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New tomato disease - ToBRFV
A new tomato disease called Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV) was found in tomatoes in Jordan in 2015. It has spread to California, Mexico, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, the UK, China, Saudi Arabia, and Greece. While it only affects only tomatoes and peppers, it causes fruits to get brown wrinkled spots that…
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Mulching vegetable beds before winter
It is a question to those who have four seasons. In our area (Austrian Alps) the autumn is already here and winter, hopefully, will come. I am finalising harvesting vegetables and fruit and the vegetable beds will soon be empty. What do you use for mulching your empty vegetable beds? this year I have lots of comfrey in my…
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Compost Container
I have a veggie bed and a few waist high plant beds. Not sure how much compost I will need. I was thinking of buying a compost container on line that turns. Can anyone suggest a good one and size?
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DIY no PVC worm tower
I was reading a thread elsewhere about DIY worm towers put into gardens. One concern was lack of surface area, because composting worms only stay within the top 2". The soil they are in/surrounding the structure also should be lighter & not compacted. Third, and I feel this is most important, cut or drilled pvc pipe may…
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Bokashi Composting
I've been doing some content writing, and tonight I had to research Bokashi composting. It's interesting. I'm especially interested in the ability to compost animal proteins and bones! Here are some articles I used. The Basics of Bokashi Composting (thespruce.com) Bokashi Composting: Step-by-Step Guide (treehugger.com)…
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New to Composting. Need Help
I am sure everyone here is very good at composting and it probably is a very easy process. I am struggling to get my compost pile to even compost. I have a stand alone bin, of which I read and read that one could layer straw for your browns then a layer of greens and so on. I did that and the straw is NOT breaking down…
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What would be the best composting system in bear country?
I have two cleared acres in the midst of a redwood forest and the critters abound. But how to keep them all out of the compost? Thanks!
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fertilizing advice and fertilizing in times of heavy rain
Hello, should I be fertilizing more, less, or the same, in times of heavy rain? I was thinking that maybe some of the nutrients were going to be running out of the pots, but maybe that is incorrect? Also, does anyone know of any good guidelines for what fertilizers should not or should be used with certain plants? For…
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compost
I'm working on a compost system that will use on our farm. The base is a simple and free pallet system where we will build boxes as we go. 1) spent trays from our microgreens operation and 2) veg scraps from a store and a restaurant. I want to make it as simple and low maintenance as possible, to the extent that I am…
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Is there a great alternative for greensand?
We do not have it readily available in Australia.
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new to composting
Just starting to compost... all I have on hand right now are some veg/fruit scraps, wood ash, coffee grounds and egg shells. From what I understand I am heavier in nitrogen here than carbon. Is it okay to throw this all in as is? Is there a max of wood ash that should be used. Really unsure how to start. Any advice would…
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Tomatoes with yellowing leaves
My tomatoes aren't growing as robustly as I would expect given the heat. Some stems and leaves seem to be dying back, and the leaves are more yellow that usual. My first thought is lack of nitrogen, so I put some 10-10-10 in water and sprinkled a little on. (Usually my garden is organic, but I'm not fanatical about it.) My…
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Sargassum as garden fertilizer?
So I'm in the Caribbean and our beaches get full of sargassum during some parts of the year. This is a big regional issue. The stuff piles up on the beach in large piles that make it difficult to access the water and decompose releasing hydrogen sulfide. Is it worth trying to harvest this stuff as garden fertilizer and…
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Beware of the spread of Asian Jumping Worms in North America
This article explains what they are, why they are bad, when they got to North America, & how to hopefully reduce the chance you will get them. It includes a very good video that will help you identify them. The guy in the video mentions southern Minnesota. That's not far from Manitoba. I wonder if the Canadian province…
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Is Compost Tea Safe for Seedlings?
I have a nice little crop of tomato and cucumber seedlings going. Is it safe to feed them a little compost tea to give them a boost, or is this too much for them? Should tea be diluted? I have seen conflicting information about this on the internet.
