Gardening by Cathy

Red worms or making vermicompost can be an all encompassing job or a relaxing hobby. It all depends on how you approach it. For starters these worms are not native, so do not expect them to thrive in the heat of the summer which can be anywhere from 90- 100 degrees Fahrenheit. [...]

I would encourage other homesteaders to open up their farms for a weekend event. You could even make it a Friday – Saturday event if an entire weekend seems too daunting a task.
Why am I encouraging this, even this summer or fall, yet? In these uncertain times we need to band [...]

a green, caring vegetable farmer.
It is so refreshing to see a producer who truly cares about the customer. Henry grows over 100 types of different vegetables on his farm. Why? For starters he doesn’t want to turn a customer away and then there is his favorite reason, biodiversity. Some years weather [...]

What if you don’t see any cocoons after a few months?  Then you first need to check the temperature.  Does the bedding feel hot or cold to the touch?  Grains can heat up the compost, so perhaps you should cut back on the amount of grains or leave them out altogether.  Next, check for smells.  [...]

For adequate drainage, be sure to drill holes in the individual tray bottoms and/or sides of the bins or construct the bin of chicken wire which is full of holes. Lastly, if you are using a plastic container, leaving the lid ajar would also promote air circulation. The red worms may not need a fan, [...]

Next, sprinkle a light layer of crushed eggshells, followed by a light layer of sand. Since the worms do not have teeth, by swallowing sand grains it helps their muscular gizzard to grind away at the vegetable matter. Next, a light layer of soil gives them some additional bacteria to aid breaking down [...]

Growing your own red worms is easy if you remember a few basic rules. Worms need oxygen just as humans do, only their exchange site of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide is their skin instead of lungs. Therefore, worms need adequate circulation. Worms also live in temperatures that we are able to [...]

Today with the concern that we are slowly poisoning ourselves it is comforting to know that there is an all organic alternative to chemical fertilizers. Vermicomposting refers to the turning of our vegetable garbage into a soil additive called Worm Castings.
The natural fertilizer contained in worm castings is very high in nutrients. Take [...]