Tuesday, July 21st, 2009 | Author:
admin
Our planet is a host for several creatures. From the tiniest to the biggest, there are countless number of worms, reptiles, animals, birds and even greater number of species under each category. There are roughly around 4400 species of worms on Planet Earth. Out of this number, there are about 2700 species of earthworms. Red wrigglers and Nightcrawlers are the most commonly found earthworms and are present everywhere in the universe. Red wrigglers and Nightcrawlers are most commonly found in the earth’s soil. They also survive in trees, under the rocks, along rivers, ponds and springs. Earthworms burrow themselves deep in the soil and these burrows are very important for the plants. They serve as a path for water, air and other soil nutrients to pass through.
The physical structure of worms has a few vital features that assist the worms to survive on this planet. One of the main features is the absence of lungs. This is the reason why the worms, including your composting worms, are so slimy. Due to the absence of lungs, earthworms breathe through their skin which needs to be moist at all times so as to facilitate breathing. This is the reason why earthworms are rarely found near the sea. In spite of the presence of water, most of the sand is dry. This dryness can cause suffocation to the worms which may eventually die. At the same time, too much water too can be detrimental as the water can take the place of oxygen which causes the worms to surface. On the surface, worms may die as they get exposed to sunlight. As worms as so slimy, it helps them survive. The other physical features include the presence of mouth which is powerful enough to drag a leaf and eat it, all major nerves, circulatory and digestive organs.
Part One of our Worm Q&A: What Do Worms Eat?
Part Two of our Worm Q&A: How Many Worms To Start With?
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in comments and we will answer them as soon as possible.
Tuesday, July 14th, 2009 | Author:
admin
There is a lot of information out there about composting and a lot of it states that you shouldn’t use products like meats or eggshells in your compost because they would attract all sorts of unwanted animal attention and might turn your compost pile into a snacking ground for the area animals. There have been those complaining about bears being drawn to compost bins and other smaller animals as well. However, eggshells can also be a good source of nutrients for your garden, and can also have other uses, so composting them can prove to be quite beneficial if you follow a few golden rules.
The first thing you should know is that eggshells can host salmonella on their surface, and as such, if you don’t want to spread that around to your garden, it’s best to wash the eggshells before composting them. There are those who also like to put the eggshells in a tray in the oven for 20 minutes or so to make sure to kill all the bacteria, and this might not be a bad idea since the procedure would not destroy the Calcium in the shell, which is what the plants will most require out of the eggshells in the first place.
Another thing you could do is to grind the shells into very small pieces. This helps in more than one way. For one thing, the smaller the eggshell bits, the quicker the break down process (and in the case of eggshells, this process will take quite a while so you want to do whatever you can to hasten it). For another, scattering the small pieces of eggshell around plants will keep slugs and other pests away from them.
Spreading the ground up eggshells onto the ground or in the areas where you feed birds or chicken can also be useful, as the birds can take back a lot of much needed nutrients from the shells. If you are going to feed them to chicken, it’s advisable to put the shells into the oven for a few minutes, as feeding the chicken raw shells might encourage them to also pick at the freshly laid eggs that are yet to be collected.
While composting eggshells can be beneficial for your plants and birds and is therefore not discouraged, it would be good to avoid composting other egg parts, as it would not only be a surefire way to attract animals to your compost pile but it would also ensure that your compost would give away a smell that you would not be thrilled to have around. All in all, if you take some precautions, there is no reason why you shouldn’t compost your eggshells.
Friday, June 19th, 2009 | Author:
admin
The Spin Daddy Compost Tumbler really stands out in our collection of compost bins and composting accessories, in my opinion, because it recycles a product that would otherwise find it’s way into a landfill, into a product that will help you keep your OWN waste out of the landfills, and instead into your garden, where it can nourish your plants.
Composting has never been easier! The attractive Spin Daddy Compost Tumbler nests securely on an easy to roll base, making composting a
Spin Daddy Compost Tumblr
breeze!
Transformed from a juice-making drum into an eco-friendly composter, this compost tumbler will help you turn your food scraps into nourishing fertilizer. The Spin Daddy Compost Tumbler offers 7.35 cubic feet - or 55 gallons - of composting space.
It’s made of durable, recycled food-grade plastic resin. The strong, leak-tested barrel sits and rotates freely on wheels built into the stable black base. The low-profile design prevents tipping in strong winds, and the wide 16-inch twist-on lid allows you to load and unload material easily. Ventilation holes at both ends circulate air within the batch to accelerate rapid composting. The rotating drum can be removed from its base and rolled to any location for filling or dispensing - no lifting required.
This compost tumbler eliminates the need for strenuous churning. All you have to do is rotate the drum on its stand to quickly and easily mix your compost materials. Turn it about once a week to keep oxygen, nutrients, micro-organisms, and moisture evenly distributed throughout the developing batch. Within just weeks of accruing garden and kitchen waste, this compost bin will transform your scraps into valuable organic material.
Please note: Because it previously had juice in it, the recycled drum may have original markings and scuffs on the surface, which have since been tempered. It also might carry a light, sweet aroma. This compost tumbler arrives fully assembled and is backed by a one-year warranty against manufacturing defects.
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 | Author:
admin
Having one’s own backyard food factory is a sheer joy in itself. Due to the non-availability of space and time, modern homes rarely engage themselves in vegetable cultivation. The entire task of tilling, weeding and planting can be back breaking. Raised bed gardening is the answer to this problem. Raised garden beds can be classified into raised flower beds and raised bed vegetable gardens.
Raised garden beds make the process of gardening simple and pain-free. It eliminates the ordeal of digging and weeding. The raised garden kit is lifted from the ground level. Growing vegetables on these raised garden beds have many benefits. Raised garden bed kit prevents soil erosion, facilitates growth of the vegetables and prevents the growth of unwanted weeds. Its saves time, energy and water. It makes one’s garden look organized and creates a beautiful and a colorful garden. These beds are easily to handle and maintain. Growing vegetables on raised garden beds makes it easier for the gardeners to tend to it as the beds are raised from the ground level. Since it is one open bed, there is more room for the roots to penetrate and spread, thus allowing them to breathe better as compared to flower pots. A good number of vegetables can be grown in one bed at the same time. Raised garden bed kits are designed to retain water for a longer period as it has sufficient soil mass. There are engineered to provide the best drainage facilities along with soil aeration. These beds are most useful during spring as the soil in the beds warm up more quickly than the ones on the ground.
Raised vegetable beds are available in different materials and sizes. They come in forms such as composite timber raised beds, natural cedar raised beds, Vinyl raised beds, cedar rectangular raised beds, Elevated container gardens, Recycled Plastic raised garden beds, Ready-to-Grow complete raised bed gardens, etc. These models are available as ready to use or can be assembled. Raised beds can be built on are own as well. While growing one’s garden or backyard farm have several benefits such as providing one’s family with healthy and organic vegetables and reduction in the family expenses. It is also an environment friendly action as it reduces the impact of transporting and warehousing. It also contributes towards tackling air pollution. All these amazing benefits can be made possible even with limited space, by using raised bed vegetable gardening method.
