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Garden Gate:  Apartment composting  |
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Farmer Macleigh
Farmgirl in Training
39 Posts
Tennessee
USA
39 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 23 2005 : 6:58:08 PM
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Hey Y'all,
Can anyone give me advice on apartment composting? I do have a small spot outside where I could put a large container, but really all I need compost for right now are small gatherings of plants on the porch here. Any ideas?
Best to all!
Hope sustains the farmer. -- Old Proverb |
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Nicol
True Blue Farmgirl
200 Posts
Nicol
200 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2005 : 12:04:55 PM
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| How about vermicomposting? Worms are very easy to care for and the castings are great for gardens. |
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westernhorse51
True Blue Farmgirl
1681 Posts
michele
farmingdale
n.j.
USA
1681 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2005 : 06:25:15 AM
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Hi, when I was in an apt. upstairs without even a balcony, my husband extended all my windowsills so I grew alot of stuff but small scale. For compost I used a large coffee can with a lid. I would put my egg shells (washed and dried,good natural food) plant material and other compost materials in it. I left it out on the windowsill. It worked for me. Good luck. Michele
"she selects wool and flax and works with eager hands". Prov. 31:13 |
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2005 : 09:46:57 AM
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Hi,
I too would recommend worm culture. Get a book called "The worm book" at your local library and read through the process then decide what size box you want to keep on your deck. It can be in a seat type structure if you want to build a simple settee for the deck. or just a small box. You start with the box, ventilate it add a level for drainage add bedding, peat moss or fine shredded paper such as news print(not colored inks like the add inserts) moisten it add your compost and some worms and you have the start of a wonderful system that is easy care and gives you back black gold for your plants every so often. You can compost even the coffee grounds, tea leaves and the filters. I add the paper towels that I use too. I have a larger box and it yeilds about 5 big 5 gallon buckets full of wonderful compost for my garden about 2 times a year. Smaller boxes can be harvested more often.
I did a photo montage of the harvest this past week that I will post here.
Hi these are photos of the process of changing out the vermiculture box to get the ready composted black gold and begin the worms on a new batch. Any questions e-mail me. Eileen
You can view the album at:
http://www.hpphoto.com/servlet/com.hp.HPGuestLogin?username=eileenspics&password=18964115
Hope this gives you some ideas.
Eileen
songbird; singing joy to the earth |
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2005 : 09:57:21 AM
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In the photo montage, I forgot to click on the change picture title button so this is how it goes from top to botton left to right,
1.Empty box ready for a new start.
2.close up of vent with screening.
3.contents after 6 months composting.
4.dividing off the compost from the worms.
5.almost finished with the division
6.getting new bedding ready, torn paper first
7.chopped straw added next and stirred together with paper.
8.peatmoss added and stirred. Water well at this time.
9.worms ready to be put back into new bedding for another batch.
10.worms have been added as well as a couple bags of kitchen scraps to get them started.
11.Five, 5gallon buckets full of harvested compost, Black Gold!
12.worm box miost and covered ready to begin the cycle over again.
Eileen
songbird; singing joy to the earth |
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Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2005 : 10:07:54 AM
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Eileen, I've always wondered about having a worm box. I don't think I could keep mine outside though, because we having freezing winters. I'll have to check out the book that you recommend. Thanks for the inspiration!
Just one curious question, which I'm sure would be answered once I read the book, but I'll ask anyway. How do you separate the finished compost from the worms, because you're saving the worms to go back in the new box, right? Is this a hands on process? 
**** Love is the great work - though every heart is first an apprentice. - Hafiz
Set a high value on spontaneous kindness. - Samuel Johnson****
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Edited by - Clare on Jul 26 2005 10:08:33 AM |
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2005 : 11:11:40 AM
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Hi Clare and all,
The separation process is really an all day process but not hands on. You pick a hot day if possible and dump the box onto a tarp in a sunny spot. The worms run from the heat and light to the center of the pile. As in the photo with the shovel in it I cut away about a 4 inch layer of the mixture all around and then wait about a half an hour and do it again, over and over until all I have left is about 80% worms in a pink writhing mass and some of the compost. If you want you can sift out the worms in a fine screen to separate them further from the soil but I do not bother to do this. I just put the mass all into the newly bedded box. Mine is about 2 feet by 3 feet by 12 inches tall so is a heavy box to deal with. I get help when dumping it onto the tarp. the rest I can do alone. The worms are fine outside even in winter if you place an insulating layer of straw or a foam insulation to fit the box around all exposed sides. We had ours indoors for a while but I could not keep a control on the fruit flies even though it was well covered and we could not smell anything around it so I moved it outside. I save my kitchen scraps in plastic grocery bags for about a week and then once a week I open it up and bury the scraps in the box in an area that seems well decomposed. The worms move from section to section around inside the box according to the flow of the food supply. So you dig a hole and dump it in and then cover it. The worms will migrate to it as soon as the last area is all treated by them. I sort of keep a record of where I buried the last bags from week to week so I know where the oldest area is to dig for the new batch. Mine is big enough to have 9 areas for the work to be taking place. The population of the box will increase and decrease as the food supply comes and goes.
