Potatoes Are Up

The potatoes are growing but the crop didn't do as well as I had hoped. The red potatoes that sprouted must have rotted in the ground with all the rains we have had and the standing water. Guess the white potatoes were stronger, because they are up and doing well.

Earthworms

So, you think earthworms are outdoors creatures? Well, you can actually raise them indoors, and use their castings to improve your soil, indoors and out.
Container
Make it large and manageable, space 8 to 12 inches deep. They feed on the top layers of the bedding. Bins can be plastic or wood.
Drill 8 to 12, ¼-inch-diameter holes in the bottom and sides for aeration and drainage. Drill more holes if using plastic or bedding stays wet. Place a tray under bin to collect “tea” that drips from bin. Tea makes good fertilizer for houseplants.
Bedding
Options; shredded cardboard, newspaper, or coir (coconut husks); and peat moss. Mist bedding with water if it looks dry.
Cover bins to keep worms in dark. Keep temperatures between 40°F and 80°F for survival, place bins in cellar, warm garage.
Red wigglers thrive in temperatures between 55°F and 77°F (Worms from garden, night crawlers, prefer cooler and deeper soils.) Buy red wigglers through the mail or at a bait shop.
One pound of red wiggler worms (about 1,000 worms) can eat a 1/2 pound of scraps a day.
Food
Feed worms vegetable scraps, fruit peels, coffee grounds, tea bags, crushed egg shells, and even leftover pasta. No spicy foods. Avoid meats, fish, fatty and oily foods, and bones. Lay a thin layer on top of bedding. Worms feed in the dark.
A small amount of potting soil or cornmeal help your worms digest their meal.
Harvest
After 3 to 4 months your worms should have eaten the bedding and the scraps. Top layer of matter should be dark brown and the consistency of chunky sand. Harvest the castings. Push the castings to side, add more bedding and scraps. Worms will go to the new bedding and scraps. Dig out castings and add more bedding and scraps. Make sure to pick out stray wigglers and return

How To Make Seed Pots

Ground

The ground is dried out and cracking after all the rain we've gotten this spring.  I was afraid this would happen.  It looks as though I will have a huge water bill this summer.  Here is the turnips, cabbage, potatoes, mustard spinach and green beans. 

My Garden

As you can tell there is plenty of weeding that needs to be done.  It is my hope that these tomato plants will thrive and make plenty of tomatoes so I can enjoy canning a few and having some fresh salads.  :)

Vegetables

This is the garden that I have planted and it's a first year garden.  I'm am enjoying watching it develop into a good harvest.