paying big bucks for straw. Especially since I know from growing up on the farm that all the straw and hay available now is from last summer and probably gnarly and half rotten by now - which sucks for feeding animals, but great for my garden.
I have a yard mainly consisting of dandelions which I need to find a cheap, organic way to get rid of, because I can't use poisons in my yard for a variety of reasons.
I am totally clueless on this yard and garden stuff. I never owned a place before. Plus there is just so much information out there that it's hard to sort through it all. How do i know what I need to know and what I can wait to learn? Dh already knows a lot of this, but he just isn't really interested beyond mowing and weedeating the lawn. Although, I did catch him in the garden watering today without being asked and he did mention landscaping with shrubs when I brought it up.
