Also on the Leavalley UA-cam and twitch streams. So if you just tune in at 7 PM Eastern standard time tomorrow on their UA-cam channel it will be there
I was just gonna ask if you could combine the two, worms, and lactobacillus, I was thinking of doing that in my compost bin. I bought fishing red worms from Walmart because it was available, I was and am a little worried because they came from Tennessee and I live in Orlando Florida, did I make a mistake you think or is it ok, Im not sure what I could do about it now, but would be good to know for the future.
I just got my vermicompost bin a week ago for my indoor garden waste, i felt bad throwing away all those plant scraps full of nutrients so now it’s food for my worms. I also thought it would be a good way to recycle my peat moss from my old potted plants by using it as the carbon portion of their diet every now and then. You’ve helped me come so far on my journey, i’m only 17 and didn’t know a single thing about plant care until about 7 months ago so most of what I know, I learnt from you and for that I want to thank you, you’re an amazing teacher and person.
As a slightly older person (is 40’s old!?) I’m so encouraged that young people have started to get excited about gardening again! It kinda skipped a generation, and appeared to be a dying skill, but awesome people like you are picking it up! So awesome!
Love this! I have a huge worm bin in my kitchen since 2015😂 ppl used to think I was weird and now it’s getting popular🎉🎉🎉 thanks so much for great content.
I highly suggest the Urban Worm Bag. I’ve had one in my living room for 3years and no one notices it unless I point it out. It’s top down and very easy to maintain.
I’ve done testing on tomatoes with different composts and fertilizers. Worm compost and an organic fish-based fertilizer that cost a fortune produced the best tasting, most prolific, and all round most healthy looking plants. This was about 8 or 9 years ago, and I wish I had kept better records! I was going to do the same study the following year, but was unable. The tomato I used was Balcony Charm. For some reason, the seeds don’t germinate as good as other tomatoes, but once they sprout, they’re my favourite little compact tomato plant. 🍅 Oh yeah… the worm compost! Very worth having those critters. 😁
I have two compost bins: one is simply shredded fall leaves that I use to mulch almost everything. By the end of the next summer I usually have some great leaf mould; the second is a mixture of leaves and kitchen scraps-that has a colony of worms that never completely freeze in winter (I live in Halifax). I don’t recall adding worms, they just showed up! I’m not sure the result is completely processed by worms, but it smells good, has a nice texture, and has few worms still in it. That goes on my garden beds in a no-till application. The other thing I do is chop and drop foliage right in the garden bed.
Hi Ashley from Bolton, Lancashire, UK. I don't know what zone I'm in but we have a decent, wet growing season with short hot summers. I am really into all this soil food web, something my late grandfather instilled in me from his small holding in Southport. I've really taken to your very informative, passion driven videos' and have watched many a good few times. And yes, I stumble and fall over these Latin names as many do but the content is down to earth (sorry) easy to follow and educational. I watched a video from a guy who uses old, supermarket fridges for his worm bins and I thought what a great idea for keeping the worms active, or live all year. I went and installed a small one on my allotment, using chicken manure, forest leaves next to us with a small river running through it, grass clippings, straw and carboard as well as some food scraps. I never put any worms in, they must have been in the leaf mulch by the river but anyway, my worm bin is thriving with loads of tiny worms in just 3 months. Its breaking down nicely too. I drain the worm tea off and use this on my compost bins or greenhouse. It is very effective so far. I don't know the outcome but I'm happy with the whole process so far. Its been a pleasure following this soil food web and now I've caught up with your channel which gives a similar focus but a different approach Thank you for your research, hard work and attempts at Latin!. Lol
Earthworms lay coccoons and the eggs are inside. As a biologist I did research on vermicompost inside larger constructions. After counting 25.000 Eisenia fetida I could put them into the waste material when it had cooled down. The composting process was significantly faster than in the controls and the compost quality was better. Nowadays cocoons can be bought in the internet.
@@GardeningInCanada now I added personal experience to my first comment. There is interesting research about the worm microbiome. Waiting for the next episode about vermicompost.