Some people keep a small box under their kitchen sinks with worms and feed it daily. I do not have room for this. The book has lots of ideas and instructions. There are also other books out there that I have read about vermiculture but I recommend this one because of the simplicity the author uses to give instruction. No big technical stuff just down to earth simplicity easy enough for a grade school child to create a science project from. There are also resources in it. We got our first supply of worms from Yelm earthworks in Yelm washington. Here is a copy of their most recent news letter.
Eileen
Newsletter, July 14, 2005
*FOUR DAY DAY SALE ONLY*
SATURDAY, SUNDAY, MONDAY, TUESDAY, JULY 16, 17,18,19.
50% off
Barefoot Soil Earthworm Castings by the cubic yard.
Purchase now and pick up or have delivered at your convenience. We will only be loading soils between 3 & 5pm on Saturday after the Farmer’s Markets to avoid running over any vendors or customers.
Our first Farmer’s Market was wonderful and exciting! They can only get bigger and better. Thank you to everyone who participated. Please come and join us this next Saturday from 10am to 3pm. We are still encouraging vendors to set up booths. We do not have anyone selling organic eggs, and would love to see more people selling vegetables. (This year we only have a few produce items of our own.)
FARMER’S MARKET EVERY SATURDAY
The Only Farmer’s Market in the Area! Through the month of October
From 10am – 3pm
FOOD, MUSIC, PRODUCE, CRAFTS, HONEY, BREAD, PLANTS AND ORIGINAL ART
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL VENDORS!
JOIN THE FUN, STOP BY AND BRING YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS
John Bowman is back from vacation! Bring knives, scissors, and tools for sharpening.
Karen Yule will be here with her True Blue Herbs.
Brick Mill Bakery will be delivering freshly baked bread.
ART JOINS GARDENING
Come and see our new look. Our Soil Depot now has on display work by local artists, Michael Loeffler, Elizabeth Martin, Perry Kopchek, and Mark Miller. This exhibit will be changing periodically. Interested artists, please contact Michael at 446-7776.
UPCOMING CLASSES
July 16, Saturday 9:30am –11:30am Exploring the Skookumchuck Foothills & River with Skydancer. Join this enthusiastic and intrepid little group of weeds and things explorers for another adventure. You will be enchanted! $10 for class.
DID YOU KNOW?
The moisture needs of Garlic decrease during the final month before harvest. Plant roots must be able to find enough moisture to sustain the process of bulbing, hardening off, and bulbil production, but not as much as they needed when the plant was growing green leaves. Ideally, moisture is maintained in the root zone without the topsoil and bulbs being very wet. Cutting the water off altogether can force early maturity and loss of bulb size. Most growers apply the final irrigation 2 to 3 weeks before harvest. It is important to keep weeding during the final month of growing so that weeds do not compete for moisture or block sunlight and air circulation are essential to the gradual drying of the soil and the hardening off of the plant.
When to harvest Garlic – A good indication is the number of green plant leaves remaining, not the number of brown leaves. If garlic plants are allowed to turn completely brown before harvest then bulbs are over mature and sometimes split open like a blossoming flower, a condition that invites decay of the outer bulb wrappers. Each green leaf represents a good solid bulb wrapper. Brown or dead leaves represent bulb wrappers that are already decayed or in stages of decay. Artichoke bulbs can be harvested with four or five green leaves. Ophio garlics are more difficult than Artichokes because leaves and bulb wrappers are more susceptible to decay if left in the soil too long. They can be harvested with six green leaves. Silverskins are last. They can stand more drying before harvest, but can be harvested when five plant leaves are still green
Harvesting Garlic – Harvest early in the day to avoid hot sun, gently pulling plant and rubbing off soil. If soil is packed, loosen carefully with garden fork. It is important to prevent the garlic from experiencing extreme temperature changes, so move into shade quickly. Sudden direct sunlight can shock the garlic, damage its potency, integrity, and storage life. An ideal condition is to maintain temperatures similar to what the garlic would experience in the ground. Bundle plants 6 to 10 at a time depending on size and tie with twine. Keep in mind that there is a difference between curing and drying garlic. Garlic should be cured slowly as much as possible with little humidity or temperature fluctuation. Bundles should be hung in a covered area with good air circulation. Stems and roots should be left on until curing is complete and outer wrappers are dry and easily removed. Washing bulbs is not recommended as a short cut to cleaning as it invites mold and decay. The plants will take 2 – 4 weeks to cure depending on the weather. Growing Great Garlic, Ron L. Engeland
YELM EARTHWORM AND CASTINGS FARM
14741 Lawrence Lake Road S.E., Yelm 98597
(360) 894-0707 mail@yelmworms.com
Please Note Our Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Directions From Yelm – Take Bald Hills Road to “big curve”, do not take curve, go straight to 4-way stop, turn right onto Lawrence Lake Rd., go ˝ mile, see Farm on right. From Vail Cut-Off, take 153rd (at big fish sign), go to Lawrence Lake Road, turn left, go 1/12 mi. to Farm.
