Google Adsense

Showing posts with label mulch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mulch. Show all posts

Saturday, September 7, 2024

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

You Have Black Soil?

Black soil is a type of soil that is rich in organic matter, clay, and iron. It is also known as black earth, black loam, or chernozem. Black soil is good for growing crops such as wheat, cotton, sugarcane, and vegetables. However, black soil can also be heavy, sticky, and prone to waterlogging. Therefore, it may need some amendments to improve its drainage, aeration, and fertility1 One way to amend black soil is to add a garden mix that contains ingredients such as sphagnum peat moss, perlite, coir, gypsum, limestone, wetting agent, and mycorrhizae. These ingredients can help loosen the soil, increase its water retention and porosity, adjust its pH, and enhance its microbial activity. A garden mix that contains these ingredients is the PRO-MIX Organic Garden Mix, which you can find more information about on its website2

Friday, July 24, 2015

Firewood

Buy Reviews
 
Here is just a few branches from the big tree that fell which we have broken up to put in the fire pit for kindling to build a fire.


As you can see, it will be a while before we can make a dent in the huge amount, since there has been a rain once too often in the last few weeks.  The summer heat is building and this means we won't be making any fires, for fear of it getting away from us and causing a problem.  There are too many forest fires in the summer because of the dry grass and weeds.  We wouldn't want to burn down our home  :(

Friday, January 23, 2015

Earthworms Can Work

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

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Get It Ready

Most gardeners, know that the soil has a certain time to be worked.  It takes getting the soil turned over and start on a fresh new planting season for the coming spring.  When turning over your garden soil, you will want to use a good tiller.  This will give the ground a good loosening and get other items worked into it.  You will want to start feeding your garden early, so by the time you are ready to plant, the fertilizers won't be too strong and burn the tender plants.  It's almost planting season, so if you haven't gotten your soil ready, now is the time to start.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Monday, October 7, 2013

Fall

So, now the real work has begun and you are mulching like crazy, doing the last of the mowing, and getting the soil ready for next season's planting.  You might consider saving a small area for those fall plants that carry through the winter months.  Kale, and a few others really are good during the winter months.  Consider these when you make your next vegetable garden.
There are also the flowers, and bulbs for your spring blossoms, so get everything ready for winter's blast and springs' arrival.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Good Idea

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

Monday, April 30, 2012

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

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.

October 28, 2025 Melons.........