Fascinating point of how to use worms to deal with powdery mildew. Started a outdoor worm farm this winter. Did everything wrong but they survived and are doing well now!! We use Bokashi as well. Love it !! Cheers Jason and Colleen 🌱🪱🌱
ooo I would add a ton of organic matter. If possible incorporate 3-5 inches of compost into the top 12 inches of soil. after that top dress with 2 inch of compost and mulch yearly.
Micorizomes and mix or change of manure, WOW! that is a good point sounds like should help as having many types of the thousands is said to be good. I'm hearing Dr.Elgland says compose should have multiple of them Micorizomes. I have been adding almost every type of plants, leaves and even put a few rabbit poos I found in my garden into my compose and about tomato planting time much of it will be a year old, If you are in Ohio next August, I'm planning 34 type of tomatoes and if you promise to stop by I'll try to raise your own sugar baby watermelon, because you are so helpful. Thanks
Perfect timing, just this morning I harvested a 5 gallon bucket of fresh worm castings. I now have a better idea of the nutrient levels in my castings, however; I spoil my worms. Most of their diet consists of home grown materials. Comfrey, borage, nettles, purslane, beet, carrot and radish greens. In the fall I freeze a bunch in my beer fridge in the garage and pack as much in the refrigerator as I can. I also give them coffee grounds, banana peels, kitchen scraps and crushed egg shells. I am sure the castings coming from my bins are at the top of the nutrient level. The one thing you did not touch on is the soil life within the worm castings (perhaps a future video). I believe soil life is way more important in growing plants than a NPK, after all it is the soil life that ultimately feeds our plants. When I look at samples of my worm castings under the microscope they are teeming with life. One drop from a 10% (One part worm castings to 9 parts water) solution has 4, to as many as twelve beneficial nematodes, flagellates, ciliates, beneficial fungi and bacteria. I use shredded leaves or leaf mold for bedding over paper or cardboard. I am now feeding my seedlings worm casting extract until they go out into the garden. I think this will aid in transplanting due to a similar soil type, worth trying. Enjoy your videos.
@@GardeningInCanada This is one of three bins I started in late Oct. The other two I could harvest now but they did not have as many worms. I will probably harvest one in another month and keep the last one until I plant in the spring. I still have about 8 gallons from last fall stored in the basement, that is slated for potting up my seedlings. I could have more castings but I am kind of limited in the foods I want to feed them. I can make up a three gallon batch of food and it's gone in 4 days. That is why I went to using natural bedding, there are minerals and nutrients in the leaves you are not going to have in shredded paper products. In the last 2 years of managing worms I have probably harvested at a minimum 60 to 80 gallons of castings all of which started with two pounds of worms. I will be putting out a video on how I harvest my worm castings. I broke it down to simple stupid, no work sorting through a bunch of stuff. Will let you know when I post it. Take a quick look at my channel Brian Seybert. All I have is a Aug garden tour and a bird feeding video. Still learning how to edit videos.
@@GardeningInCanada Am not sure by what you mean by "how many works to get the job done". If I am assuming how many worms to get the job done , a pound or two. Raising worms is fall off the log easy, people just make it harder than it really is. I figured out a name for my channel, "The Renegade Gardener". I was known in the pest control industry for over 30 years as a renegade, why not continue my legacy. I am so sick of what people shove down our throats, especially when it comes to gardening. I have a boat load of inorganic crap in my garage I will give away, the sad thing is people will eat it up. I have 8 grand kids and their grand kids are going to be living in a totally different world. We are melting permafrost in the arctic, creating methane gas bubbling up into pristine lakes. in the next 100 years polar bears may be extinct due to shrinking sea ice. I could go on and on and on and on. By part, we as gardeners can make a difference. If we stop buying their $#!t then they will stop selling it.(my worthless cat wants in). I am an old man, my arthritis makes everything a journey of it's own. But I am determined to try and make somewhat of a difference. Even if it is to grow a few worms.
I purchased red wrigglers last year and placed them in my various flower gardens. I have been burying vegetable scraps as worm food all through my gardens every couple weeks. The worms are doing awesome! My gardens this summer are doing only fair. My roses and zinnias are small and’ve lost some plants. I also fertilize with EB Stone organic rose food and worm castings. I’ve done this for many years with good results. I did a home soil test and all the gardens that I’m feeding the worms in are pretty much deficient in all areas. Is it going to take 2 years for the soil to recover as you mentioned in other videos? How should I feed my worms without depleting my soil?
