I have been wanting to stop by a nursery and grab a couple aloes, but stumbled across these seeds and figured why not try them out. I'll update if they start popping up though. Grabbed a few packs so hopefully can get at least a few plants going.
lets talk worms! Bins, castings, techniques etc
- Thread starter Diesel0889
- Start date
I have mine in my garage, but even there the temps have been getting pretty warm. found a few jumpers that were baked(not the good kind of baked either) and the worms didn't seem to be enjoying their lives, so i dropped a window unit in the garage. One week later the worms seem much happier (maybe its just in my mind, but i swear they're smiling now!). Anyway, i'm also trying to make sure my bin is inoculated with everything i want in my ewc's. I received two bags of colorado worm company ewc's yesterday, which contain quite a bit of live guys, including rove beetles and springtails. I'll resume my normal feeding schedule next weekend!
@MustangStudFarm Are you using your leaf mold for feeding your bins, mixing into your soil, mulch or some combination of these?
Diesel0889
Well-Known Member
MustangStudFarm
Well-Known Member
Leaf mold usually takes about 2yrs, so I started the first year composting by itself, then I added it to a worm bin for the 2nd year. It's a timely process and I wouldn't do it in a bin that you designed to be fast paced. I got worm castings in about 8-10weeks w/o leaf mold, but I did add a handful of some finished looking leaf compost to the worm bin because it was full of worms and eggs. I'm not an expert or anything and I sometimes feel like I'm not good enough to be answering all these tough questions... I'm not really sure how to answer your question, but I feel that mixing it in the worm bin would be the best way. I was having issues with leaf compost before and it seemed to suck all of the iron out of my indoor potting soil, but that is also why the hippies compost companion plants like comfrey, borage, and nettle(etc). I found Lambsquarter growing naturally in my yard, so I stopped mowing the grass in that area so I could harvest it. My yard looks like trash, but I don't care what the neighbors think really. I'm about to pull all of these 6-8ft weeds and compost them. When the leaves fall in Nov, I'll be adding these together...
MustangStudFarm
Well-Known Member
Reading what I wrote, I contradict myself. I have 3-5 worm bins and compost piles going at the same time at different stages. There comes a time when you want to stop adding to a bin and move to the next one. To clarify what I was saying, I usually start compost with the intention that it will go in the worm bin later. So, my composted leaves will be ran through the worm bin as worm bedding(brown). If you don't have companion plants to compost with, a variety of rock dust helps a lot. I use basalt, azomite, greensand, and oyster shell flour(egg shells). If you want a huge population explosion, try using barley seed and/or bokashi.
MustangStudFarm
Well-Known Member
Sometimes, newly formed compost bins can create thermal heat. Other times, it could be Ph or moisture levels. If you find potworms, it's time to add rockdust for sure.
Diesel0889
Well-Known Member
My worms "main" diet is the compost, mj leaves or soon comfrey, and lots and lots of barley. Plus my ammendments at 1/2 to 1 cup per cf. Somtime more neem to encourage breeding. Lots of oyster shell flour as well (small handful per gallon compost, same with the barley) can never have to much calcium or enzymes per coot. Nothing wrong far as i can tell. I'm prob start leaf mould at some point as well...
Happy growing!
Happy growing!
Deadhead13
Well-Known Member
You are selling yourself a bit short, we don’t need to be experts to share our experiences. I’m fairly new to the game myself and I’ve found several of your points helpful.
MustangStudFarm
Well-Known Member
I found this interesting before, the difference between my homemade compost and Malibu Compost. These are soil tests done by "Soil Savvy" and they are solubility tests that accounts for nutrient lockout. Some people swear by getting a Mehlich 3 and Saturated Paste test($80 combined), but I find this to be very helpful($30) and it has only the info that I need. I find Mehlich 3 tests to be "tits on a boar"...
Malibu Compost:
Homemade: Grass clippings, leaves, rabbit bedding, and rock dust(before I started using greensand).
Malibu Compost:
Homemade: Grass clippings, leaves, rabbit bedding, and rock dust(before I started using greensand).
Deadhead13
Well-Known Member
I really want to get a soil meter but I know they are expensive.
MustangStudFarm
Well-Known Member
Ph? I bought one of those analog Kelway meters and I wish that I would have got one that tested for soil conductivity too. It looks like soil conductivity is needed in "High Brix"gardening. I don't know much about this yet, but it's probably next...
Deadhead13
Well-Known Member
I’ve got a cheapo water PH meter that I’ve never removed from the box. I see these soil type meters that are supposed to give NPK readings as well but I don’t know how trustworthy they are.
MustangStudFarm
Well-Known Member
I didn't think that my analog Ph meter was worth a damn, then I found out that you are supposed to clean the probe with special paper. It seems to be a lot more reliable now. Kelway is made in Japan instead of China, so that also made me feel better about buying it. People who say that soil Ph don't have a place in organic gardening have no clue to what they are talking about...
Diesel0889
Well-Known Member
Blulab makes a nice but expensive soil ph meter. Round $170 if my memory is correct. Always used my blulab combo for slurry tests or my water. Never bought soil one. Then again my castings following my regimen have never disappointed me and my plants do not have deficiencies..... until I can afford it... fuck it run it right?
Diesel0889
Well-Known Member
I'm putting this to the test within reason right now with (perfect so far results). My water is around 9 from the well. 1 ounce em1 and 10ml photosynthesis plus brings it to the 6 to 8 range. I do believe my soil has been adjusting itself because its so alive and well. No twist in leaves or anything that would suggest ph problems etc. I'm about 10 waterings in in veg testing my theory... doing number 11 now...
Happy growing!
Diesel0889
Well-Known Member
FYI to those that started this thread with me. We need to keep it going. VERY much enjoying the conversation. Thanks this is just what I was hoping it would be! And it also may steer people to this awesome way of growing!
Enjoy couple bud shots from my room day 47-50 since flip on July 13th. The fade is starting in on a few! I grow alot of bodhi myself BUT love dynasty and inkognyto genetics beans. Very stable with no bannanas etc. Check them out if you haven't. Id recommend both... bottom pic is also a old tga cherrygasum looking good.
Happy growing!
Enjoy couple bud shots from my room day 47-50 since flip on July 13th. The fade is starting in on a few! I grow alot of bodhi myself BUT love dynasty and inkognyto genetics beans. Very stable with no bannanas etc. Check them out if you haven't. Id recommend both... bottom pic is also a old tga cherrygasum looking good.
Happy growing!
Look beautiful sir. I remember reading and liking a lot of your posts in the bodhi thread. Some nice pictures over there from you as well from what I can remember.
I'd love to see the results from your em/photo plus test though. My city tap water has chloramine and is above 8 ph, so my next try at a canna grow I would like to try "phing" the water in some fashion. I think the em1 could address both issues for me, just a little skeptical of overdoing it with consistent usage. I wish I were in a better situation and could join in on some experimenting, one of the main reasons I feel hooked on this stuff. I do have a couple random plants that look like they're about to flower, one tobacco plant and i think the others are stinging nettle. Not quite the same excitement for growing these kinds of things, but it's all a learning process in the end. At least I get some better quality greens than the store and my worms get some fresh clean inputs as well.
I have two days off in a row this week, so I may just have to get around to harvesting this bin that's been going forever. I haven't harvested it since I moved out of Colorado and that was almost two years ago, but these worms are long overdue for a fresh setting. I'll post up some pictures when I get around to it though.
Deadhead13
Well-Known Member
@Diesel0889 , me and the worms are with you on keeping this thread going. You better be careful as those monster plants might roll your ass up and smoke you. 