How does your garden grow?

[MHFoundation Quarters]

Missy, I'm afraid my hubby might not like you. I've informed him that he is building worm boxes over spring break. We were planning to go on a cruise, instead I got a new range & another horse (for the kiddo)...he already had requested the time off so I should make sure he has something to do right? I was toying with the idea of how could we make them using pallets (thank you pinterest people that build everything out of them for getting me thinking), I have a TON of extra pallets, all in good shape, would I cook them if I built boxes out of them and lined them with plastic of some sort?

I was wondering about the heat too. I leave my manure pile to sit most of the winter and it really heats up, by the time spring rolls around and everyone's coming to get it to till into their gardens it's a lot of ash & a bit of smoke when you get to the center. It's not near anything that could catch on fire but the pile itself, hasn't happened yet, knock on wood. I took advantage of the warm spell awhile back and spread the whole pile on my neighbor's corn field. He does both field & popcorn, he's contracted with Orville Redenbacher and this year the field I fertilized he is doing in a medium hull less popcorn. I donated the poop and after he harvests I get to walk his field (okay ride the 4-wheeler and pull the little wagon around his field) and pick up all of the missed ears to shell for myself to use, yay!

[Lockwood]

Finally! A real POPCORN post that can stay!!
LOL


Don't forget this....

[Missy May]

It is a good thing lockwood doesn't live next to your neighbor, MHF...I have a feeling their popcorn yield would be pitifully low. :)

Hmmmm, good question about the plastic. I have never used plastic to line them, so I don't know. But, my immediate thought would be that it is best not to b/c it just seems that letting it breath a bit is best. But, honestly, I don't know.

I am lazy. If I had 15 horses I would put it in a pile against a bank w a front end loader and call that my container.

Oh, I forgot...I hang flytraps on shepard hooks right next to the bins. Like I said .. my main objective is fly control. My mare is the most sensitive creature I have every seen when it comes to insects. So, her every wish is my command. :)

[FlyGap]

Missy do you have a bottom on your bins? That stud looks dangerous!
You don't want him wandering the neighborhood impregnating every poor ware out there, right!

Are yours in direct sun 24/7?

[Lockwood]

Originally Posted by Missy May    

It is a good thing lockwood doesn't live next to your neighbor, MHF...I have a feeling their popcorn yield would be pitifully low. :)



Hmmmm, good question about the plastic. I have never used plastic to line them, so I don't know. But, my immediate thought would be that it is best not to b/c it just seems that letting it breath a bit is best. But, honestly, I don't know.

I've studied vermiculture a little bit (was looking at it large scale once upon a time) and had a bin like this going for a while as an experiment-
Amazon.com: Worm Factory 360 WF360G Worm...
They are made entirely of plastic, but in stackable trays. The trays have large holed "screens" in them for changing the order of the stack and gathering the castings. There is a spigot on the bottom to drain excess moisture, and a lid, but there is not much ventilation on the sides.
We also did a smaller colony set up in tote tubs with some drainage holes in the bottom, but found it was hard to control the moisture levels (too much) so I'm not sure if the plastic lining would hurt or help.
OTOH, the leachage from the plastic or the plastic's ability to hold in too much heat may not be good.

So Missy, how much is the stud fee on the slimy boy?

*runs off to dig worm hotel out of storage and research worm pedigrees...*

[FlyGap]

That set up is sweet! But I think we could all fill that in an hour, lol!!

That stud looks like he has good lack of bone! Has he ever thrown color? I'm in the market for an "App"adrilacea.

Missy I got all these EVIL trees around, so leaves might help cool the manure?

[Lockwood]

Originally Posted by FlyGap    

Missy I got all these EVIL trees around, so leaves might help cool the manure?

No!
The more "correct" the carbon to nitrogen ratio, the more heat you will generate. It takes very little nitrogen (green stuff/fresh manure/food scraps/fresh clipped grass) to get things going in comparison to carbons (brown stuff/dried leaves/bedding/" starchy" things)
The heat has a lot to do with aerobic and an-aerobic activity. The more heat the more weed seeds killed and the faster it gets "done."
Not good for little wigglers.

Uh...sorry, I just checked and my name isn't Missy.

[FlyGap]

Oh girl, it's sunday and I've only got one cup of joe in me... You made my brain hurt!

I should have said dried leaves, not green ones, my trees would hate me! Those are ok, right?

[FlyGap]

Lookie lookie!
Doing good, it froze last week but they all made it! 48 broccoli, 28 cabbage, 24 cauliflower, three rows of spinach. 300 white onions got put in yesterday ... Supposed to have put in the snow peas and lettuce today but it's a muddy sloppy rainy mess. The soil is much much darker than this photo, just dry.
(Missy I need you to ship me 50 lbs of castings, you take paypal? LOL!!)
Doubled the size of the garden but it'll NEVER be big enough!

[Lockwood]

300 Onions?!
Remind me Not to sit next to you at the next meeting.
Nice garden too! I've got snow right now.

I knew you meant dry leaves. And honestly, it all depends on the ratios if you want to cool the pile.
Slurp a lot of coffee, then go here- Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio - Composting 101
(It's just a chart... promise.)

So, some dried leaves equals fuel for the "heat"
Too many dried leaves equals a "stall out" or cold compost.
Remembering that there is already some bedding/carbons mixed in with the manure anyway, which is what makes the pile cook.

It's like muffins girl...
Too much flour equals little dense door stop stones.
Too much liquid equals mushy crepes in a muffin pan.
Just the right ratio equals yummy, moist, and delish!