FOR RELEASE THE WEEK OF JULY 22, 2001:
My compost has stopped working. Despite the hot summer days, it's cold--even deep inside the pile. The leaves, grass and vegetable scraps are still mostly whole and dry. What's wrong?
JoAnn Robbins, University of Idaho Extension horticulture educator, suspects one of two problems--or both. Either you don't have enough fresh "greens" in the pile, or the pile has simply dried out in the summer heat and winds.
Greens--such as fresh grass clippings, vegetables, fruits or manures--provide essential nitrogen to compost piles. Without it, carbon-rich "browns"--dried leaves, dried grass clippings, straw and woody materials--can't break down. If you know you haven't added enough greens--they should comprise between a quarter and a half of the pile--then open the pile up and add either more greens or nitrogen fertilizer.
"If it looks like there are plenty of greens, then the compost has stalled because it's too dry," Robbins says. The microbes that make compost work can't thrive without water. Revitalize them by watering the outside and inside of the pile until it's damp and spongy, but not too wet. (Soggy compost will stall, too, because the microbes also need air.)
Don't expect your moistened compost pile to start cooking immediately. "It will take a while for the microbes to rebuild to sufficient numbers," Robbins says. "Then you should start seeing the pile shrink."
Robbins waters her own compost every 7 to 10 days when she irrigates her lawn. "It's true that compost 'happens' no matter what you do--but dry compost can be there for decades," she says.
When I take my 11-year-old daughter shopping, I'm shocked at the revealing clothes that are being marketed for girls her age. She's always upset when I refuse to buy them for her. Should I hang tough?
"You're the mom and you have the right to draw the line where you want to," says Harriet Shaklee, University of Idaho Extension family development specialist. "This is an opportunity to reinforce the values that your family stands for, painful though it may be. Explain to your daughter that these are your views, these are the reasons for your views, and these reasons are so important to your family that you're not going to let her wear those things."
Shaklee shares your concern about the highly sexualized styling of many of the clothes being marketed to pre-teen girls. "This image associates young people with behavioral styles that put them in way over their heads," she says. "The advertising and marketing people are really doing parents a disservice."
Don't be disappointed in your daughter that she is interested in wearing these R-rated clothes, Shaklee says. "She didn't make these images up. Somebody else did, and they are not your friend." Do try to find a common ground or intermediate range of clothing that both meets your standards and is linked with an image that appeals to her. That may mean shopping outside of the pre-teen section or at other stores entirely.
I am expecting a baby, and my well-meaning relatives have offered me a hand-me- down crib. It's been refinished and painted with lead-free paint. Are there other safety factors I should consider before I accept it?
Diane Demarest, coordinator of the University of Idaho's Parents as Teachers demonstration project, says safety issues surrounding cribs are more than paint-deep.
Make sure the bars on your baby's crib are no more than 2 3/8 inches apart. The corner posts should be no higher than 1/16 inch above the headboard, and the mattress should fit snugly into the crib.
Be sure to place the crib away from windows and shorten the cords on your blinds and curtains. As soon as your baby is able to pull up and stand, remove the crib bumpers and lay the mattress in its lowest position.
If your relatives also bring you toys and clothing, make sure the toys are in good repair, safe and age-appropriate and that the sleepwear is made of flame-resistant material.
Demarest suggests reading "Child Safe: A Practical Guide for Preventing Childhood Injuries" by Dr. Mark Brandenburg. Endorsed by the American Academy of Emergency Medicine, this book offers an extensive list of recalled baby products, warnings and equipment-related concerns.
[READERS: Do you have a question about your home, yard or garden? Send it to HomeWise, University of Idaho Ag Communications, Moscow, ID 83844-2332 or e-mail it to homewise@uidaho.edu. Mention of proprietary products or firms does not constitute endorsement by the University of Idaho Extension or imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products or firms.]