My granddad has a theory that when men begin to lose hair on their head they compensate by growing facial hair. I have always wondered about this theory. Now that I am begining to lose my hair I have a tremendous urge to grow a beard.
You know you are obsessed with vermicomposting when… Just before leaving the restaurant you wrap some leftover broccoli in a napkin and put it in your pocket to take home to your red wigglers.
Crazy tomato just started growing out of the presto hoop bin. This tomato is from a tomato that I threw in the bin at some point. This open bin never got as hot as my compost tumblers which is why tomato seeds are able to germinate, sprout and thrive. I needed to harvest the compost so I transplanted it to my other presto hoop bin. If the tomato survives the transplant I will update with progress.
Opening your compost bin and finding these critters can be quite a surprise. The BSFL are in my DIY compost can. I also had these black soldier fly larvae in my outdoor worm bins. I spent hours trying to get these guys out of the worm bins. I ended up searching google for “white worm maggots”, “compost maggots”, “white bugs in compost pile”. It turns out that the black soldier fly larvae are great composters and the red wigglers like to eat what the black soldier flies leave behind. The black soldier fly larvae are beneficial to the composting process. They help to compost kitchen scraps in very small amounts of time. As an additional bonus, the adult flies don’t carry pathogens and are not interested in entering your home like normal house flies. For more info on soldier flies and the beneficial larvae, check out the links below.
Links: Black Soldier Fly – Wikipedia | The BioPod | Black Soldier Fly Blog 1 | Black Soldier Fly Blog 2
I guess I got the ratio of green and brown compost ingredients correct this time. This temp is taken from one of my compost tumblers.The temperature outside was about 60 degress and the compost is over 120 degrees. Steam coming from the pile is a good thing. This batch of compost has been going for about 2 weeks and is already looking pretty good.
This is a great compost thermometer for under $20 and with free shipping… Mantis Compost Thermometer
I am always looking for faster ways to generate quality compost. Ensuring the pile has plenty of air is a great way to speed up the composting process. The solution is a compost tumbler. Store bought tumblers can be expensive (I think they are worth it). I wanted to create a compost tumbler, but for less money than a store bought version. I bought two food grade screw top containers. The containers were used to transport olives in their past life. Now with one modification they will help me to generate compost in less time. These containers have enough room to get a mass of compost big enough to heat up. I have tried 5 gallon bucket composters and they just don’t give you enough compost mass to heat up. One of the primary goals is to get as much air to the microbes and bacteria that generate compost. I drilled small holes (1/8″) all around the sides and bottom of the container. I add ingredients that I have stockpiled for the tumbler. If everything is combined in the correct ratio the compost will heat up and really cook delivering great compost in less time. To rotate the compost tumbler I just push it over and roll it on the ground. Simple, yet effective.
Hurricane Ike ripped through Houston causing quite a bit of damage. This photo was taken on Memorial at I-10. I am sure the owner parked the Jag next to the wall thinking it would be safer… makes sense to me, but unfortunately his car was the only car in the parking lot that received any damage.
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The precious, little eggling looks and feels like an extra large egg, but crack its top and discover a garden ready to grow! Cultivation is easy — seeds are already sown into eggling’s fortified peat mixture, just crack it’s top (by tapping on it with a spoon), water and place in bright spot. Plants grow for up to five months in the eggling, after which it can be planted directly in soil.
Extremely popular in Japan where it is hand made of white porous ceramic, the eggling (54mm x 47.5mm) comes with a terra cotta tray and an extra seed pack to insure success. Ten egglings are available: three herbs (basil, mint and thyme), three flowers (chrysanthemum, phlox, petunia), and four special edition varieties (lavender, cactus, red pepper, and wild strawberry). In its handsome gift box, the eggling makes a clever and delightful gift for the chef, gardener or anyone who loves the cute and curious.
Links: Eggling Website | How it Works | New Products | Where to Buy
When I make a cup of coffee I always put the used coffee grounds in the compost pile. Coffee grounds add nitrogen to the pile. I read online somewhere that Starbucks has a program called grounds for gardens. I went to Starbucks to grab a latte and asked them if I could have some coffee grounds. They said sure… and gave me a 30 pound bag of coffee grounds. I added it to my presto hoop bin. The coffee grounds made the compost pile really heat up. I put some of the coffee in my worm bin and it made the worm bin too hot. I think moderation is the key in a worm bin. Coffee grounds could be used to keep the worm bin warm in the winter.
We have added one more chain option for the brass knuckle pendant. The pendant comes on an 18″ sterling silver curved bar necklace. Check it out over at the etsy site.
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