FOR RELEASE THE WEEK OF FEB. 22, 1999:
We’re thinking about composting for the first time this year and are trying to decide where to put our compost pile or bin. Any suggestions?
The ideal location provides sunlight in the winter, shade in the summer and as much shelter from the wind as possible, says Bob Rynk, University of Idaho extension waste management engineer. Wind robs the composting materials of heat and precious moisture. Direct sunlight supplies needed warmth in the winter but otherwise dries out the pile. In arid climates, Rynk recommends an area of the yard shaded by a deciduous shrub or tree, which provides both summer shade and winter sunlight. Shelter from sunlight and wind are less important with closed bins than open piles.
You’ll also want to site your compost pile or bin within easy reach of a garden hose so you won’t be tempted to let it dry out, Rynk says. Avoid poorly drained spots that gather standing water; areas where neighbors might object to the sight or possible smell of a compost pile; direct contact with decay- or corrosion-susceptible trees, wooden fences and buildings; or close proximity to buildings and combustible materials. Though the possibility is remote, compost piles can and do spontaneously ignite, Rynk warns. Lastly, don’t forget to allow enough space to turn the pile, stockpile raw materials, and load and unload your wheelbarrow.
For more information, call University of Idaho Ag Publications at (208) 885-7982 in Moscow and order Composting at Home for $3.
We’ve got very little space for a garden. How can we get the most out of it–or, more accurately, cram the most into it?
Consider both intercropping and double cropping, says University of Idaho extension educator Susan Bell.
In intercropping, you combine fast-growing crops with slow-maturing ones, harvesting the former before the latter shade the area or need the space. For example, you grow green onions or leaf lettuce between tomatoes, tuck spinach or radishes between corn, or plant radishes between cabbages.
"Intercropping is one of the most important techniques that you can use to increase the productivity of your garden," Bell says. "It ensures that no space is left idle and makes the most efficient use of light, soil nutrients and moisture." By keeping a continuous plant canopy over soils, intercropping also reduces weeds.
Double-cropping also increases garden productivity and helps keep weeds down. It involves following one crop with another in the very same place: for example, planting an early, frost-hardy vegetable that matures quickly, then succeeding it with a warm-season, frost-tender vegetable. After harvesting lettuce, radishes, spinach or green onions, you might use the same area for growing tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, bush beans or sweet corn. Or, you can even follow beans with beans.
For more information, call University of Idaho Ag Publications at (208) 885-7982 in Moscow and order Planning an Idaho Vegetable Garden for $4.
I’m really concerned about what I read about E. coli 0157:H7. How can I make sure my family avoids it?
While E. coli 0157:H7 can be found everywhere, its most common route into our food supply is through bovines and bovine food products, says Carolyn Bohach, University of Idaho microbiologist. She recommends that you eat only well-cooked ground beef, whose interior temperature has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit, and pasteurized dairy products.
If your work or leisure brings you into contact with ruminant animals like cattle, sheep, horses or deer, be very careful to wash your hands after touching them or their waste, water or feed, Bohach says. Never apply raw manure of any kind to the garden.
Other important precautions: Do not swim with children who are not toilet-trained. Drink only pasteurized juice. And incorporate these safe food-handling practices in your kitchen: 1) wash your hands before handling food, 2) wash your hands after contact with any animal, even the family pets, 3) wash dishes and utensils after they’ve contacted raw meats, and 4) do not cross-contaminate fresh vegetables with raw meats.
What records do I need to keep for taxes each year and for how long?
For income tax purposes you are required by law to keep records that will enable you to complete an accurate tax return. Therefore, keep a file with all receipts, canceled checks, vouchers and other evidence to help you verify amounts claimed as deductions for credit. (Possible deductible expenses include: medical bills, interest expense, contributions, taxes and employment-related expenses.)
Keep copies of income tax returns, relevant checks, receipts, supporting evidence and tax withholding statements at least six years because the Internal Revenue Service has three years from the date your taxes were due or filed to audit your return.
However, if you have under-reported your gross income by more than 25 percent, the IRS can audit your return an indefinite number of years, says Sandra Cann, University of Idaho assistant coordinator of extension family economics.