....finishing the soil mix...next I'll add earthworm castings to the sandy manure. I bought these from Gardens Alive online, but when
my worm bins are ready, look out!!
Next, I'll add some of this stuff....
...never used it before, but I was at the feed mill yesterday and thought I'd try it. Kinda floofy, with lots of twigs. Hmmm...not too sure I really like it, but it will add some moisture-retaining qualities, so why not?
Next we'll add some nice black topsoil...not necessarily "chock full of nutrients", but that's what we have the manure for.
So put on the lid...roll it around the yard...
5 comments:
Lisa, I just got home from work and I now need a nap after reading your post! *grin* What a lot of work you did this weekend... and if I haven't mentioned this lately, I love that you take these detailed photographs of every step in the process. :)
Apropos of almost nothing, I bought a bag of worm castings a few weeks ago; I was surprised how hydrophobic it was when I spread it like a mulch. Water just beaded up on it and rolled off. Hmph.
Thank you Kim! I just couldn't help myself...and I figured the details may be helpful to somebody, as well as helping me keep track of what I'm doing for future reference.
Chuck-I've noticed that the castings are quite dry, even when combining with other stuff. (Never tried it as a mulch.) I have had sucess using a "wetting agent" (surfactant) in a hose-end sprayer when my water won't soak in. I have quite a few spots in my garden that get extra dry and water just runs off. The product I use is called "Ez-Wet", and I forget where I bought it....there are other products out there, too. Plus I've heard you can mix your own using a tiny bit of glycerin...never tired it, though.
Yeah, it probably wasn't my most brilliant mulch idea ever. But I like to mix it up and try a variety of things. Apparently, there can be very high zinc concentrations in worm castings, and I already have a high zinc content in my soil (I wrote zoil first, heh) and too much can be bad for plant growth.
Chuck, I know how that goes...I've contemplated getting a soil test done like everybody says you should, but so far I just amend as I wish and see what happens.
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