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Compost, Vermiculture, & Soil Fertility
Cynthia Sandberg Love Apple Farms
www.LoveAppleFarms.com
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It's All About the Soil
● Increase yields●Decrease pests and diseases● Increase nutritional value of crops● Improve flavor●Reduce erosion of topsoil●Conserve water
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Macronutrients
●Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium (NPK) ●Needed in larger quantities by plants
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Micronutrients● Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Molybdenum (Mo),
Boron (B), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Zinc (Zn), Chlorine (Cl), Iron (Fe), Nickel (Ni)
● Needed in trace quantities, too much can hurt plants more
than it can help ● Regular additions of organic matter essential
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Soil pH
●Test your soil!●Rainfall increases soil acidity ●Add lime to raise pH●Add sulfur to lower pH
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Importance of Soil pH● Most vegetables want a pH between 5 and 7. ● 6.5 is a great pH for an all-purpose veggie garden.● Your pH could be way off.● Plants cannot uptake nutrients when pH is skewed.
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Soil Fertility
DON'TS
●Rototilling ●Fallow land ●Chemical fertilizers,
fungicides, and pesticides
DO'S
●Double-digging ●Cover cropping ●Organic amendments ●Compost!!!
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Double-Digging Technique
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Cover Crops
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Organic Amendments
●Feed your soil like you feed your body.●Cannot "Miracle Gro" soil into good health.●Vegetables are fast-growing plants.●Need more fertilizer than perennials because you
are harvesting (taking away nutrients).●Always amend beds before planting.●Soil test will reveal deficiencies and and excesses. X
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Bed Amending RecipeFor a 50 square foot bed:● 1 wheel barrow homemade compost OR
1 bag Gardner & Bloome Harvest Supreme or 1 bag G&B Farmyard Blend.
● 4 quarts G&B 4-6-3 Tomato, Veg, & Herb Fertilizer.● 1 quart pure Worm Castings.
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Bed Amending Step by Step
● If bed too full, remove a barrow of soil.
●Sprinkle all amendments evenly on
top. ●Turn over soil as deep as you can
(two digs preferably) using a spade fork.
●Rake smooth
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Composting is.....
The controlled aerobic decomposition of biodegradable organic matter, producing compost
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Building a Compost Pile
● Start with 6" layer of sticks and stalks criss-crossed○ Use twigs, sunflower stalks, corn stalks, or a pallet
● Add a 2" layer of "green" matter (nitrogen)● Add a 3" layer of "brown" matter (carbon)● Water lightly● Another 2" layer of "green" matter● Another 3" layer of "brown" matter● Water lightly● And so on and so on...
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Homeowner Method - Bit by Bit
If you're not building complete pile from scratch: ●Add your buckets from under your sink one by
one.●Ensure there is enough carbon in your bucket as
you add.●Carbon can be paper towels, napkins, Kleenex,
coffee filters, tea bags, torn up newspaper, junk mail, etc.
Caveat: If not enough carbon, pile will putrefy.
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"Green" Matter: High Nitrogen Content● Kitchen scraps*● Garden scraps*● Grass clippings● Coffee grounds ● Yard trimmings* ● Green leaves ● Most weeds● Animal manure (vegetarians
only)
*Cut up into smaller pieces. More surface area = faster decomposition.
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"Brown" Matter: High Carbon Content● Animal bedding
(shavings, straw)● Cardboard● Paper● Coffee filters/tea bags● Cotton rags and balls● Dryer and vacuum
cleaner lint● Eggshells
● Fireplace ashes ● Hair and fur● Hay and Straw● Dried leaves ● Nut shells● Sawdust● Newspaper● Wood chips● Wool rags
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What Not to Compost● Black walnut tree leaves or twigs● Oak leaves and pine needles ● Coal or charcoal ashes● Dairy products● Diseased or insect-ridden plants● Fats, grease, lard, or oils● Cooked meat or bones● Pet wastes● Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides
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Vermiculture (Cold Composting)
●Can be done outdoors and indoors, even in apartments.
●Rich soil conditioner ●Worm casting tea: our
favorite fertilizer.
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The Container
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The Container
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Drainage Holes●Drill holes in
bottom for drainage and sides for ventilation.
●Raise bin on bricks or wooden blocks.
●Place tray underneath to capture excess liquid (use as plant fertilizer).
