Easy Vermicomposting

We had lots of educational fun at Nature Fest again this year. 

The kids sat through salamanders, bats, and of course, Birds of Prey. 

(Probably the trophy of the fest for kids!)

 For me, along with the bliss of sitting in a class taught by the local legend, Hector Black, we also got to listen to an amazing organic farmer, Randy Dodson, from The Waters Farm.

I've met his son and another worker on their farm and they all are a wealth of information!

Vermicomposting was one of Mr. Dodson's demonstrations.

It's a subject that I've wanted to learn more about but online sources and books often made it sound SO complicated. 

But Mr. Dodson made it as simple as pie!

(Vermicompost is used just as compost, manure, fertilizer, etc. So this is a cheap DIY project to keep your gardens frugal and productive!)
 
 Ready?

First- a tub or empty container with 2 rows of air holes. Don't make the lower row too low or all of your worms will escape. (Some might regardless.)

You can use old ones, yard sale finds, or they are a little over $5 at Walmart.

Next, place some moistened cardboard in the bottom. (I used rainwater to moisten mine.)Worms apparently aren't exceptionally picky, and just about any cardboard will work.But not too compact, just a layer will do.

Moistened cardboard on the bottom.

 Next; add some composted horse manure, a little peat moss,dirt, vermiculite, or a mix. I used year old horse manure. (Be aware of your horse manure- if they've wormed the horses and this isn't aged- it will uhm, worm your worms!)

You will want to moisten this.It needs to be wet enough to drip one or two drops of water if squeezed with one hand, but not standing in water.

Some nice composted manure, thoroughly moistened.

Worms need grit for their crops- who would have thought? You can use a handful of sand if you have it. I plan to get a handful from the creek later and add to my mix but for now, I've ground some egg shells and added that.

Now-Where are you going to get your worms?

Uncle Jim's is a good place if you must purchase them, I hear. But as for me- I think worms should be free! And, whaddaya know, so they are! See?

WORMS!!!

I keep a few boards thrown around the yard. (Yeah, my poor neighbors! :) But seriously, I don't know if they can even see them.) ...I started this habit for my chickens as a means of collecting a bug and worm feast for them. If you leave it long enough, you will find that you have plenty of worms to harvest for your compost. Try to get as close to a pound as possible, or more. Babies too! It's suggested to use 1 to 2lbs per square foot of bedding/dirt/compost.

Red worms usually stay in the top 3 to 4 inches of ground and will surface right under a board or anything left laying around for a while. Just turn several spots over with a shovel and break apart the clod and pick your worms.

Add the little squirmers to their new home. (Be aware that some will try to sneak out. It's okay, it doesn't mean you're a bad landlord! Enough will stay if you keep the apartment nice and comfy!)

You can use some shredded cardboard and tiny bits of kitchen scraps (just a handful!) to feed them. Just lay on top of the bed/soil. (They supposedly love the cardboard, which is why I guess you use so much of it in this process.)

Mr. Dodson said the waste from juicers is especially a treat since it's already so broken down and they particularly like sweets, like banana peels. You do not want to overfeed. It can build up mildew and ick, and harm the worms. Not to mention a smell! ...But if you have time to chop up your scraps, it will give them a head start, but isn't necessary.

What else can you feed them? Coffee grounds, wet hay, grass clippings, melon rinds, and other fruit and veggie scraps.

You will feed them once or twice a week, if previous feedings are gone.(They only eat about their body weight a day. So- if you can weigh the worms you add, that will give you a tiny idea of how much to feed.) I tried to start slow with feedings so as to avoid a problem. Also, you don't want to develop a 'composting' situation, so only add small bits of scraps.Otherwise it could heat up and harm your worms.

Bits or moistened cardboard, and kitchen scraps.

Now, finally, you will wet another big piece of cardboard.( I have 2 tubs (beside the rain barrels) in my yard where I can easily dip the cardboard and swish it side to side.) Then, just tuck them in and let them work their magic!

