Posted by Mike | Posted in Landscape Design Ideas | Posted on 26-05-2011
Tags: calculator, calculators, kids, landscaping, landscaping mulch calculators, mulch, tools
 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 5eaHUMIDITY DOMES $14.99 Time Remaining: 16d 10h 50m Buy It Now for only: $14.99 |
 GARDENING PLANTING SUPPLIES TOPSY TURVY HANDY TRENDS STRAWBERRY PLANTER NIB $0.99 Time Remaining: 15h 35m |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES WATERING SPRINKLING $7.49 Time Remaining: 5d 4h 32m Buy It Now for only: $7.49 |
 American Girl Addy Gardening Supplies Pleasant Company Retired $49.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 2d 12h 42m |
 240W Red Blue LED Hydroponic Plant Grow Light Panel Gardening Supplies Indoor $200.99 Time Remaining: 1d 10h 55m Buy It Now for only: $200.99 |
 GRASS SHEARS MADE IN USA GARDENING SUPPLIES GARDEN TOOLS OUTDOORS $2.99 Time Remaining: 3d 5h 38m |
Vermicomposting: How To Make Worm Castings
We have all heard of composting. Composting is simply the decomposition of organic waste like yard waste and kitchen waste into a very rich and nutritional dirt-like substance. Vermicomposting is very similar to composting, but vermicomposting uses worms to help speed up the composting process, resulting in a final product of a soil-like amendment which is literally loaded with nutrients for plants.
The first thing to know point out is that the worms about which we are talking are not your everyday backyard worms. Those little guys would die in a minute in a compost pile. The worms needed for vermicomposting are called Red Wrigglers. These Red Wrigglers love to spend their time in piles of manure and love eating organic waste, which is why they are so perfect for the job of vermicomposting. The worms that you find in your backyard garden are usually regular field worms which would not be able to survive in a pile of kitchen waste.
When considering what size bin you want to use, the container should be on the shallow side rather than really deep. It should also be wider than it is tall. The surface of the container should be about one square foot for every pound of waste you wish to place in it each week. There should be about 500 red wrigglers equaling about a half-pound for every cubic foot of the container. The container should have plenty of air holes, since air is necessary not only for the composting process, but for the worms' survival as well. There should also be holes on the bottom of the container to allow drainage. There should be a screen covering each air hole and drainage hole to guarantee that the holes do not become worm holes or compost holes as well as air holes and/or drainage holes. If you produce too much organic waste for one normal sized container, it is much easier to maintain several small worm containers than one really big one.
To keep your worms happy, it is important to make sure that they are in an environment with the proper temperature, ventilation, and moisture. The air holes should be able to provide the necessary ventilation. There should be enough moisture to give the compost pile the feel of a wrung out sponge - not too wet, but not too dry. The temperature should be room temperature. Although worms can survive in a wide range of temperatures, anywhere from forty to ninety degrees Fahrenheit, they will be the happiest and therefore do their best work if they are at a comfortable room temperature.
There should be bedding on the surface of the container. This bedding should consist of shredded paper if the container will remain indoors. If the container will be kept outdoors, the bedding can consist of shredded paper or organic yard waste, such as dried grass clippings, sawdust, mulched dried leaves, etc. Yard waste should NOT be placed in an indoor container, because they can cause the compost pile to heat-up significantly which may kill your worms.
You can feed your worms a large variety of foods. Red Wrigglers will eat just about any organic kitchen waste you may produce, including carrots lettuce, cabbage, celery, banana peels, and tea bags. Tomatoes, coffee grounds, and citrus peels can be added into the container but only in moderation, since the acid could kill the worms. They also like to eat small amounts of bread, pancakes, grains, and noodles. Chopping up the food before you put it in the container will help it decompose.
You should harvest the vermicompost every two months or so. You will know that it is ready to be harvested when you can no longer make out the waste or the bedding, since they will have already decomposed. A good way to harvest the vermicompost without taking out the worms is to shine a light over the pile. This will chase the worms deeper into the pile in about ten minutes. You can then scrape up the top layer of vermicompost. Keep the light on to chase the worms even deeper into the pile, and then take out the next layer of vermicompost, and so on. It is very important to not take out any worm eggs that may be in the pile. They will hatch and turn into more worms which could make your vermicompost pile better, or enable you to use them to start another vermicompost container.
Once you have the vermicompost out of the container, you can use it to help just about anything grow. You can add some into your houseplants; you can sprinkle it on your flowerbeds; you can add it into the soil in which you want to plant seeds; and you can even sprinkle it around your lawn to help your lawn grow.
About the Author
1800TopSoilThe top choice in topsoil and top soil. Nationwide provider of topsoil and top soil in your local area for all your landscape supply. Years of experience in the topsoil and top soil industry to help you with topsoil and top soil for landscape supplies.
