PRs organic garden of weed and other living things

Discussion in 'Organic Grow Journals' started by Pink, Jan 20, 2014.

  1. I've heard of people making 'worm troughs' by digging small ditches and filling with food scraps. A sinilar idea is called a 'worm tower' made with some sort of cylinder filled with food. Waktoo attracted epigeic (composting) worms to his finished compost just by filling a raised bed and keeping it moist, so that may be another idea. One thing that is nice anout using just finished compost is that you can harvest whenever rather than waiting for the foodscraps, grass clippings etc to completely compost before harvesting.
     
  2. I appreciate everyone's input. It all has been very helpful, and it's greatly appreciated.

    :smoke;
     
  3.  
     
    In retrospect I guess I use my raised beds as somewhat of a vermicomposter. I could go out there right now with all the snow and ice on the ground, dig down a foot or so and probably bring up shovels full. In the warm weather the worms are so active in the beds I rarely add any significant amount of amendments during the growing season and everything seems to have worked well thus far. I do use a lot of yard waste, hay, and straw, as mulch during the summer and the worms love it. I recall reading about the outdoor worm pits when I was studying composting techniques. Worms and compost go hand in hand in most discussions. In cold weather climates I think it's common to compost in a pit versus some of the more traditional composting structures.  
     
  4.  
    Hey AW :) Good question! I have the mix of outdoor worms from leaf mold and compost, and the purchased red wigglers. They seem to co-exist in the worm bin just fine, but not sure about the pots. As to them dying off eventually because of being in pots, I would think that as long as they have anything to feed on, they should reproduce and you should have some population going.The 20 gal pot I took apart recently had a couple of dozens of worms (large/meaty outdoor kind, I believe Nightcrawlers) living there since last spring with no continuous food supply, just the residual mulch and occasional watering. They might be the great-grandkids of the worms I put in there last spring, but they were there nonetheless. So I think if their basic environment needs are met, they should not die-off on you just because they are in captivity. Large mulched moist smart pots with living plants in them sound like a perfect worm environment to me, especially if you do an occasional top-dressing with kelp, neem and whatnot.
     
    Thank you Pakalolo, Possuum and TJ  for answering Smokey while I'm out  :) :love: :gc_rocks:   
    It really depends on what are you planning to do with the vermicompost, Smokster! If you want it for indoor use, than I think it's easier to make a pile vs.trench or pit so you can harvest it with relative ease. Also as Pakalolo and Possuum pointed out, make sure the "worm spot" is not drowning. It needs to be completely out of the sun so it's not hot, and covered so the rain doesn't wash the nutrients out in time.  
     
    If you want the vermicompost for enriching your garden soil, trench or tower as TJ said is a really good option. I've read about the buckets with the holes drilled all over them which people put in between the rows in the garden and do the composting using native worms right there. Slow release of nutrients too. 
     
    I build a couple of raised beds last summer, mixed generous amount of horse manure on the bottom of each, kept them mulched, and the beds were full of worms by the end of the season. I'm sure they will be back in there in the spring. I stapled hardware cloth to the bottom of the beds too which you might want to consider if you have any ground digging animals there. 
     
    Imo no fuss option would be a plain compost pile, just put it in the shade if attracting worms is your goal, and have a tarp at hand. But know I might be leaning toward the pile for subjective reasons. I don't know if I could pull-off the inground op here successfully, I have an insanely fast drainage here, I'd be watering my worms on a daily basis too lol. This is what my yard soil looks like  -
     
    View attachment garden soil.jpg
     
    But there are for sure countless ways to skin the cat. You actually could put any plastic/wood box with mesh bottom on the ground, fill it with the scraps and the worms will come, and you'll be surprised how many  :)
     
    Some fresh pictures of the canna garden -
     
    Kalichakras, 2 weeks old.
     
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    Kalichakra2 .JPG
     
    Chill Factor, looks like might turn into another branchy star from IRG  :metal: Look at that spacing!
     
    Chill Factor 2.28.JPG
     
    ChillFactor branching.JPG
     
    And the GFBA roots, made it to the walls of new container and down after transplant 3 days ago
     
    gfba roots.JPG
     
    Hope everybody is enjoying the weekend! I finally broke free from a family, made myself a tincture lemonade and gonna catch up in the City  :)
     
  5. looks like my pomegranates survived i cut some small growth to see if its still green.whats your soil's ph? my native soil  is 7.0.looks like there's finally warm weather in the forecast next week wont be long now.
     
  6. #1246 Pink, Mar 1, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 1, 2015
     
    Yay, pomegranates :hello:  :D Mine should be alright too, sitting buried under the snow pile, kinda insulated :p
     
    I think the pH was around 6.2ish, but it was a couple of years back. I'm sure it shifted back to 7.0 or close because the scallions are almost gone :p Walking out of the house after lawn being mowed a couple of years ago was like stepping into a giant bowl of onion salad lol. I mulch the last few runs of fall leaves into the lawn every year, and garden gets amendments and manure dressing, plus straw mulch year around.
     
    Oh, I know :hello: I woke up today hearing the bird singing outside, not chirping but really singing pretty elaborate melody :D Made me so happy... The spring is soon! Time to start peppers :smoking:
     
  7. Okay so I figure I'm going to try the plastic bin, until I make the box. If I did the pile, it would be in direct sun for a couple of hours every day. The bin will come with a lid  ^_^, and that will be the shade. I think I can pull this off. 
     