You need to keep them shaded. Remember they like it dark, they're used to being underground. You will need to keep them completely shaded , or in the garage, barn, etc. (There are vermicomposters that go under your kitchen sink. Pricey, though.) If using a dark container, which is good as far as keeping it dark, you will need to especially avoid the sunshine.

If you have them outside, you will have to pay more attention to moisture. Temps need to be between 60 and 80F. At 85-90F, they will leave and/or die.(They seem to be able to tolerate freezing temps and I asked if the containers could be sunken in the ground during the winter to help preserve them. Yes!)

 

One big 'blanket' of moistened cardboard to tuck them into their new home!

You will need to add water to the dirt to keep moistened. Better to keep it on the wet side than to have it dry out. Worms must have moisture, else they will start packing their bags and trying to get out! Worms can live in water, but they can't live where it's dry. (They are driven out of the ground during rain, for lack of oxygen.)

If you were to notice the least little bit of mildew or mold, I suggest you remove as much food scraps as possible, scrape the icky stuff out, allow it to stand outside (still kept dark by the cardboard covering) in a shady spot to air out some. Don't add anymore food for a few days until the problem resolves.

Gradually over time, your tub will fill up. Worms can double every 90 to 100 days if conditions are great, and that means faster fills in your tubs! And possibly more tubs! Think of the possibilities! Worm cousins, great-great-great cousins, great-great-great-great-great aunts!?!?!!

You can scrape your worms from the top, keeping the castings (ie worm manure, worm poop :) mostly in the bottom and ready for use in your gardens.

There are different methods to do this. You can just take the top 4 inches off and create another bin, and whatever worms may be in the castings can just go into your gardens. 

You can scrape off the top and pick through it for the worms, if you like. ...Boring!

You can even dump mounds of it onto a covered table late in the evening or after dark. Use an overhead lamp (let it hover over the mound for 10 minutes or so), which will drive the worms down so you can scrape the castings off the top. Do this little at a time until you've went through the whole bin.

You can also rotate which side of the container you feed them on. Before harvesting, you will know more which side they are on.

And their are other more elaborate systems you can research if you like.(Some with screens and stackable drawers.)

Vermicompost apparently has more nitrogen, higher nutrients, higher moisture (70%), and other benefits. It makes a great compost tea; suggested soak/steep 24 hours to retain the benefits. It can also be added straight to the garden after collection, as it won't burn like other manures.

The worms are also of value to expand your vermicomposts as they grow and reproduce, you can start more bins, feed them to your chickens, or sell to fishermen!

The biggest two problems?
Overfeeding and not enough water. 

If this can be kept in balance-  why you might could have an entire worm colony!

Happy frugal gardening!

 Isa 51:8  For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.

Dandelion Fritters

While some folks fret over getting dandelions out of their yards, others eat them!

Why?

They're good for you!

And- - -you can eat the entire plant :)

Blissful, huh?

The greens can be eaten in a salad or cooked as you would other greens, the root can be dried and or/roasted and ground and used as you would coffee.

The flowers can be used to make jelly and syrup, stuffed in cakes, muffins, or pancakes- and as you see here, they can be fried.

 You can dip and fry each flower individually or stir them all in your batter and drop by spoonfuls into hot grease- uhm- lard :)

When cooked this way, they hardly have any taste, but my mind seems to trick me into almost thinking it's squash, except much milder. The texture? Sorta chewy, and good!

You can mix up a whole grain batter if you like but this is quick, frugal, and easy....and being from the south, frying cornmeal, especially in lard, is tops!

DANDELION FRITTERS

2 cups rinsed, drained dandelion flowers

1 cup self-rising cornmeal (or flour, or half and half, or whole grain with salt and soda)

1 egg, beaten

1 cup of milk

Mix flour/meal, egg, and milk. Dip individual dandelions in batter and drop them into hot oil.