For more information on this subject click this link
Gardening Tips & Articles and Thank You for visiting Pines To Prairie - Bookmark this page and check back often.
|
|
SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 5eaHUMIDITY DOMES $14.99 Time Remaining: 16d 10h 50m Buy It Now for only: $14.99 |
GARDENING PLANTING SUPPLIES TOPSY TURVY HANDY TRENDS STRAWBERRY PLANTER NIB $0.99 Time Remaining: 15h 35m |
SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES WATERING SPRINKLING $7.49 Time Remaining: 5d 4h 32m Buy It Now for only: $7.49 |
|
240W Red Blue LED Hydroponic Plant Grow Light Panel Gardening Supplies Indoor $200.99 Time Remaining: 1d 10h 55m Buy It Now for only: $200.99 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 50 PLANT LABEL TAGS $6.49 Time Remaining: 5d 3h 55m Buy It Now for only: $6.49 |
 Hydroponic Seeding Heat Mat for Indoor Garden Planting Gardening Supplies Plants $28.99 Time Remaining: 26d 6h 26m Buy It Now for only: $28.99 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 5eaTRAYS NO HOLES $9.99 Time Remaining: 18d 7h 48m Buy It Now for only: $9.99 |
 GARDENING SUPPLIES 300 ea 2 1 4 JIFFY PEAT POTS $19.99 Time Remaining: 28d 10h 54m Buy It Now for only: $19.99 |
 GARDENING SUPPLIES SEED STARTING 288 PLUGS+TRAYDOME $10.99 Time Remaining: 9h 33m Buy It Now for only: $10.99 |
 Seedling Seed Starter trays Gardening Supplies 2100 cells $39.99 Time Remaining: 12d 19h 24m Buy It Now for only: $39.99 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 50ea3SqPLASTIC POTS $13.99 Time Remaining: 16d 4h 32m Buy It Now for only: $13.99 |
 Plastic Watering Can Gardening Supplies Watering Equipment Planting New $14.99 Time Remaining: 29d 5h 1m Buy It Now for only: $14.99 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 50 35 PLASTIC POTS $7.99 Time Remaining: 11d 2h 32m Buy It Now for only: $7.99 |
American Girl Addy Gardening Supplies Pleasant Company Retired $49.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 2d 12h 42m |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES JIFFY PEAT POTSTRAYS $12.99 Time Remaining: 24d 9h 35m Buy It Now for only: $12.99 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES JIFFY PEAT POTS2TRAYS $9.99 Time Remaining: 19d 8h 27m Buy It Now for only: $9.99 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 75 PLANT TAGS 8LONG $15.69 Time Remaining: 21d 11h 17m Buy It Now for only: $15.69 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 60 5 JIFFY PEAT POTS $18.49 Time Remaining: 18d 6h 7m Buy It Now for only: $18.49 |
 GARDENING SUPPLIES 5 GALLONS EA VERMICULITEPERLITE $17.99 Time Remaining: 29d 1h 6m Buy It Now for only: $17.99 |
 LED Hydroponic Plant Grow Light Panel Red Blue Gardening Supplies Grow Tool $199.99 Time Remaining: 27d 13h 9m Buy It Now for only: $199.99 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES PRO MIX BX MEDIUM $8.99 Time Remaining: 24d 9h 21m Buy It Now for only: $8.99 |
 Seed Starting 72 cell inserts Gardening supplies trays $6.59 Time Remaining: 25d 4h 43m Buy It Now for only: $6.59 |
 GARDENING SUPPLIES 38 PLASTIC POTS WITH INSERTTRAY $13.95 Time Remaining: 24d 13h 3m Buy It Now for only: $13.95 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 50 2 1 4 DIAMETER JIFFY PEAT POTS $8.29 Time Remaining: 14d 6h 43m Buy It Now for only: $8.29 |
 50 6 HEAVY DUTY PLASTIC FLOWER POTS for SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES $16.79 Time Remaining: 18d 4h 55m Buy It Now for only: $16.79 |
GRASS SHEARS MADE IN USA GARDENING SUPPLIES GARDEN TOOLS OUTDOORS $2.99 Time Remaining: 3d 5h 38m |
 GARDENING SUPPLIES 2 GALLONS EAVERMICULITE PERLITE $8.69 Time Remaining: 2h 30m Buy It Now for only: $8.69 |
 Seed Starting Plastic Nursery Pots Trays Gardening Supplies $23.95 Time Remaining: 7d 5h 7m Buy It Now for only: $23.95 |
 12 ea Gardening supplies 18 pot inserts Seed Starting $14.99 Time Remaining: 7d 4h 3m Buy It Now for only: $14.99 |