Is that u on a Lee valley tools vid that popped up on my feel? It is what I like about your channel and others is somewhat of a pragmatic no nonsense approach
Even though worms make me recoil I have ordered some to start a bin of my own. Since you mentioned bokashi, it would be interesting to know if worms could handle the acidic nature of bokashi if fed with it. The best casting-harvest technique would be very helpful as well. Since red wigglers are typically found in manure piles does that mean they can handle fresh-out-of-the-p-chute poop? Thanks
My worms eat through all the fresh poop from my farm. I mix carbons in with them to break it up but they seem to handle the poops just fine. Dosnt even smell when its ready.
I've done bokashi composting and tried feeding to my worms....they don't like it initially(wiggle around a lot when placed directly on top). After it's been in the bin for a while, the acidity level lowers, then they devour it.
HI Ashley, I just wanted to thank you for sharing all this great knowledge with us. Big thumbs up! I do have one question if you don't mind. How much vermicompost would you recommend using in a peat based soil mix with compost and perlite for my peppers?
If winter is causing “downtime” in your compost pile, that tells me you are not using the right mixture. The reaction should heat the pile adequately (given appropriate pile size).
At the end of summer 2020 I was able to get several bags of vermicompost (think size of a bag of soil) for a great price. I still have a few bags in the garage in a spot where there is air circulation & temps fall to around 40deg F (4C). The bags have little holes in them. They still had an 'earthy' smell last time I was in there a few weeks ago. I wonder how the nutrient profile has shifted during that time. I'm still going to use them this year - I figure at worst it's organic material which I need in my clay soil. Any thoughts?
Usually the nutrient profile is stable for a long time. Especially how you're storing it :) What's your go to ammendment for dealing with clay soils. I'm very new to clay !!
@@clivesconundrumgarden Mine? First step is getting a soil test - see what you have & need. I have compaction & low organic matter, so I use a broadfork gently to fracture the soil a little, then add compost/worm castings to the top few inches. Mulch on top. I've looked at other amendments but haven't added any yet.
@@NotGoddess ok cool !! We're looking to move to Southern Illinois. My Mother in laws place is basically blue clay, I think. We built 7 raised beds and 4 lasagna inground beds with a ton of cardboard, mulch and compost 🤞🤞🤞 Definitely will get it tested, where ever we end up !! Thanks, appreciate it 🌱💛🌱
Thanks so much for putting out great contents. I learned a ton from your chennel! I’d like to hear your thoughts/recommendation about self-watering planters for indoor houseplants. I have a lot of aroids, do you think it’s a good idea to use self-watering pots for plants like philodendrons or monstera?
I was trying to keep redwigglers away from my garden. But, it turns out that every farm manure I can get locally comes with redwigglers. It also came with a lot of the plants from the nursery. So I realized there really isn't much I can do. Atleast they'll make nice compost for me I guess.
So red wiggles can't survive in colder climates. I'm in Alaska zone 4. I'd been thinking about getting red wiggler to winter compost. I'm moving soon and will have a garage. I've been saving my food waste. I saw you video on worms being invasive. Can red wiggler survive in zone 4?
I buy my worm castings from Holland basics here in Ontario. I have always had success with their castings. People say you can get worm eggs in the castings but I have never had it happen. Can you do it with any earthworms or does it have to be those special invasive worms?
@@GardeningInCanada well I imagine that would only be a benefit, however, I want to create some outdoor worm traps using indigenous compost worms in my area and place and feed them in parts of my garden bed through the summer. Here in finland the soil amendments, that I had used back in Canada, are either are very expensive or I have to order them from other countries in europe. I am most definitely going to add the available mycorrhizae to the roots when I transplant. I can't find anything on the net regarding the relationship between composting worms and the mycorrhizosphere.
Great video, Ashley! I feed my worms more banana peels than anything because they love them; the peels are usually gone within days. (I do put in all kinds of stuff, but bananas are definitely top 1) How does the digestion process change the nutrients? Will I end up with high K vermicompost? Bokashi worked very well for me last year. I also bury kitchen scrap directly during the summer. I'm considering trying hot composting this summer. Is it possible to have finished compost in zone 4?