You can also stir the flowers into the batter and drop by tablespoons into hot oil.

Fry on each side until golden.

Drain on paper towel.

Serve plain, salt and peppered, or with a dip, such as Ranch.

Song of Sol. 2:12  The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land...

Are Your Ready for Winter?

We're not- but we're getting really close!

I tried to get as much seed and plants growing as possible that would grow through cool weather and winter. I have hopes of fresh veggies in the snow!

And so do my chicks!

Yes this is dried corn on the banister for some of these critters in my yard and you'll notice the raised beds are covered and house some very lovely carrots, onions, and lettuces. One has spinach and leeks coming up.

The wood is part of the 'unfinished project' for winter. The hay is for our newest 'babies'. 

Anyone wanna guess what we've drug home now?

(The couple who saw us last night- you can't guess- cuz you already know- so shhhhhh!)

"Shadows" (our appliances have names for those of you who may have forgot) houses lots of frozen veggies and even some fruits from our gardens; some were gleaned from other places.

I forgot to take a pic of my honey for winter. I did some 'bartering' for local honey and have set aside some for 'medicinal purposes only' since germies are sure to be on the way.

I also need to order some elderberries for our best medicine for colds.

I will likely be using the last of our berries this week...whether from germs or the cold, some aren't feeling so good today....but that syrup is a fantastic cure-all!

Mason jars are tucked everywhere I have extra space. They are filled with everything from relish to pickles to green beans to apple pie filling- oh and in front here are beets!

Ah and my beloved wheat!

I was able to get a couple of bags of grains for winter several weeks ago.

Some of you know what a treasure that is for me!

God is good!

We've also settled into cuddling on the couch at night and reading this great book!

2 Chr 32:27-29 And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honour: and he made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of pleasant jewels;  Storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for flocks. Moreover he provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance: for God had given him substance very much.

 Who else is prepped for winter? How so?

Zucchini Soup

 Next to Brandy's Butternut Squash Soup, this is probably my favorite 'squash soup'.

It can be made for pennies, using garden vegetables and homemade broth.

Zucchini Soup

-2 quarts homemade chicken broth

-2 large zucchini squash (11-12 inches long)

-3 green onions

-1 cup cut corn

-3T butter or olive oil

-salt and pepper

Slice the whites of the green onions and the squash. Saute in the butter/oil until tender. 

Add chicken broth and blend with a hand mixer or stick blender until smooth.

Add cut corn and heat to a low simmer.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Cook 10 to 15 additional minutes.

Garnish with heavy cream and sliced green onion tops. (opt)

Served here with sliced sourdough bread.

2 Ki 4:39  And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage..

Gardening in September...

There's been lots of work to do the last few weeks to make ready for fall; mowing down patches that were finished giving me food, turning over the ground (again, and again, and again), and working in more organic materials to replenish the soil.

One patch got all the compost from our trash can that we keep for food scraps.

We've started a bin for all gardens scraps- stalks, food the borers and beetles had their share of, etc

But before I go on-

I would LOVE to introduce you to my new one-true-love!

It's a hand-me-down pressure cooker:

Isn't it handsome!?!?!

And guess what it did for me today?

It cooked me a huge pot of red beans in THREE minutes! Yes- that's one-two-three- THREE minutes flat!

Where has this been all of my life?!?!

Oh!- Be still my beating heart!

Okay- enough gushing- onto the gardens!

 

Do you remember how I told you before that you could cut your onions and leeks off at the ground and they would regrow? 

Here's a green onion that's doing just that.

Notice the height of the other onions behind this one. The red arrow marks the previous cut line. You can see the white skin is quite dense there. It grew back much faster than I could have replanted and grown from seed!   It's only been about 2 weeks- for real! :)

 

 

In the picture below you can see several rows of different greens that I have growing. The chard is doing great but when you take a closer look, you see the others are not :(

(New beets are growing on the side I'm standing on.)

