https://www.strictlymedicinalseeds.com/product.asp?specific=917@Javadog since it's sterile, do you plan to just buy it again next year or do they just come back in spring or do they even die back in winter? I admit a Google search could provide this info now as I write this.. lol
You literally cannot kill this stuff. At least the sterile stays sorta put. Even with the sterile, you dig it up you get a plant(s) from the crown/roots AND it will pop back up from where you dug it up. VOE@Javadog since it's sterile, do you plan to just buy it again next year or do they just come back in spring or do they even die back in winter? I admit a Google search could provide this info now as I write this.. lol
Good response Hy.@Javadog since it's sterile, do you plan to just buy it again next year or do they just come back in spring or do they even die back in winter? I admit a Google search could provide this info now as I write this.. lol
I had some similar looking ones in my bin as well! I believe they're beneficial predatory mites, but man it's so hard to tell. If they're fast moving red or brown they're supposed to be good. I asked a similar question a few entries ago on this thread and someone posted a pretty helpful link of you scroll back a couple pages in the thread. I was thinking about just mixing some diatomaceous earth into the castings and my worm bin to deal with mine just in case they're bad and I'm diagnosing wrong. Probably later tonight actually. I just harvested from my first bin a few nights ago and I'm about to do my second bin in a little bit. Cutting down some plants in my flower room tonight too! It's gonna be a good night!I harvested worm castings today View attachment 3649112 and happen to notice alot of mites running around on top. Not sure if they're predator or enemy so I put the harvest in the garage. Just dealt with an outbreak.
So jealous of your garden bed! We moved into our house over the winter so I'm building boxes for our yard now but our backyard is covered in shade from four huge trees. I'm gonna get a tree cutting service out to deal with it cause they're all running through the power lines that run to my house, and my neighbor's house respectively. Such a pain in the ass! Super stoked to get the veggie garden going though!Just been adding some other plants to my new comfrey/mixed berry raised bed, I topdressed and mulched it while I was at it. I can't be certain if these are sterile or not, I'd have to assume not because I found them in a small wooded area next to an allotment, so unless one of the growers threw a root over the fence which took, it must've come from a seed. When I found it I simply hacked a big chunk of the crown off with a spade, took it home and divided it up.
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The black bags around the wall are my dogs shit, my latest attempt at deterring next doors cats from shitting in my bed.
The other plants are Gooseberry, pink gooseberry, blackberry, raspberry, borage, yarrow, marigolds and a solitary nasturtium, probably not quite had the last frost yet, but shouldn't get anything too severe to do too much harm.
Getting ready for some explosive growth, it's a south facing wall so gets plenty of light. I've had potatoes in here in previous years which grew like something out of day of the triffids, I just hope I got all the spuds out
Hey Joe I thought I sent you the link where it explains the different mites in a worm bin which was good which was bad.I harvested worm castings today View attachment 3649112 and happen to notice alot of mites running around on top. Not sure if they're predator or enemy so I put the harvest in the garage. Just dealt with an outbreak.
I'm sure fresh castings would be great for a compost tea just don't throw in any worms! I would skip the blood meal though my friend! I like to use it in soil mixes but in an aerated tea I don't think it's high salt content would be good for your microbe population imo. You should be getting nitrogen from your castings anyway. Fish emulsion or hydrolyzed fish fertilizer is a better way to add nitrogen if you need more.I just found this thread and read through a few pages. Just learned that people fed pot trim and stems and leaves to the red wrigglers! SO awesome.
Thanks for the interesting ideas Rollitup!
My question is, "Has anyone grabbed a handful of rich brown worm castings straight from bin and set it into a mesh bag for compost tea?"
I did it today with some blood meal, molasses, and kelp. Put it into a 5 gallon bucket with a 2 inch cylindrical air stone pushing some bubble action.
Is this a good use of the rich castings or am I better off working them into the topsoil of the garden?
I love my crazy worms! I think cleaned, dried, smashed eggshells in the worm bin makes them happy. There always seems to be more eggs and tiny baby worms after adding the eggshells. Just my observation, no science involved.
I harvested worm castings today View attachment 3649112 and happen to notice alot of mites running around on top. Not sure if they're predator or enemy so I put the harvest in the garage. Just dealt with an outbreak.
I have mites, red ones are very common and are part of the decomposing process, they compete with your worms for food, so if they are out of control you can open your bin let it dry a bit, they hate the dryness, they prefer a wet environment, lots of them also means your bin could be too wet. If you want to get rid of them put a melon rind in there, they flock to it, take it out each day and clean it off under some really hot water then put it back in, you can kill a crapload that way. They also are attracted to potato peels.I had some similar looking ones in my bin as well! I believe they're beneficial predatory mites, but man it's so hard to tell. If they're fast moving red or brown they're supposed to be good. I asked a similar question a few entries ago on this thread and someone posted a pretty helpful link of you scroll back a couple pages in the thread. I was thinking about just mixing some diatomaceous earth into the castings and my worm bin to deal with mine just in case they're bad and I'm diagnosing wrong. Probably later tonight actually. I just harvested from my first bin a few nights ago and I'm about to do my second bin in a little bit. Cutting down some plants in my flower room tonight too! It's gonna be a good night!
Hell yea, keeping it simple is usually the best route.Thanks Rasta!
I'm going to listen to you on that blood meal tip. Didn't realize it had high salt content.
I've only gotten compost tea from our local farm supply store that give away samples from an expensive set up they sell. This was my first attempt at it. After reading more I realize I'm better off with just the castings and a little molasses to keep it simple.
I like the idea of feeding the worms scraps from my garden and using their castings to make a tea to support the garden soil. It's a circle of life in my very own yard...
Your right about checking for worms! I spent an hour picking out tiny tiny babies out of the handful of castings with a pin. I didn't want to drown them of course, they're so cute!