My source for pure manure appears to have dried up, but I've found a closer source for manure. This, however, is mixed strongly with sawdust. I read up that sawdust will leach out the nitrogen of the manure and actually stunt plants unless supplemented with a strong nitrogen source. I went to my local garden store and found that they had no idea what I was talking about and the only thing close to the Ohio State recommended level of 34-0-0 was chemical lawn fertilizer. I was talked into getting some blood meal, good but expensive and only 12-0-0. I decided to use it in a couple of small areas with the lasagna method but to go ahead and get the lawn fertilizer as I have over 60' of fence that I need to improve as the soil appears sterile. I intend to put Virginia creeper along the fence and hope it does get invasive as that would save me money. :) I don't have any problem combining my love for organic gardening with the addition of some chemicals...if in the long run they benefit the soil and are not toxic. It looks like my compost pile is going to get interesting and I've also decided to do some lasagna beds closer to the house for this year until I can get the compost cooked and find and afford the Virgina creeper. Thanks for all your input. This thread is fascinating. Here is a link that might be useful: Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet

Thanks for the replies. Dan ... the dirt was indeed placed directly on the native soil, although calling it "native" might be misleading because it was backfilled against the front porch when the house was built 3.5 yrs ago. The width of the bed is about 6-7', and the distance from the bed surface to the previous surface is probably a couple of feet under the tree. The bed is held in place by a retaining wall about 3' high on one side and the front porch on the other side. I'll try to snap a photo and post it. Ken ... you may be right about the sprinkler, but I didn't want to trust my diligence in watering it so I had dedicated heads put on all of the plantings in the primary landscaping beds ... the head seems to soak the area pretty well, but my wife and I were planning to investigate as you suggested to see if we needed to do something different ... The heads are small adjustable units that spray a continuous wedge-shaped curtain of water ... we have this head placed about 18" from the trunk so that it covers a fairly wide swath around the base of the tree. In the hot season, I run it twice (with a break to allow the water to soak in) every other day ... other times I back it off to every third or every fourth day. The tree is about 30" tall, with a canopy about twice that in one direction and about 3' in the other (it's growing mostly in one direction, which is why we selected it for this area). The trunk is perhaps 2-3" dia, so it's a fairly solid little guy. Thanks again for the feedback ... I still have so much to learn!

This is a popular question among many first composters or organic gardeners. Regardless of the name, "Greens" and "Browns" are not differences in physical color. It is more technical than that. These terms are functions of the C:N ratios in all once living creatures, plant or animal. Greens and browns are nicknames for different types of organic matter to use in composting recipes. Greens are high in nitrogen or protein, thus organic nitrogen sources. These products help the composting microherd to grow, breed, and multiply fast in the piles, thus creating extreme internal temperatures in hot compost piles. Browns are high in carbon or carbohydrates, thus organic carbon sources. These products supply the energy and food that mostly all soil organism need to survive. Carbons also help absorb the offensive odors and capture and help prevent most of the organic nitrogen in the piles from escaping by evaporation or leaching. Carbons are also essential in the faster formation of humus from the organic matter in a composting process. A simple test to determine if your organic matter is a "green" or a "brown", is to wet it, and wait a few days. If it stinks, it is definitely a green. If not, it's a brown. Normal compost has a C:N ratio ranging from 25:1 to 30:1. This is considered the origin or dividing line for all organic materials. Any organic matter that a C:N ratio smaller than 30:1 is considered a GREEN. Any organic matter that a C:N ratio larger than 30:1 is considered a BROWN. Alfalfa Hay can be brown in color, but it is always a "GREEN", or "NITROGEN" source because it's C:N ratio is around 12:1. All Leaves can change from green, to orange, or to brown in color, but they are usually always considered "BROWNS" or "CARBON" sources because their C:N is on the average from 40:1 to 80:1. Evergreen leaves are higher in carbons than most leaves. Deciduous leaves are best for composting. Oak leaves (that is fresh green oak leaves, not the dry oak leaves) are an exception. They can be classed as a GREEN and should be added as a nitrogen material (Fresh Green Oak Leaves can have a C:N ratio of 26:1). All animal manures, grass clippings, and food scraps are "GREENS". All sawdusts, bark mulches, papers, and other wood products are "BROWNS". Most sugar products are considered "browns" because they have a C:N ratio near 50:1. However all aerobic microbes love sugar as an quick, easily digestible energy food. So by adding a little tea made from molasses, sugar, syrups, or flat soft drinks, to your compost piles, you will increase the microbial activity and internal heating of a compost pile. Just because an organic material has a C:N as a green or brown doesn't mean it will always act like regular high nitrogen greens or high carbon browns. The real test is in the experience of composting it. C:N ratios are just good guidelines or starting points for determining starting points for various green-brown mixtures in the pile. For example, egg shells have a C:N around 12:1-15:1, however they act more like browns, because they may takes several weeks to decompose in the pile, based on the total amount of nitrogen in the compost pile. Seaweed is considered a green (C:N = 19:1), however it is really more a carbohydrate because it's so high in carbon, compared to its other nutrients in its makeup. Do a web site search on "Compost Ingredients" for a more exhautive list of composting materials and their average C:N ratios. Happy Gardening!

Mary, this is an excellent question and one you shouldn't be embarrassed by :-) The terms 'green' and 'brown' to describe either carbon or nitrogen sources really do describe their coloration as well. Greens - the N source - really are "green"....or very close to it. They are fresh plant parts - grass clippings, debris from the veg garden, plant trimmings, weeds (without seeds), seaweed, fresh leaves, kitchen waste, etc. The non-green greens also include coffee grounds and eggshells (as considered kitchen waste). And fresh animal manures. Browns - the C source - are more "brown" than not: fall leaves, twigs, stems, chipped brush, other wood products, straw or hay, cardboard and other paper products, sawdust, pine straw, etc. IOW, dry or dead material. And yes, some materials can be both, depending on the stage they are in their life cycle. Green, fresh leaves, like might be generated by pruning, are a N source - dried, fallen leaves (dead) gathered up in fall become a prime source of C. It is a little bit more complicated than this - what determines whether a material is really a green or a brown is its ratio of carbon to nitrogen. But in general, most greens are green and fresh and most browns are brown and dried/dead. From th Organic Gardening Forum FAQ:the difference between greens and browns.