Its likely to have "higher" but nothing astronomical. And Its hard to say, completely depends on your set up, where its located, how often you rotate etc.
Hopefully you chop, freeze, then thaw the banana peels and all other scraps before feeding. It's much more digestible that way than throwing it in fresh, because the freezing process breaks down the cells.
uh oh. Ive been dumping red wrigglers in my garden for a couple years now... Doubt they survive, there is clay 14" below my garden. Any other options of revive old farm land that lack earth worms? My kids collect them from the older part of town when it rains.
Can you feed worms a bunch of crab meal, alfalfa or kelp to make it become more readily available? Do worms process oyster shells? How do they interact with trace elements? In theory could you feed a worm a strict nitrogen diet to get a high N content casting? You Rock!!
@@GardeningInCanada i have been using it , and it even makes my clay soil more air like and fluffy . As ur previous video said ! U should get a Nobel peace prize 🏆
All my hard working cute lil red wigglers, all named Vermie and Hermie interchangeably, tragically passed during the winter when I was not home due to illness. 😞 Do you know a great local place to buy a large amount of worms and eggs to get a worm farm restarted?
One niggling point... in the industry we use an "M" in the word, i.e. "verMicast" and "verMiconposting". Shares the same root as words like vermiform :)
depends on where you are in the USA. if it was covered by glacier it likely has not native species or very few. your state will also tell you if its invasive or not
A video I would like to see is how to use a microscope to identify beneficial bacteria and fungi in the soil and how to ID predatory nematodes vs bad nematodes. The stuff I have found is garbage and no one talked about types of microscopes, x power, lighting, soil mixing ratios, time, extraction and IDing n logging/sketching. As I type this all out I think I’m asking for to much from the UA-cam community and should just go take a class at the community college.
Hi Ashley. Thanks for putting out such great content; I absolutely love your videos! Regarding manure and which video would be cool to see next, TIL that Home Depot (and likely other big box stores) sell human poop to unsuspecting customers, listing it as “Organic Compost” or some organic compost/manure blend. The fine print may say “contains bio solid compost”, aka human excrement. No idea how this is legal and not widely talked about, but it’s real. Google Dillo Dirt. It’s not the only one either. The Matt Damon poop potatoes are a work of fiction. How is this okay? Is it just a US thing, or is this a common practice in Canada too? Aside from human waste, some big labels (cough, Miracle Grow) sell “organic” compost with obvious bits of plastic trash in them, made from local landfill garbage. None of this junk can be good for gardens, right?!
Hi there, I work with biosolids for my job. Biosolids are regulated in Canada and have different classifications just like compost. In case you don't know, they can be spread in agricultural fields just like manure. There is a maximum application rate so that the nutrients and metals never exceed regulation limits. I mean, big box stores also sell composting toilets, and some permacultural farmers use urine and poop in their compost. At least biosolids from sewage have gone through a standard process to make sure it's not full of pathogens. If they have been composted (i.e. composted biosolids) that's even better.
Yea its the same as the hog slurry they do for agric fields. In a lot of large cities in the USA actually sell their biosolids, its becoming more and more mainstream. Alice what boxes need to be checked off for the biosolid to be considered organic?
Worms technically are not an invasive species of North America they just disappeared at from the last ice age and was reintroduced in 1615 and Jamestown from the ball roots of the tobacco plants brought from Malaysia
Biology finds the NPK and all elements on the periodic table in the soil and makes it available to the plant in a few ways. Yes, the dirt you are thinking of.
@@TurboA4 Jason I really like your premise of that 'Biology finds a way...', BUT we cannot break laws of thermodynamics and pull minerals out of thin air. you are correct when you stated "biology will solubilize soil." but the biology cannot solublize what isnt there. Biology can bring in outside minerals, such as when birds fly over and deposit manure on your land, after eating from an other plot of land for example. N should never be an issue, because N fixing Legumes can literally 'pull it out of thin air' lol. But you can have some realy depleted P and K soils that cannot recover with out amendments. and yes, this can be in the form of 'biology' , such as compost or castings or mulch etc.
