FOR RELEASE THE WEEK OF APRIL 23, 2000:
We’re starting a compost pile for the first time this year and are wondering which kitchen scraps we can and can’t compost.
The University of Idaho publication "Composting at Home" includes detailed explanations and helpful advice on composting. Among the "don’t composts" are butter, bones, fish scraps, lard, mayonnaise, meat, poultry, peanut butter, salad dressing, sour cream, vegetable oil, and cheese and other dairy products. These oily foods either produce odors or attract pests.
But do go ahead and toss these kitchen scraps into that new compost pile: bread, coffee grounds, eggshells, fruit (including peels and rinds), tea leaves and bags, vegetables (including tops and trimmings) and corn husks, stalks and cobs.
For more information on composting, order the 41-page booklet "Composting at Home," by Bob Rynk and Michael Colt, from University of Idaho Ag Publications at telephone (208) 885-7982, fax (208) 885-4648, e-mail cking@uidaho.edu, web site http://info.ag.uidaho.edu, or Ag Publications Building, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-2240. Cost to Idaho residents is $4.15, including tax and shipping.
My son, a high-school junior, wants to start working 25 hours a week. He says he can do it without affecting his schoolwork, but we have our doubts. What do you think?
After-school jobs have become the norm for teenagers, says Harriet Shaklee, University of Idaho extension family development specialist, but studies show that teens who work more than 13-15 hours a week do tend to show losses in academic performance. The risks of substance abuse and teen pregnancy also rise with longer work hours.
"The good news is that working 13-15 hours a week seems to be fine for young people," she says. Even at that, she advises parents to clearly communicate the family’s expectations, values and priorities before allowing their teens to take jobs.
"In general, young people are ‘investing’ their incomes in CDs, fast food and other immediate desires rather than a long-term option such as saving for college, a good-quality car or other things the family might have in mind," Shaklee says.
Now, before he starts working, is the time to outline how much of your son’s income should go towards a longer-term goal, to clothes, to school expenses and to charity. And it’s time to discuss the relative importance of non-academic–but still very beneficial–extra-curricular activities like music or sports.
"Job 1 for a teenager is education," says Shaklee, "–and that’s the Big E, not just the Little E of going to classes."
When they’re at the mall, my teenagers and their friends routinely fill up on "meals" of pop, french fries and cookies. Not only is "everybody doing it," they say, but kids worldwide are eating like this. Is this true?
Not according to the World Health Organization, says Martha Raidl, University of Idaho extension nutrition specialist. It recently published a study of the eating and lifestyle habits of 11-, 13- and 15-year-olds in the U.S., Canada and 26 European countries and regions. Generally, it found that U.S. teens are less likely to eat fruits and vegetables and more likely to eat potato chips and french fries. For daily consumption of sweets, chocolate and soft drinks by 15-year-olds, the U.S. ranks among the top three nations.
I’ve tried to garden organically but don’t have much tolerance for insect or disease damage. How can I use pesticides for the most impact against garden pests and the least impact on the environment?
University of Idaho extension horticulturist Danny Barney says it comes down to "using the right chemical at the right time in the right way."
First, always check the label to make sure the pesticide is registered for use against the targeted pest on the plant you’re trying to protect. That means knowing which insect, disease or weed is the culprit. "It does no good to spray a fungicide on a plant infected with a bacterium or a virus," says Barney. "Likewise, a particular insecticide can be very effective against one pest and useless against another."
Some insecticides kill insects or mites simply on contact, while others must be eaten by the pest in order to work. Timing is also critical: Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt, kills caterpillars while they are feeding but is ineffective against adult moths.
Similarly, some herbicides are applied to soil to keep weeds from emerging and others are used once weeds have begun to grow. No single herbicide controls all weeds: again, check the label to match the weed to the weedkiller. Never spray on windy days–and keep weed-and-feed grass fertilizers away from gardens, ornamental beds, trees and shrubs.
To reduce the need for fungicides, avoid overhead sprinkling whenever possible and apply water directly to the bases of plants. If you sprinkle irrigate, do so early in the day to allow plants to dry. Don’t crowd plants: leave room for airflow in your garden and ornamental beds.
"Use the least amount of chemical you can to get the job done," says Barney. "Using the wrong chemical or too much of the right chemical can kill beneficial insects and mites that help control pests naturally."
For help in identifying pests and selecting appropriate pesticides, contact the University of Idaho Cooperative Extension office in your county.