Menu Index: Soil building and composting
Myth Busting Worm Food – Pineapple
A quick search over the internet reveals many different sites saying that pineapple should not be added to worm farms. Some sites even say that pineapple could harm and even kill the worms. I love fresh pineapple and it goes into my worm farm regularly. I always observe worms congregating around the chunks of pineapple.…
Harvesting Worm Castings
If you have a worm farm, you will have noticed the dark brown/black, rich humus material within it that gradually builds up. This organic matter is the worm poo/worm castings. It is what the worms turn your kitchen scraps into once they have processed it through their digestive systems, and what a magnificent substance it…
Managing Multi Level Worm Farms
There are many different ways to compost and worm farm. Anyone who is keeping biodegradable material out of landfill and allowing it to return to the Earth as nature intended is reducing their own carbon footprint. I say to you, well done! Composting and worm farming can be a journey of learning and it is…
Hot composting versus cold composting
Most gardeners envisage a compost heap as a hot steamy affair that breaks down within a matter of weeks leaving a rich brown organic material that can be dug into the soil to not only improve the soil’s nutrient levels but also help to increase its water and nutrient storage capacity. The reality, however, for…
How To Make Worm Tea
It requires surprisingly little effort to make your own organic fertilisers from various waste materials we generate every day around the house. Not only does this help the environment, it also saves money in fertiliser and potting mix costs. It can also be done effectively in very small spaces, so even if you live in…
The science behind compost heaps
Composting is a process that can be done in a number of different ways. If we understand a bit about the basic microbiology of composting we can choose a method of composting that will best suit our backyard situation. When organic materials are kept in a pile with a suitable supply of mineral nutrients and…
Worm farming for beginners
Worm farms are a terrific option for recycling all kinds of organic materials in your garden. They are particularly useful for gardeners that have small amounts of organic materials such as kitchen scraps on a daily basis. A worm farm can easily keep pace with the organic waste from an average sized family once it…
How To Make An In Ground Worm Farm
In ground worm farms – a composting method for the time poor gardener How do you find the time to maintain a compost heap when you don’t even have the time to do the fun stuff in your garden? This is an increasing situation I am seeing with gardeners in urban areas. There is also…
How can I use compost to reduce soil borne root diseases
Controlling soil-borne diseases with compost Organic gardeners have long observed that the use of compost makes for healthy plants. A substantial body of scientific evidence is now emerging to support the intuitive feelings of the devotees of compost. There are several reasons why compost works so well, such as the nutrients it releases and the…
The easiest composting method of all
Composting is simply the process Mother Nature uses to dispose of her organic waste materials (in other words anything that was once living). In its commonest form it is the carpet of leaves, sticks and other material on the forest floor that is gradually recycled into the soil. Composting is carried out by various scavengers…