See? Yucky! They're eat up, buggy, and burned. Sigh. This is a Siberian Kale. I don't think I will plant this type again. Grr.

Meet the wild gourd vine:

The gourd vine has met the willow tree and somehow, they two almost appear to be one!

But- it's kind of cool so- I'm leaving it, mainly for Kyler. He's dreaming of Tarzan-like feats....swinging on the vine up into the tree! 

It has gourds that need to hurry on along!

(Perhaps we can paint them for fall!)

My favorite corner appears to know that fall is certainly here:

The zinnias are starting to brown, the sunflowers are starting to droop (and brown), but the cosmos still look pretty happy. 

You can see poke berries on the other side of the fence.

I am very excited about this fairly new fig tree. Last fall, I pulled out the other fig that was in this same spot that wouldn't grow. This took it's place in the very early spring. 

It not only has grown well, but it has fruit!

I have another that sets fruit in the late spring-early summer. 

Love it!

I've used my rain barrel water to make several batches of 'tea' for the garden. I mixed in a half bag of manure-biochar. The latest fashion in all-things-tea! ;-)

(I was cackling out loud the other day after watching the cat fall into this. Poor thing- but it sure was funny!)

Tempting mother nature with this bed!

Well, sort of. 

The radishes will be just fine and harvest before frost, Lord willing.

But- I tossed in some early cuke seeds that I found....maybe if I could cover them....maybe, just maybe.....

This beauty is the makings of a new blackberry bush from a shoot off the main bush in the front yard. 

I planted several more but this one looks to be the only one thriving well. 

If it does as well as it's mother bush, I'll have TONS of blackberries in a year or two!

And next to my new one-true-love, this holds me smitten!

The raised-bed-that-Kemmie-built:

Isn't it lovely?!?!

It holds lettuces, green onions, and short carrots. It's sort of like salad-in-a-box!

We will cross it with PVC pipe and cover it with a free plastic and see how long it will grow through winter when the cold comes in.

We still have much more work to do and lots of planting.

I dream of more raised beds and row covers.......but for now.......this keeps me happy...ah...dirt therapy!

****************************************

Isa 58:11  And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Bringing In The Sheaves ....

Okay, it's not "sheaves", it's butternut squash -and more!...And, there's no song that  mentions squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, or even green beans so ....I'm singing ...."We shall come rejoicing bringing in the sheaves!"

There's been much work to do while counting my blessings today.

I scrubbed up dozens of jars this morning while the kids done their homework and I cut several dozen ears of corn and froze it up. (Not to mention laundry-always some of that!)

 

Jars- you know you have serious jar issues when you find an odd one and it's love-at-first-sight!

 

 You'll never guess what I did with those corn cobs!

Go ahead- try!

Tap, tap, tap, waiting.....

Okay, Ill give you a hint, I did the same thing with some flowers. 

Uh-huh- you guessed it!

Corn Cob Jelly and  Marigold Jelly 

A friend helped give this marigold a kick with her extra red-colored flowers. Love it! 

(Funny how she just knew that I could use the flowers somehow!)

*I should mention that I fixed enough biscuits for Krestan this morning by mistake. 'magine that!*

Sigh. 

Nobody made fun of me though :)

 

Back to the sheaves!

Get a look-see at this!

Sunflowers, cucumbers, tomatoes, acorn squash, and this tub is FULL of butternut squash. 

It's a 96 quart tub! ---AND- there's more!!!! Bless my soul!

This makes one of our favorite soups!

Be still my soup-less heart! ...Must make more chicken broth!

We also pulled up the rest of the green beans- about 3/4 of a bushel! 

But they're not near as lovely as my squash!

 

We also enjoyed the sunflowers. 

I put them up in a place that sort of made a hedge to hide the messy green bean patch from the front yard. Lovely privacy fence for sure!

Is it just me or do sunflowers always seem to be bending over slightly and smiling at you? 