Hello plant people if you want to join the FREE live tomorrow night sign up here
facebook.com/events/s/using-vermicompost-as-a-soil-a/624613418652595/
I would love to, but I do not do facebook, perhaps I should rethink that!
Also on the Leavalley UA-cam and twitch streams. So if you just tune in at 7 PM Eastern standard time tomorrow on their UA-cam channel it will be there
I was just gonna ask if you could combine the two, worms, and lactobacillus, I was thinking of doing that in my compost bin. I bought fishing red worms from Walmart because it was available, I was and am a little worried because they came from Tennessee and I live in Orlando Florida, did I make a mistake you think or is it ok, Im not sure what I could do about it now, but would be good to know for the future.
I just got my vermicompost bin a week ago for my indoor garden waste, i felt bad throwing away all those plant scraps full of nutrients so now it’s food for my worms. I also thought it would be a good way to recycle my peat moss from my old potted plants by using it as the carbon portion of their diet every now and then. You’ve helped me come so far on my journey, i’m only 17 and didn’t know a single thing about plant care until about 7 months ago so most of what I know, I learnt from you and for that I want to thank you, you’re an amazing teacher and person.
awe! I am glad that I inspired you to learn!
As a slightly older person (is 40’s old!?) I’m so encouraged that young people have started to get excited about gardening again! It kinda skipped a generation, and appeared to be a dying skill, but awesome people like you are picking it up! So awesome!
What would we do without you to dispel the many myths that flood the gardening arena? Thanks so much for your labor and constant probings.
I do it for you guys!
I’d definitely still be hydrogen peroxiding my soil 😂 Thank God for Ashley
Love this! I have a huge worm bin in my kitchen since 2015😂 ppl used to think I was weird and now it’s getting popular🎉🎉🎉 thanks so much for great content.
Love that. You’re becoming main stream!
I highly suggest the Urban Worm Bag. I’ve had one in my living room for 3years and no one notices it unless I point it out. It’s top down and very easy to maintain.
This is super timeless because I just ordered a bin to start vermicomposting!
Woohoo! Congratulations! That’s awesome
Omg I'm so excited. I've had mine for about 5 years. I feed it kitchen scrapes and newspaper 📰 .
Nice! That’s awesome
I’ve done testing on tomatoes with different composts and fertilizers. Worm compost and an organic fish-based fertilizer that cost a fortune produced the best tasting, most prolific, and all round most healthy looking plants. This was about 8 or 9 years ago, and I wish I had kept better records! I was going to do the same study the following year, but was unable.
The tomato I used was Balcony Charm. For some reason, the seeds don’t germinate as good as other tomatoes, but once they sprout, they’re my favourite little compact tomato plant. 🍅
Oh yeah… the worm compost! Very worth having those critters. 😁
very cool
I have two compost bins: one is simply shredded fall leaves that I use to mulch almost everything. By the end of the next summer I usually have some great leaf mould; the second is a mixture of leaves and kitchen scraps-that has a colony of worms that never completely freeze in winter (I live in Halifax). I don’t recall adding worms, they just showed up! I’m not sure the result is completely processed by worms, but it smells good, has a nice texture, and has few worms still in it. That goes on my garden beds in a no-till application. The other thing I do is chop and drop foliage right in the garden bed.
Yes! The trench composting method? It likely works well where you are if your ground doesn’t fully freeze.
@@GardeningInCanada nope, I just lay it on the surface.
Oh! Really. Do you find you get any visitors?
@@GardeningInCanada I have not noticed any. It’s usually just weeds and green foliage, nothing too tasty!
