| Manure's allure
Chicken, horse, cow, bat and even human manure are nothing to turn your nose up at when it comes to soil enrichment, according to local gardening experts.
Using manure for gardening and lawn care is a timeless agriculture practice proponents swear by for its value in adding nutrients and organic material to soil.
What sets manure apart from commercial fertilizers is the organic component, according to Charles Guthal, owner of Guthals Nursery in Clovis.
Southwestern soil can lack organic content because of less natural composting compared with forested regions, Guthal explained.
When enriching soil through use of commercial products, nitrogen, phosphorous and potash are added. All can be found in manure with the added benefit of organic compounds from digested roughage, the lifelong gardener said.
Morley to consider next step following death of Chris Phillips
Morley Fund Management will start assessing its options for a new chief executive officer this week following the death of Chris Phillips on holiday. Phillips, who was on gardening leave after leaving his position as the CEO of the Scottish Widows Investment Partnership, died of hypothermia while walking in northern Spain. He was set to join Morley in mid-July as a replacement for Keith Jones who left at the end of 2006. Since Jones' departure Morley has operated with the executive board in charge, overseen by Philip Scott, the chairman. This arrangement will continue until a replacement is found. Phillips, who also chairman of the Association of British Insurers investment committee, joined Swip at the end of 2003. He was previously chief executive of Royal London Asset Management, International Monetary Fund.
Kathmandu explores ERP landscape
Outdoor retailer Kathmandu will implement Pronto Software's ERP solution to replace an outdated system that could no longer support its aggressive international growth strategy. The equipment and apparel company has 50 stores throughout Australia, New Zealand and the UK, and intends to grow that to 80 within the next three years. Kathmandu plans to roll out Pronto-Xi across all of its stores during 2007 to overhaul its point of sale and back officer retail operations. The retailer's current system was just not up to the challenge, according to a statement released today. "It lacked the functionality to help us further grow the business," said Bryan Moore, Group Information Systems Manager, in the statement. "There were shortfalls in our CRM and promotion management, and combined with an overall lack of integration, it was time to consider an improved solution." Pronto-Xi's retail capabilities, including real-time point of sale (POS) and inventory processing, were key features, said Moore.
Begin your spring garden adeventure at the Arcata Branch Library ...
Are you impatiently waiting to start gardening? Is the ground still too wet, the wind too cold or the days too short for you to go out and get your fingernails dirty? If so, you may want to look at some of the books the Arcata Library has on gardening and landscaping. The next best thing to actually working in a garden is to plan a garden.Northern California Gardening: a Month-by-Month Guide by Katherine Grace Endicott is full of good advice. As the subtitle says, it tells month-by-month what is in bloom and what you can find in the nurseries that month. It also gives good ideas of what tasks need to be done in the garden for each month. What makes this book special is that it is specific to our area, with all of the information divided between coastal gardens, valley gardens and high mountain gardens.
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