Planting the Plains: Compost in the Summer

By Anthony Reardon

Published July 25, 2025 at 5:00 AM CDT

We've all heard of composting, and many of us have bins or pits near our gardens to help build a little microbe factory for our soil. But HOW you make your compost pile, how often you churn it, and other factors can affect the quality of your composted material. We'll talk this week about some ways to keep your rotting organic pile cranking out nutrients for your garden!

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Anthony Reardon

Anthony Reardon is the Horticulture – Small Farms Extension Agent for Johnson County, Kansas.

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Planting the Plains: Early Garden Rejuvenation

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Lots of folks prefer to do their garden rejuvenation in the fall, after harvesting. But sometimes, your soil is depleted and needs some nutrients, and the hotter weather of summer does bring some speedy benefits to this process. We'll talk this week about how you can spend the warmer months preparing for next year's garden.
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Planting the Plains: Sunflowers

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Planting the Plains: Post-Harvest Handling

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You spend so much time and effort for the best growth in your garden, why risk damaging your vegetables just before you eat them? How you handle your cut vegetables immediately after harvesting can make a big difference in flavor and longevity. This week, we'll talk about the best ways to cut them, and how best to store these different items afterward.
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Planting the Plains: Summer Heat

Anthony Reardon

Spending time in the garden is such a joy, it's sometimes easy to get lost in your work. But here on the High Plains, the summer heat is merciless, and because perspiration can evaporate right off of you in arid conditions, you may not notice yourself losing fluids and beginning to develop signs of heat exhaustion, or worse. This week, we'll talk about ways to stay safe AND keep your garden in great shape!
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Planting the Plains: Passive Composting

Anthony Reardon

Are you interested in composting, but not interested or able to put in the time required to actively break down your materials? You might be interested in passive composting, which takes more time, but which lets time and the outdoors do the work for you, resulting in the same end result...just more slowly.