That’s good! I’m right next to massive field so I get all sorts of rodents 😩
Hi Ashley from Bolton, Lancashire, UK. I don't know what zone I'm in but we have a decent, wet growing season with short hot summers. I am really into all this soil food web, something my late grandfather instilled in me from his small holding in Southport. I've really taken to your very informative, passion driven videos' and have watched many a good few times. And yes, I stumble and fall over these Latin names as many do but the content is down to earth (sorry) easy to follow and educational. I watched a video from a guy who uses old, supermarket fridges for his worm bins and I thought what a great idea for keeping the worms active, or live all year. I went and installed a small one on my allotment, using chicken manure, forest leaves next to us with a small river running through it, grass clippings, straw and carboard as well as some food scraps. I never put any worms in, they must have been in the leaf mulch by the river but anyway, my worm bin is thriving with loads of tiny worms in just 3 months. Its breaking down nicely too. I drain the worm tea off and use this on my compost bins or greenhouse. It is very effective so far. I don't know the outcome but I'm happy with the whole process so far. Its been a pleasure following this soil food web and now I've caught up with your channel which gives a similar focus but a different approach Thank you for your research, hard work and attempts at Latin!. Lol
Wow what a plethora of great information!!! Its so great to watch gardening videos about my climate and zone. YAY😁🤗
Haha few and far between!
Earthworms lay coccoons and the eggs are inside. As a biologist I did research on vermicompost inside larger constructions. After counting 25.000 Eisenia fetida I could put them into the waste material when it had cooled down. The composting process was significantly faster than in the controls and the compost quality was better. Nowadays cocoons can be bought in the internet.
Yes absolutely! The little orange ball thingys 😉 haha
@@GardeningInCanada now I added personal experience to my first comment. There is interesting research about the worm microbiome. Waiting for the next episode about vermicompost.
Fascinating point of how to use worms to deal with powdery mildew. Started a outdoor worm farm this winter. Did everything wrong but they survived and are doing well now!! We use Bokashi as well. Love it !!
Cheers Jason and Colleen 🌱🪱🌱
it is all about trial and error!
Love it. Will you consider doing a Black Frass, assessment ?
Thanks for touting the multiple benefits of composting with worms!
Absolutely!
How to prep and garden in sandy soil with a slight amount of silt? Zone 5a in USA.
ooo I would add a ton of organic matter. If possible incorporate 3-5 inches of compost into the top 12 inches of soil. after that top dress with 2 inch of compost and mulch yearly.
Hello how to control fruit flies? Thank u, and what do you recommend for indoor plant soil I live in Edmonton Alberta thanks
gardeningincanada.net/how-to-get-rid-of-fungus-gnats-in-soil/
Good video. I am definitely spending too much on worn castings
hahah
Micorizomes and mix or change of manure, WOW! that is a good point sounds like should help as having many types of the thousands is said to be good.
I'm hearing Dr.Elgland says compose should have multiple of them Micorizomes. I have been adding almost every type of plants, leaves and even put a few rabbit poos I found in my garden into my compose and about tomato planting time much of it will be a year old, If you are in Ohio next August, I'm planning 34 type of tomatoes and if you promise to stop by I'll try to raise your own sugar baby watermelon, because you are so helpful.
Thanks
thats awesome! 34 holy moly
My Favorite Soil Scientist!
❤️❤️🥹
Love this. I'd like to view your videos on vermi composting. Is there a playlist on this topic?
Coming soon!
Perfect timing, just this morning I harvested a 5 gallon bucket of fresh worm castings. I now have a better idea of the nutrient levels in my castings, however; I spoil my worms.
Most of their diet consists of home grown materials. Comfrey, borage, nettles, purslane, beet, carrot and radish greens. In the fall I freeze a bunch in my beer fridge in the garage and pack as much in the refrigerator as I can. I also give them coffee grounds, banana peels, kitchen scraps and crushed egg shells. I am sure the castings coming from my bins are at the top of the nutrient level.
The one thing you did not touch on is the soil life within the worm castings (perhaps a future video). I believe soil life is way more important in growing plants than a NPK, after all it is the soil life that ultimately feeds our plants.
When I look at samples of my worm castings under the microscope they are teeming with life. One drop from a 10% (One part worm castings to 9 parts water) solution has 4, to as many as twelve beneficial nematodes, flagellates, ciliates, beneficial fungi and bacteria. I use shredded leaves or leaf mold for bedding over paper or cardboard.
I am now feeding my seedlings worm casting extract until they go out into the garden. I think this will aid in transplanting due to a similar soil type, worth trying.
Enjoy your videos.