 25 ea Seed Starting 72 cell inserts Gardening supplies $22.50 Time Remaining: 6d 7h 8m Buy It Now for only: $22.50 |
 2 Gallons Each Vermiculite Fine Perlite Seed Starting Gardening Supplies $8.69 Time Remaining: 9d 4h 26m Buy It Now for only: $8.69 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 50 PLANT TAGS 6LONG $7.59 Time Remaining: 24d 4h 29m Buy It Now for only: $7.59 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 4 GALLONS VERMICULITE $8.69 Time Remaining: 1d 10h 55m Buy It Now for only: $8.69 |
 1000 Jiffy 7 Peat Pellets 50mm Seed Starting Gardening Supplies $139.95 Time Remaining: 3d 4h 25m Buy It Now for only: $139.95 |
 Vermiculite Medium 2 Gallons Seed Starting Gardening Supplies $5.19 Time Remaining: 8d 7h 16m Buy It Now for only: $5.19 |
 Vermiculite Coarse 4 Cubic Foot Seed Starting Gardening Supplies $27.59 Time Remaining: 8d 7h 11m Buy It Now for only: $27.59 |
 LED Hydroponic Plant Grow Light Panel Red Blue Gardening Supplies Grow Tool $200.50 Time Remaining: 14d 13h 57m Buy It Now for only: $200.50 |
 Pleasant Company PC American Girl ADDY GARDENING SUPPLIES retired complete set $89.99 Time Remaining: 4d 1h 47m Buy It Now for only: $99.99 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 12 INSERTS12 TRAYS $34.99 Time Remaining: 28d 6h 59m Buy It Now for only: $34.99 |
 GARDENING SUPPLIES OASIS SEED CUTTINGS STARTING KIT $15.99 Time Remaining: 23d 8h 38m Buy It Now for only: $15.99 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 28eaPLASTIC POTSTRAY $11.79 Time Remaining: 10d 11h 9m Buy It Now for only: $11.79 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 50 5 PLASTIC POTS $12.79 Time Remaining: 29d 11h 9m Buy It Now for only: $12.79 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 100 JIFFY PEAT POTS $14.75 Time Remaining: 25d 12h 32m Buy It Now for only: $14.75 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 54 POTS 3 CARRY TRAYS $14.49 Time Remaining: 18d 6h 8m Buy It Now for only: $14.49 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES VERMICULITECHOICE $27.59 Time Remaining: 23d 8h 43m Buy It Now for only: $27.59 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 50ea PLASTIC POTS $10.79 Time Remaining: 10d 6h 28m Buy It Now for only: $10.79 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 25 35 PLASTIC POTS $4.39 Time Remaining: 25d 10h 43m Buy It Now for only: $4.39 |
 GARDENING SUPPLIES JIFFY PEAT POTSINSERTS TRAYS $16.95 Time Remaining: 27d 9h 4m Buy It Now for only: $16.95 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 50 PLANT TAGS 8LONG $11.49 Time Remaining: 21d 11h 16m Buy It Now for only: $11.49 |
 AMERICAN GIRL ADDY GARDENING SUPPLIES COMPLETE NEW $99.99 Time Remaining: 4d 12h 27m Buy It Now for only: $129.99 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES VERMICULITE 2 GALS $5.19 Time Remaining: 6d 9h 37m Buy It Now for only: $5.19 |
 Vermiculite Fine 5 Gallons Seed Starting Gardening Supplies $9.99 Time Remaining: 12d 6h 18m Buy It Now for only: $9.99 |
 Vermiculite Coarse 10 Gallons Seed Starting Gardening Supplies $17.99 Time Remaining: 8d 7h 6m Buy It Now for only: $17.99 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 3 INSERTS3 TRAYS $9.99 Time Remaining: 15d 4h 38m Buy It Now for only: $9.99 |
 GARDENING SUPPLIES 200ea 2 1 4 JIFFY PEAT POTS $13.89 Time Remaining: 17d 11h 28m Buy It Now for only: $13.89 |
 GARDENING SUPPLIES 25 ea 2 1 4 JIFFY PEAT POTS $5.69 Time Remaining: 7h 25m Buy It Now for only: $5.69 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 10 GAL VERMICULITE $17.99 Time Remaining: 6d 9h 32m Buy It Now for only: $17.99 |
 GARDENING SUPPLIES 60 ea JIFFY PEAT PELLETS TRAYDOME $11.79 Time Remaining: 8d 5h 36m Buy It Now for only: $11.79 |
 GARDENING SUPPLIES SEED STARTING DIAL SEED SOWER $6.79 Time Remaining: 10d 20m Buy It Now for only: $6.79 |
 SEED STARTING GARDENING SUPPLIES 100 PLANT TAGS 8LONG $21.79 Time Remaining: 21d 11h 21m Buy It Now for only: $21.79 |