    Yall are sooooo awesome, and the suggestions were great. I know I said that already, but I wanted to tell you all's again.  :wub:
     
  8. fawk yeah!...lol @ the scallion's are almost gone geesh http://youtu.be/gdf5XaHU11U that elaborate melody never get's old  :)
     
  9. NO your awesome!  ;)
     
  10. #1250 Pink, Mar 1, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 1, 2015
     
    Thanks for the music bud  :) How's the working life? I hope good, and you still have time to stop and smell the roses :bongin:
     
  11. thing's will better soon once it warms up a little more and i think i might of finally found the the right chick so life is going pretty good rite now  ;).yes i have been smelling the roses pretty often i got some triple berry goo and green crack in the stash jar  :bongin:
     
  12.  
    I am happy to hear that everything is going good for you PB :) Triple berry goo sounds pretty delish...
     
    I have an update for you guys. I transplanted the GFBA clone yesterday. The roots were growing like crazy, I've seen what I wanted to see (how fast they would grow), so there was no sense in confining her longer in that cup and  in the 10 gal pot she went.
     
    GFBA roots
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    Sprinkled with VAM, mulched with some borage and comfrey, here she is today. Seems to be happy. I had a hard time shaking her out of that cup and eventually started rushing and planted her leaning in totally opposite direction from where I wanted her to go. Not going to screen her this run, just training, so we'll fix the lopsidedness shortly.
     
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    One of the Kalichakras was in the smaller 0,5 gal pot and looked like she needed to be transplanted too, so I moved her in another 10 gal pot. Roots were getting tight in her pot too, so it was a good call. Hopefully she is a girl.
     
    Kalichakra, 19 days old.
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    In new home
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    Room together
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    The third pot is waiting for the ChillFactor or second Kalichakra to show sex. I have a feeling the second Kalichakra (with yellow cotyledone) is a male - it's lankier, faster and just looks more aggressive to me for the lack of better word.
     
    Kalichakra 2
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    The ChillFactor baby is looking absolutely terrific. I love the tight structure and overall look and pace. Amazingly, fifth node already has 9 bladed leaves. Should be sexing soon. I can't wait.
     
    IRG ChillFactor, 19 days old.
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    ChillFactor and Kalichakra together, respectively.
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    Sour Disel, doing great, I started light training on her.
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    That's it for today folks, sorry for a photobomb. I hope everybody is having an okay week. I personally am getting really tired of this terrible gloomy winter. My mother in law passed away 2 days ago, went to the hospital with sciatica pain and was gone 3 hours later. I haven't been close to her, but my husband is a wreck. So I am chugging down that tincture like there is no tomorrow, extremely glad I decided to make it.
     
  13. Ah, pretty little girls all dress up in green. Good to see you back in the action. I'm going to kick back, watch these gals grow and learn a trick or two.
     
  14. That looks much better Pinklady. :hello:
     
    Glad you are getting your grow in progress .
     
    sorry for all the strife going on.
     
    It seems to be how the world is nowadays.
     
    but thats why we grow, to keep our sanity.
     
    or at least mine anyways :eek: :smoking: :smoking:
     
     
     
     
     
  15.  
    Thanks for the trust, my friend! Many things need yet to be tuned in with this run, I have to get some lava rock to put under those 2 pots without the Lazy Gardener (to make shallow sipping trays for them and increase the humidity somewhat), need to make a door for the room (still walk-in closet with no door), and another bunch of small things. As for the tricks, I hope I still have some things up my sleeve that you don't know but I seriously doubt that :)
     
    Thanks for stopping by and checking the girls out, Pak :)
     
  16.  
    :D Thanks X!
     
    Yeah, it's getting harder to navigate between the crap storms it seems. I'm thinking it's age :eek:
     
    I'm super happy the room is finally shaping up. I miss forest of bud :love:
     
  17. just got some stank sour d nugz yesterday mmmmmm  :laughing: .Cant wait to see you grow it out.About to start up a journal soon  got some good gene's on the way pinky ...cant wait. 
     
  18.  
    Hey Bliss,
     
    I've never smoked Sour D (at least knowingly), and heard so much about it, so yeah, super excited! The plant is doing good too, seems a little touchy but I think I'll be able to handle it. She is a real East Coast deal from parking lot genetics, so... :yummy:  :yummy: :yummy:   :gc_rocks:
     
    Looking forward to your journal bud, drop a link when you start it :) Got me curious about the "good genetics on the way", care to elaborate? When are you starting them? I love the excitement of the OD season's beginning :yay:
     
    The shot of the garden as of today. From top to bottom, left to right  - ChillFactor, Sour Diesel, Kalichakra, Kalichakra and GFBA. Kalichakra in the white pot popped some preflowers, still very small to tell but looking more male than female. If it's a male, I'm gonna try to collect some pollen probably. ChillFactor is not showing yet, Kalichakra in 10 gal is looking female and GFBA is really picking up the speed.
     
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    Hope everybody had an enjoyable weekend!
     

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  19. I really like the looks of the Kalichakra in the 10G :) she is looking awesome!! That GFBA is unmistakable haha so branchy!! :eek:
     
  20. Geez how the heck did I miss two updates in here?? You have got quite the green thumb, lady. Sorry I missed watching it do its magic! :eek:
     

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