That’s a lot of worm castings. How long does that take you to harvest 🥺😩
@@GardeningInCanada This is one of three bins I started in late Oct. The other two I could harvest now but they did not have as many worms. I will probably harvest one in another month and keep the last one until I plant in the spring. I still have about 8 gallons from last fall stored in the basement, that is slated for potting up my seedlings.
I could have more castings but I am kind of limited in the foods I want to feed them. I can make up a three gallon batch of food and it's gone in 4 days. That is why I went to using natural bedding, there are minerals and nutrients in the leaves you are not going to have in shredded paper products.
In the last 2 years of managing worms I have probably harvested at a minimum 60 to 80 gallons of castings all of which started with two pounds of worms. I will be putting out a video on how I harvest my worm castings. I broke it down to simple stupid, no work sorting through a bunch of stuff. Will let you know when I post it.
Take a quick look at my channel Brian Seybert. All I have is a Aug garden tour and a bird feeding video. Still learning how to edit videos.
Okay will do! That’s crazy! Good job though that’s a ton of extra compost. How many works would you say you have to get that job done?
@@GardeningInCanada Am not sure by what you mean by "how many works to get the job done". If I am assuming how many worms to get the job done , a pound or two. Raising worms is fall off the log easy, people just make it harder than it really is.
I figured out a name for my channel, "The Renegade Gardener". I was known in the pest control industry for over 30 years as a renegade, why not continue my legacy.
I am so sick of what people shove down our throats, especially when it comes to gardening. I have a boat load of inorganic crap in my garage I will give away, the sad thing is people will eat it up.
I have 8 grand kids and their grand kids are going to be living in a totally different world.
We are melting permafrost in the arctic, creating methane gas bubbling up
into pristine lakes. in the next 100 years polar bears may be extinct due to shrinking sea ice. I could go on and on and on and on.
By part, we as gardeners can make a difference. If we stop buying their $#!t then they will stop selling it.(my worthless cat wants in).
I am an old man, my arthritis makes everything a journey of it's own. But I am determined to try and make somewhat of a difference. Even if it is to grow a few worms.
@@brianseybert2189 The polar bears, haha!
I purchased red wrigglers last year and placed them in my various flower gardens. I have been burying vegetable scraps as worm food all through my gardens every couple weeks. The worms are doing awesome! My gardens this summer are doing only fair. My roses and zinnias are small and’ve lost some plants. I also fertilize with EB Stone organic rose food and worm castings. I’ve done this for many years with good results. I did a home soil test and all the gardens that I’m feeding the worms in are pretty much deficient in all areas. Is it going to take 2 years for the soil to recover as you mentioned in other videos? How should I feed my worms without depleting my soil?
Is that u on a Lee valley tools vid that popped up on my feel? It is what I like about your channel and others is somewhat of a pragmatic no nonsense approach
Yea! i work with them :)
I worry about it being invasive in my area as well, but baby worms are so small. How do we sift them out?
you could try to let the castings dry out.
@@GardeningInCanada by drying would the worm just die in there, or would just leave to some location I need to set up for them?
Great as always :D love your videos Ashley :D
Glad you like them!
Even though worms make me recoil I have ordered some to start a bin of my own. Since you mentioned bokashi, it would be interesting to know if worms could handle the acidic nature of bokashi if fed with it. The best casting-harvest technique would be very helpful as well. Since red wigglers are typically found in manure piles does that mean they can handle fresh-out-of-the-p-chute poop? Thanks
Hahah I legitimately laughed out loud about the poop chute thing. But yes they are supposed to handle that from my understanding.
My worms eat through all the fresh poop from my farm. I mix carbons in with them to break it up but they seem to handle the poops just fine. Dosnt even smell when its ready.
Yea I totally believe that. Where are you located?
I've done bokashi composting and tried feeding to my worms....they don't like it initially(wiggle around a lot when placed directly on top). After it's been in the bin for a while, the acidity level lowers, then they devour it.
HI Ashley, I just wanted to thank you for sharing all this great knowledge with us. Big thumbs up! I do have one question if you don't mind. How much vermicompost would you recommend using in a peat based soil mix with compost and perlite for my peppers?
