Composters, Did you know this?

"Yarrow acts as an activator to speed the decomposition of compost. Use as much as you like, but you only need one finely chopped leaf per wheelbarrow load of compost material to see results."

It would probably help my beds if I threw a couple of leaves in the tilled soil where I add the compost. Since mine is never the nice crumbly stuff it should be. Now I can't wait to get out there and start tilling in the compost. But all my garden beds are still under that awful nasty white stuff called snow. Enough is enough!

Also about yarrow:

"Yarrow attracts beneficial Syrphid flies (also called flower flies or hover flies) to your garden. Syrphid flies are bright yellow or black and orange flies that might resemble yellowjackets or wasps. They are harmless to humans, but in the larval stage they consume huge quantities of harmful insects, particularly aphids, in the garden. Syrphid flies are important to the garden because they feed early in the season when it may be too cool for other beneficial insects."

I loved hearing about yarrow acting as a compost accelerator and will definitely give it a go. Esp since I am in the season where the compost area is overflowing with new materials beyond its capacity and I need to get out there and encourage some fast rotting. Hopefully that will happen after the new bed is finished and filled with the finished stuff that is still in the bins, waiting for me to empty them before I can turn new stuff into them.

I have the wild white-blooming yarrow, as well as the wonderful Achillea filipendula 'Coronation Gold'. The wild one has to be thinned out to prevent it from taking over the bed, but it is worth the effort to enjoy those lovely long-lasting flowers. Now I have 2 more good reasons for keeping it around - the compost factor and the Syrphid fly attraction. Good-o.

H. Garret names several other blooming plants in the daisy and carrot families that the Hoover Fly adults esp like – “sweet alyssum, buckwheat, carway, chickweed, dill, fennel, wild and lettuce, as well as coreopsis, coriander, sunflowers, scabiosa, and blue eyed grass, or any others that produce a large amount of pollen and nectar”. And he points out how the Hoover Fly differs from wasps and bees in that they have only 2 wings instead of four, which sounds handy to know.

Thanks for sharing all this with us MK. I’ll report back here when I get the chance to try yarrow in the new piles – after the wall is built, the bed finished and one of the bins emptied so I can start cooking a new load. At least our weather is cooperating again, so that things will get on track soon.

Maggie, it was so ironic for me that the topic of your 3/15/03 Star-Telegram column was about commercial cow manure compost. Just a week before, I had been shopping at Walmart, and noticed bags of "Cow Manure" for sale for 99 cents per 40# bag.

What a deal, I thought, and bought 10 bags. Got home, opened one up, and was sorely disappointed. Enough so that I took them back, mainly on the principle of the thing. I complained to them that this wasn't manure, it was just dirt, and how could it be called cow manure ? Well--you answered my question. And thank you for telling about the Black Kow.

Whether or not it has the NPK, it doesn't seem right to me that it can be called "cow manure" when it MOSTLY isn't!

(I didn't know whether I should put this message under "compost", or under "soapbox"!)

That is amazing to hear you had same experience with the manure compost Sandra. Its that same ol deal again, isn’t it… 'you get what you pay for'.

As well as being inspected, registered and approved by State of Tex regulators, Black Kow product is also certified by US Composting Council Seal of Assurance and Mulch & Soil Council for quality control. I spoke with a consultant of the USCC this week while he was in England, sharing expertise on the subject over there.

You must be mindreading my columns before they run

Planting yarrow near herbs such as rosemary, wild oregano, melissa, thyme, etc. will enhance the essential oils in the plant and make them more potent.

That’s great to know Janet, thanks. My Greek oregano never did develop a strong enough essence for me, even though I tried it in two different sites. I suspected it was due to too-rich a soil. (my composting thing) Seeing as how it and the yarrow are both rampant spreaders, they would deserve to live together. teehee

Love your email addy! Is your farm in Texas?

GOOD MORING
I am needded research from my PH.D. in medicinal plants
' Effect of nitrogen . phosphorus. and potassium on the growth .
yield and oil of FENNEL ( Foeniculum vulgare )"
THANK YUO
MOTHAFER A. MOSULLY
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY
UNIV. OF MOSUL
MOSUL IRAQ

You need research results from university ag depts and or private ag lab resources.
Quite a few resources pop up on the search engines, using your details.
Here are some links for starters
spicesociety.org
actahort
Best Wishes