Compost, Vermiculture, & Soil Fertility

Cynthia Sandberg Love Apple Farms

www.LoveAppleFarms.com

Please keep your talking to a minimum, allowing you and your neighbors to get the full value of the class. What this class doesn't cover:● Growing tomatoes, vegetables, and perennials● Every soil amendment● Every possible method of composting

BUT WE LEARN LOTS ABOUT COMPOST AND WORMS!

Class Introduction

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

Macronutrients

●Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium (NPK) ●Needed in larger quantities by plants

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

Soil pH

●Test your soil!●Rainfall increases soil acidity ●Add lime to raise pH●Add sulfur to lower pH

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

Soil FertilityDON'TS

●Rototilling ●Fallow land ●Chemical fertilizers,

fungicides, pesticides (organic ok)

●Soil Compaction

DO'S

●Double-digging ●Cover cropping ●Organic amendments ●Compost!!!

Double-Digging Technique

Incorporate Compost & Dry Fertilizer While Double Digging

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 make amendment recommendations X

Bed Amending Recipe

For a 50 square foot bed:● 1 wheel barrow homemade compost

OR 1 bag Gardner & Bloome Harvest Supreme

● 2 quarts G&B 4-6-3 Tomato, Veg, & Herb Fertilizer

● 1 quart pure Worm Castings

Bed Amending Step by Step If Your Bed is Already Double Dug

●Sprinkle all amendments evenly on

top ●Turn over soil as deep as you can

using a spade fork

●Rake smooth

Cover Crops

Cover Cropping Basics● Cover cropping aka “green manure” improves soil● Adds fertility● Prevent erosion from wind and rain● Produces and maintains top soil● When you have nothing growing in the bed (such as in the

winter time), put in a cover crop (maintains a “living soil”)

● Good cover crops: mustards, vetch, fava beans, bell beans, rye or a mix

● 4-6 weeks before planting vegetables, cut it down to the base, compost tops, and turn soil over, putting the tops upside down with roots exposed (or if able, break up clods after turning over)

Composting

Definition: The controlled aerobic decomposition of biodegradable organic matter, producing compost.

Pallet-Sided compost bin

● Pallets are cheap and easy to find● Wire together, then unwire to turn or use compost

Three-bin Compost System

● Easy DIY project made of lumber, wire mesh and corrugated metal top

● 2x6 lumber slats fit into grooves on 4x4 posts● Add or remove 2x6s as pile increases and decreases in size● Turn first pile into second and third bins to aid in decomposition

Compost Tumblers

● Promise to give you finished compost in 2 weeks

● Don’t live up to that promise w/o a manure-load of work

● Don’t get benefit of worms moving into compost as it finishes decomposing

● Don’t waste your money

Free-Form Compost Pile

● Easiest one to build● Be careful of N and C

ratios● Don’t let it get too wet in

winter● Don’t let it dry out in

summer● Only works if varmints

can’t get into it and scatter it everywhere

Building a Compost Pile

● Start with 6" layer of sticks and/or stalks criss-crossed○ Use twigs, sunflower stalks, corn stalks

● 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...

If you build large enough pile all on way day, it should exceed 130 degrees Farenheit for 3 days, then cool down.

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.●Carbon can be paper towels, napkins, Kleenex,

coffee filters, tea bags, torn up newspaper, junk mail, paper shredder refuse, etc.

Caveat: If not enough carbon, pile will putrefy

"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

"Brown" Matter: High Carbon Content● Animal bedding

(shavings, straw)● Cardboard● Paper● Coffee filters and 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

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

Now let's go outside and build a compost pile!

Vermiculture (Cold Composting)

●Can be done outdoors and indoors, even in apartments!

●Rich soil conditioner ●Worm casting tea:

our favorite fertilizer!

The Container: Store-Bought Examples

The Container: Home-made Examples

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).

Cover Bins●Retains moisture.●Provides darkness for worms.● If indoors: burlap sack or sheet of dark plastic.● If outdoors: solid lid to keep out unwanted

scavengers and rain.

Bedding for Inside Bin

● Necessary to provide damp bedding for worms to live in.● Shredded newspaper, cardboard, dry leaves, chopped up

straw, compost, sawdust.● Vary to provide more nutrients and create richer compost.● Add a few handfuls of sand or soil - necessary grit for

worm's digestion.● Wet as a wrung-out

sponge.● Fluff up to provide

air spaces.

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

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

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 ●Onions

Worm Bin Location● Indoor all year round

○ Basements are great● 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

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

Worm Cocoons

Common Problem: Unpleasant, strong odors

From 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

Worms Crawling to Sides and LidWorms will crawl when disturbed or when first placed in new bin. If they are crawling to sides or lid at other times, then 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 wastes

x

Fruit Flies

Solution:● Bury food waste in bedding a bit and don't overload● Keep bin covered ● Move bin to new location

Harvesting your Castings

● Worms move up into food, leaving castings behind● To harvest, remove top half of bedding, which holds the

worms● Remove 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: shredded newspapers, shavings, dried leaves, compost.● Add back the removed top half● Sprinkle with water until consistency of wrung-out sponge● Store castings in a bucket or plastic ziplock until ready to use.

Do not store in heat or sunlight.

Worm Casting Tea● Big handful of castings in a 5 gallon bucket● Let sit for two days● Can then be diluted with another 4 parts water ● Strain through cheesecloth or FRC 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

Available in our Sales Tent Today

● Worm castings to get you started on fertility program● G&B Harvest Supreme● G&B 4-6-3 Tomato, Veg & Herb Fertilizer● G&B Liquid All-Purpose Fertilizer● Our favorite gardener knee-pads ● Fan Nozzles for garden hoses● Jams & Pickles

Upcoming Events at Love ApplePest Mangement for the Home Gardener - June 11

The Fine Art of Dahlia Growing - June 12

Tomato Masters - June 18 or July 17

Beginning Cheese Making - June 19 or July 24

Backyard Chicken Keeping - June 25

Indoor Year-Round Salad Gardening - July 16

Garden Mosaics - July 30

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!