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Let Rolypig roll your compost for you
Why have a boring black composter when you could have a Rolypig? Shaped like a pig in an attractive hot pink or bright green color with black spots, Rolypig works by feeding kitchen and garden waste into his snout and then rolling him on his side when his mouth is full. The waste travels through a series of internal compartments until 12 to 15 weeks later, it exits Rolypig’s hindquarters as compost. $309. .
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A hands-on, how-to for landscapers
The Landscape Design Answer Book ($30, Cool Springs Press) is one of those helpful guides that homeowners will come back to year after year. It’s full of simple advice about what to plant, where to plant it and how to make it all look good together. A smart buy if you are just moving into a new place and need to do the whole thing over – trees, borders, walkways – from scratch. Great pictures to help separate the do’s and don’ts.
READER’S TIP
An economical way to clean old soil
This week’s tip comes from Barbara Yakulis Matthews of Lakewood.
It is always recommended when you plant seeds to do it in a sterilized soil mixture, but sterilized soil is very expensize to purchase. So, why not just recycle some of your old, used potting soil.
Here are some instructions:
Heat your oven to 210 degrees. Place the used potting soil in a long and wide metal roasting pan (with 3 to 4 inch sides). Add water to moisten fully. Place it in your oven for two hours. After the first hour of cooking, I mix up the soil by stirring it thoroughly.
After cooking the soil, just let it cool outside in the pan. Now the soil is ready for use.
To clean used pots: Wash them in soapy hot water and 1 tablespoon of bleach. Let the containers air dry in the sun.
Got a garden tip? Share it with Grow.
E-mail your good ideas to Grow@denverpost.com. We’ll print the best ones and give the tipster a pair of Sloggys garden clogs, courtesy of Sloggers Garden Outfitters.