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Cover Bins
●Retains moisture.●Provides darkness for worms.● Indoors: burlap sack or sheet of dark plastic is ok.●Outdoors: solid lid to keep out unwanted
scavengers and rain.
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Bedding for Inside Bin●Must have damp bedding for worms to live in.●Shredded newspaper, cardboard, dry leaves,
chopped up straw, compost, sawdust.●Add a few handfuls of sand or soil - necessary
grit for worm's digestion.●As damp as wrung-out sponge.●Fluff up to provide air spaces.
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Compost Worms: RedwormsEisenia foetida● Aka red wiggler, brandling, manure worm● Live at or near surface
Lumbricus rubellus ● Aka driftworm, garden worm, angle worm, leaf worm, red march
worm, red wriggler● Live further down
Do not use dew-worms (found in soil)--they will not survive
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Food/Worm Ratio
1 lb food waste every week to start
1/2 lb worms (roughly 500)
:
● If starting with less worms, reduce food accordingly
● Worm population will steadily increase over time
● Then you can start adding more proportionately
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Feeding Your Worms
DO's●Fruit and vegetable
scraps, chopped up●Pulverized egg shells●Tea bags, coffee
grounds, filters
DON'Ts●Meat●Dairy●Oily foods●Grains●Citrus
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Worm Bin Location
●Can be indoor all year round○ Basements are great
●Can be outdoor during milder climates○Sheds, garages, patios, balconies, in yard
●Temperature range: 40 - 80°F○ If < 40°F: move indoors or ○ insulate well
●Out of hot sun and heavy rain
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Maintaining Your Bin● Add food for 2.5 months - little or no bedding should
remain.○ Castings will be dark brown.○ Contents will decrease in bulk.
● Separate worms from finished compost before using.○ Move aside and add new food for worms to move in to.○ Or dump on large plastic sheet and pick out worms.
■ Save tiny, lemon-shaped worm cocoons too.■ Saves more worms, but more work.
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Worm Cocoons
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Common Problem: Unpleasant odorsFrom overloading food waste that sits around too long. This is a photo of what bin should NOT look like! Solution: ● Stop adding food waste.● Gently stir contents to
allow more air in.● Check drainage holes
for blockage, and drill more holes if necessary.
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Worms Crawling to Sides and Lid
Bedding may be too acid if you add a lot of acidic foods. Solution:
●Add a couple handfuls of dolomitic lime and cut down on acidic wastesx
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Fruit FliesSolution:●Bury food waste in bedding a bit and don't
overload●Keep bin covered ●Move bin to new location
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Harvesting your Castings
● Worms move up into food, leaving castings below.● To harvest, remove top half of bedding, which holds
the worms.● Remove the top half to a tarp or box or bin.● Take away bottom half of bin.● Add a couple of inches of new bedding on the
bottom of the bin and water it to consistency of wrung-out sponge.
● Add back the removed top half.● Store castings in a bucket or plastic ziplock until
ready to use. Do not store in heat or sunlight.
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Worm Casting Tea● Big handful of castings in a 5 gallon bucket of water.● Let sit for two days.● Can then be diluted with up to another 15 gallons of water. ● Strain through cheesecloth or strainer and apply to plants
with a watering can or garden sprayer.● Do twice a month during growing season.● Increase fertility, reduce incidence of disease, and reduce
bug stress.
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Upcoming Events at Love Apple● Basic Cheese Making - August 1 or Sept 14● HOW-Day Garden Skills - August 3● HOW-Day Kitchen Skills - August 10● Pizza from Scratch - August 24● Sushi - August 31● Kombucha - September 7● Winter Vegetable Gardening - September
14● Yogurt - September 15● Advanced Cheese Making - September 28
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Final Word on Worms
●Taking worms out of their natural environment
●Creates responsibility●Living creatures with
unique needs●Create and maintain
and healthy habitat●Your worms and your
garden will thrive!
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Now Let's Go Build Our Worm Bins!
● Grab a bin.● Add two to 3 inches of compost.● Put your worm container nested into compost. Don't dump
worms out yet.● When home: sprinkle water - about 6 cups - onto compost
and mix in well (consistency of bedding should be that of a wrung-out sponge).
● Now dump worms into compost - no need to mix.● Add thick layer of newspaper or cardboard to top of worms● Put in shady location● Watch for leakage - you'll need to catch leakage (it's good
stuff!)