Ok- too many cartoons when I was little I guess. 

But they do have a way of making you feel happy- especially when those seeds are almost ready for harvest!

And lastly, the cosmos have bloomed!

They're so lovely- and delicate and prissy. I just love them!

It was a day full of blessings!

Love the promise of this verse:

Gen 8:22  While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

Flowers and Butterflies

Harvesting Rainwater....

You ever heard old-timers call rain, 'liquid sunshine'? 

When I was a kid, I thought that was a funny thing to say.

Now, after gardening and growing a few flowers, I see that was a true thing to say!

There's NO amount of water from a garden hose that can do what rain water can do-plus- it's free!

 

If you look on youtube, you can find very elaborate systems with 20 barrels and more. 

A good rain here, can fill one barrel quickly, so multiple barrels are a great idea.

 

 For the most part, where I live, we don't typically have extremely long periods with no rain- and we have (awfully) high humidity, and dew from heaven every night,  however, when you have several large garden spots, those barrels can be drained very quickly, so I suppose you would weigh need vs weather.  And, as you locals remember, last year gave us a horrible drought!  

And again- nothing is better than rain water!

My system is pretty simple right now and I couldn't begin to tell you how very excited I am about it and how very useful it is......but I can show you! ;-)

But first, I must say, these precious gifts were from the Lord!

God put a special friend in my life who saw the need and possibility for me in rain barrels and she went WAY out of her way, MANY times, to bring these treasures to me. I'm very grateful! 

Who but God, would see and meet such a unique need!

You can see the gutter drains right into the top of the barrel. A screen is tucked around the gutter that's inserted into the barrel to limit debris. This barrel has an on/off faucet that's hooked to a short hose. This is super handy at our back door when we bring new plants in and for watering things in this area.

This is an independent barrel that I can drain the others into. This provides more room in the barrels at the downspouts and allows the water to be just a hose away from the gardens. These barrels have twist-off lids on top and there's a spigot that's on the lower side of this one where a hose can be attached. The hose in the top is where I drained off the upper barrel at the downspout since I knew more rain was coming.

Another view of that same barrel. You can see the gardens behind it that will benefit from it's contents! Yah barrel!

These barrels are at that same upper corner. Since I needed a gravity's help, these are the ones I drained to fill the independent barrel in the pic above.  You can see there's two connected for overflow. There are various ways you can do this and lots of info on youtube. Again, notice the downspout going into the upper barrel.

Another view of those barrels to help you see what I mean about gravity. Because these are up on the hill, the drain easily and rapidly into the independent barrel.

Here's another, and the most tricky! As you can see, this is the front porch. The gutter runs down on the other side of those steps into the front yard. But who wants a 55 gallon drum in their front yard? (Well, actually, I wouldn't care...my poor neighbors might though :) So, my crafty friend rigged the gutter in such a way that it snakes under those steps and into the back of that barrel. The barrel has a handy faucet to which the hose can be hooked and wallah- liquid sunshine on tap!

Here is the blue beauty on the 4th and final downspout. Some folks says the bb's are less likely to get slimy on the inside but I figure they'll be used quick enough that it won't matter and perhaps any green stuff would just help the gardens. Also notice the blocks! They are important for your barrels since you need the aid of gravity again. My house and gutters are a little higher than my yard so this little boost is just enough to drain this water wherever it's needed.

This is my favorite type of faucet for the barrels since it requires a little less tugging to keep them from coming loose.

This independent barrel is straight out in the yard from the BB above. You can see it's in a very handy spot! Now that the barrels are full again from rain today, I have one more independent barrel that will go in the center of the yard to water some of the other garden spots there.

Wanna better pic of those flowers on the right?

I knew you would! Zinnias! They stay full of butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds! Another gift from the Lord!

Around this area is where I will put the other independent barrel. Pretty spot, don't you think?

Deu 11:11-14  

But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven:A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year. 

And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, 

That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.