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Harvesting vermicompost
I've been keeping worms for a little over a year now. I have a homemade bin made from a rectangular plastic storage tub. The website I learned from said when you get ready to harvest you only put the food on one side, the worms will travel to that side and you can harvest the other side. That is not my experience even…
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Composting
I do not know the difference between 1). dried tall grass (5 feet), 2). Straw and 3). Hay. Can I use any of these for (the brown carbon portion) composting or do I run the risk of of sowing weed seeds? Thank you for your help. - David
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Funny Movie About Compost and Composting
Hey friends! I'm so excited to feature David the Good. He's a Grow Network blogger, crazy composting champion and established author. Dave has over 100 fruit trees, 20 gardening beds and a collection of resources for simple and easy gardening. 🌱 He literally knows how to make anything useful for the garden. Check out The…
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A little Epsom Salt goes a LOOOOng Way!
The other morning I did a quick foliar feed with epsom salt in my watering can. I can really tell a difference in the growth of the plants. This morning was a bit cloudy out so I did another quick foliar feed with the epsom salt. I find that the more mature a plant gets, the less susceptible it becomes to leaf minors -…
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Has anyone tried "Dig and Drop" composting?
So, this sounds interesting -- the "dig and drop" method of composting where you literally dig a hole in your garden, drop in the food waste, re-cover it with soil, and let 'er rot. Anyone tried this before? What are the pros and cons, in your experience, and do you have any tips for making it work? Thanks! :)
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Down and Dirty with Compost
I just got done watching this video on compost. It has a lot of good info for beginners and some need microscope slides as well. Enjoy!
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Article about using leftover whey for soil amendment and plant fertilizer
I thought the article would be useful for some of you. As for me, I am wondering if powdered whey past its expiration date might be useful as well.…
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Soil for new raised bed
Wondering what people use for soil when building a new raised bed? We have bed ready to go and no access to organic soil. Please share your ideas. Thanks
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PLANTING COVER CROPS IN THE HOME GARDEN
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Mushroom compost question
We have bought mushroom compost before because we cannot make enough compost for our huge garden. This time it was steaming, smelly, had bits of straw, and attracted flies. I was horrified, but I think I need to let it sit for a long time before using it, right?
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How to manage composting in a community garden
If you have experience with a community garden, how is compost handled? What is the best policy? Does everyone do their own private thing at home and bring their finished compost to their plot? Is there a communal big compost pile (but that will require someone managing it and possibly machinery). And goodness knows who…
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Vita Mix Composter
Has anyone used this composter from vita-mix? It looks very interesting but is kind of expensive. I could see how it could really help in super small areas and HOAs where a compost bin is not possible.
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Compost Biodiversity- Is More Better?
Hello! [Background: I'm thrilled that my chicken compost run is heating up! I have a bed of 6-8 inches of wood chips in a run that's about 10' wide and 20' long. 16 pullets and 4 chickens have access to it. I put food scraps in one side on Thursdays and Sundays and will start turning it down the 'pipe.' I need more water…
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Making potting soil
Does anyone make their own seed starting potting soil? I have always purchased for starting my seeds. This year did not go well. The first bag killed all 40 of my beautifully freshly rooted Elderberry tree starts. The second "organic" brand was full of fungus gnats and the germination was not what it should have been. Very…
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What should you do if you don't have enough compost for all your garden beds?
I have 30 garden beds. I just cannot make enough compost for 30 garden beds or have enough worm bins. What is a gardener to do if they don't have enough compost or worm bins? I have plenty of cow manure and straw for mulch. Can i just add fresh cow manure to the garden beds in the fall instead and lay straw /autumn leaves…
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Cheaper alternative to coir bedding in worm bins?
Does anyone else use the store-bought worm bins like Worm Factory (--the plastic trays with the grid bottoms you set on top of each other as they fill, to let the worm move upwards through them)? I came back from a Mother Earth News Fair about seven years ago, where I first heard about vermiculture, with a Worm Factory…