songbird; singing joy to the earth |
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Nicol
True Blue Farmgirl
200 Posts
Nicol
200 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2005 : 08:16:10 AM
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| Eileen: Thanks for all of the great information. I am fairly new to vermicomposting and read as much as I can about it. |
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Farmer Macleigh
Farmgirl in Training
39 Posts
Tennessee
USA
39 Posts |
Posted - Jul 31 2005 : 4:19:52 PM
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Thanks, everybody! These are wonderful ideas and will help me get off to a good start. My tomatoes have done relatively well, but I know I need to give them a little bit of extra help. This will certainly help!
Hope sustains the farmer. -- Old Proverb |
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Oct 19 2005 : 2:50:37 PM
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Hi Everybody,
If anybody is ready to get started in a worm compost system now would be the time. Yelm Earthworm castings and organic farms are making an offer to good to refuse. I am including their news letter here.
YELM EARTH
Worm & Castings Farm
14741 Lawrence Lake Road S.E. Yelm, WA
(360) 894-0707 or mail@yelmworms.com
NEWSLETTER, October 19, 2005
30% OFF SALE
Only 4 more days
Sale ends Saturday, Oct 22nd!
30% off Barefoot Soil Earthworm Castings by the bag or by the cubic yard.
30% off Deluxe Garden Blend or Composted Mulch by the cubic yard.
This is a great time of year to amend and mulch your plants!
We are still offering 1 FREE POUND of worms with the purchase of a
Worm Factory for converting your kitchen waste into castings for your garden. This is a fascinating project for everyone, especially to help kids learn about earth science.
Did You Know?
Earthworm Castings Repel Insects
It's widely known that earthworm castings (droppings) are a great fertilizer (especially for container plants) and can suppress soil diseases. Now, research from Germany has found that not only do earthworm castings prevent soil borne diseases; they actually help repel aboveground insects as well.
Researchers found that plants with worm castings added to their growing medium had higher nitrogen content in their leaves than control plants, but fewer aphids feeding on the leaves. They speculated that the earthworm castings altered the plant sap chemistry, making it less appealing to the aphids.
For more information on this research, go to the article in the Journal of Chemical Ecology at:
http://www.kluweronline.com/article.asp?PIPS=484398&PDF=1
To visit us online: www.yelmworms.com
Happy composting!
Eileen
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teresa
Farmgirl in Training
17 Posts
teresa
marysville
wa
USA
17 Posts |
Posted - Oct 21 2005 : 9:02:01 PM
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Growing up my mom had a worm box and we all thought she was crazy! Her idea was to raise night crawlers to sell to fishermen and she did it. She had my dad build the box and she fed those worms all kinds of stuff and she had the biggest worms you've ever seen! The fishermen came all right and she made 300.00 per month on this project. That was alot of money in the 60's for a housewife to earn staying home selling worms! The newspaper ran a story on my mom and her worms which I never saw until recently when I was going through some of her things (she been gone for several years now). It made me feel really proud of her that she managed to stay home and help earn money too. Must be where I get all my crazy ideas to sell things I make! Gotta love mom!
The best is yet to come! |
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ladybugsmom6
True Blue Farmgirl
128 Posts
Tami
Horicon
WI
USA
128 Posts |
Posted - Nov 07 2005 : 10:29:12 AM
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WE have been keeping worms in our basement, and yes people think we are crazy. Well one look at the 8 of us, yup, we are a bit nuts! Anyways, we just finished a jar of pickles and my wormy kid, also the cucumber grower wants to feed the juice to the worms. I wonder is all that vinegar safe for our little babies? our box has about two 5gallon buckets of stuff, worms bedding and food in it right now and we are talking a cup of "pickle juice". i would think if it is ok for us it is OK for them right? I just dont want to stress them out. They work almost as hard as me!
-Tami
livin' right and loven' life! |
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Nov 08 2005 : 4:22:34 PM
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Hi Tami,
If you have not already fed the vinegar to the worms I would advise you not to as this would greatly affect the ph of the bin. You should pour it on a regular compost bin or save it to cook with.
Songbird; singing joy to the earth |
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Garden Gate: Apartment composting |
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