I've read a lot about continually adding organic matter to the soil, but if you're digging around in there, don't the plants become uprooted? Do you just mix it in the soil between the plants? "Continually" an mean 'yearly' or 'seasonally' or 'before every time you plant', or 'whenever you want on a regular basis by side dressing' (put down a layer of compost around the main stem of the plant coming out in width as wide as the plant can potentially grow. Also, I just read a post about not watering the garden..somthing that has never occurred to me. Unless it's rained, I water daily. There is no need for you to water daily. Some people go so far as to think they'll be able to water each plant according to it's specific water requirements. It's ambitious to try to give each plant the exact amount of water it needs but not practical or necessary. Even if someone gave you a chart, it would still depend on the quality and friability of your soil as well as the stage of the plant. So long as you have good drainage, the plants will take what water they need. General rule of thumb is that gardens require one inch of water per week by supplementing rainfall. You will have to adjust throughout the season and be attentive to the amount of rainfall you receive each week. There are two schools of thought on watering. Frequent shallow waterings or less frequent long, deep waterings. The general rule of thumb is that mature plants need 1-2 inches of rain per week in summer. You should provide whatever portion of this moisture is lacking. One inch of rain equals 65 gallons per 100 square feet of garden space. But this is just a guide. Time of the season, stage of the plants, soil composition, and many other factors affect the amount of water required. Be consistent during fruit production. Mulched plants require less water than plants that are not mulched. Raised beds require more than non-raised beds. If a good amount of compost is incorporated into the soil, less water is needed. Compost holds 6 times it's weight in water. Watering too frequently and too heavily is just as hard on plants as too little water. Roots require oxygen just as much as they require water and nutrients. Dry winds dehydrate plants. Cooler temps require less water. It is always best to water in the early morning hours so that any water left on the plant can evaporate with the morning dew and not cause fungus or disease problems. Those using drip irrigation whether from a soaker hose or milk jug are likely getting the best use of their water which is going right where it needs to go and the ground has time to absorb it. There are hundreds of methods of watering. Whatever you do, just be consistent. Roots require oxygen equally as much as they require nutrients and water. I personally believe in a couple of deep waterings per week with the use of 2 inches of mulch to reduce evaporation and maintain a more stable soil temperature. Plants recover from dehydration much better then they ever recover from the roots being suffocated by drowning so under watering is better than over watering until you get the hang of it. Oxygen is equally as important as water and nutrients and rain water is always better than municipal tap water.

quote "...unused mint coffee grounds (the pile smells AMAZING)" Yum! My winter compost bin only smells like fermenting fruit and veggies. Time to go to the mill and get some find wood shavings so I can mix it up and get it heating altho there is probably still a lump of ice in the middle. Snow is going fairly quickly tho so it won't be long. Additions are the usual - fruit and veggie trimmings, teabags, paper towels, egg shells - nothing very exotic but it all adds up.

"I think my back hurts.." Hey Pete, if you only *think* your back hurts just keep on composting the way you are and soon you will *know* it hurts! LOL You are doing very well and I'm sure a lot of us would love to see pics of your compost operation. Keep going and you might end up with a system like Lloyd's! If you can get wood shavings they work well mixed with compost as a mulch. I use it regularly and the shavings disappear within a few months. Actual coarse chips from lumber mills are OK for paths but take ages to break down in my experience. Fresh wood chips from tree services are faster. So it all depends on what a person means by the term wood chips. Cardboard is useful placed between plants under mulch as weed/moisture control. Easier to work with than newspaper IMO. Paul, I never realized you live on Cape Breton Island. We have fond memories of towing a travel trailer all around the Cabot Trail back in the 70's. No one had told us that was ill-advised because of the grades. Of course we were from BC and didn't think the mountains were all that high! We also learned during that trip summer was over in the middle of August and we "enjoyed" a lovely storm coming off the Atlantic while we camped on the far side. Great memories!

Only humans do 'composting'. This is a very narrow interpretation of composting and I believe it IS splitting hairs :-). 'Compost' (the noun) is broadly defined as "organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment" and 'composting' itself (the verb) as "nature's process of recycling decomposed organic materials into a rich soil known as compost. Anything that was once living will decompose. Basically, backyard composting is an acceleration of the same process nature uses. By composting your organic waste you are returning nutrients back into the soil in order for the cycle of life to continue. Finished compost looks like soil–dark brown, crumbly and smells like a forest floor." Does nature 'compost'?