I would do anywhere from 25%-50% relative to how much you intended to fertilizer with liquid fertilizer or whatever your choice
@@GardeningInCanada Thanks a lot. ☀️
Anytime!
Hi maam. Can i ask something regarding the vermicast? How long it will take nutirents in our plants.
Is it possible to do the same thing directly in the garden. Trenches or holes… allow native worms to vermicompost?
You can but where are you in the world geographically?
@@GardeningInCanada Southern Pennsylvania. Zone 6/7 . I have been out doing early season weeding, saw a few worms. Currently nights 32 -Days 45 (0-7c)
3 years for me to be able to use my compost.
Love my Vermacompost!
Honestly mine is 2-3 depending on my ambition levels ahaha
If winter is causing “downtime” in your compost pile, that tells me you are not using the right mixture. The reaction should heat the pile adequately (given appropriate pile size).
I like this room! Is this your grow room?
Yea!
At the end of summer 2020 I was able to get several bags of vermicompost (think size of a bag of soil) for a great price. I still have a few bags in the garage in a spot where there is air circulation & temps fall to around 40deg F (4C). The bags have little holes in them. They still had an 'earthy' smell last time I was in there a few weeks ago.
I wonder how the nutrient profile has shifted during that time. I'm still going to use them this year - I figure at worst it's organic material which I need in my clay soil. Any thoughts?
Usually the nutrient profile is stable for a long time. Especially how you're storing it :)
What's your go to ammendment for dealing with clay soils. I'm very new to clay !!
@@clivesconundrumgarden Mine? First step is getting a soil test - see what you have & need. I have compaction & low organic matter, so I use a broadfork gently to fracture the soil a little, then add compost/worm castings to the top few inches. Mulch on top. I've looked at other amendments but haven't added any yet.
@@NotGoddess ok cool !! We're looking to move to Southern Illinois. My Mother in laws place is basically blue clay, I think. We built 7 raised beds and 4 lasagna inground beds with a ton of cardboard, mulch and compost 🤞🤞🤞
Definitely will get it tested, where ever we end up !!
Thanks, appreciate it 🌱💛🌱
Thanks so much for putting out great contents. I learned a ton from your chennel! I’d like to hear your thoughts/recommendation about self-watering planters for indoor houseplants. I have a lot of aroids, do you think it’s a good idea to use self-watering pots for plants like philodendrons or monstera?
Yea! I could totally make a video on that for you.
I was trying to keep redwigglers away from my garden. But, it turns out that every farm manure I can get locally comes with redwigglers. It also came with a lot of the plants from the nursery. So I realized there really isn't much I can do. Atleast they'll make nice compost for me I guess.
Oh really?! No way that’s really interesting
So red wiggles can't survive in colder climates. I'm in Alaska zone 4. I'd been thinking about getting red wiggler to winter compost. I'm moving soon and will have a garage. I've been saving my food waste. I saw you video on worms being invasive. Can red wiggler survive in zone 4?
I buy my worm castings from Holland basics here in Ontario. I have always had success with their castings. People say you can get worm eggs in the castings but I have never had it happen. Can you do it with any earthworms or does it have to be those special invasive worms?
I have a question for ya... what is the relationship between night crawlers or compost worms and the a mycorrhizosphere?
Are you wondering about how the compost effects the rhizosphere myco?
@@GardeningInCanada well I imagine that would only be a benefit, however, I want to create some outdoor worm traps using indigenous compost worms in my area and place and feed them in parts of my garden bed through the summer. Here in finland the soil amendments, that I had used back in Canada, are either are very expensive or I have to order them from other countries in europe. I am most definitely going to add the available mycorrhizae to the roots when I transplant. I can't find anything on the net regarding the relationship between composting worms and the mycorrhizosphere.
Great video, Ashley! I feed my worms more banana peels than anything because they love them; the peels are usually gone within days. (I do put in all kinds of stuff, but bananas are definitely top 1) How does the digestion process change the nutrients? Will I end up with high K vermicompost?
Bokashi worked very well for me last year. I also bury kitchen scrap directly during the summer. I'm considering trying hot composting this summer. Is it possible to have finished compost in zone 4?
Its likely to have "higher" but nothing astronomical. And Its hard to say, completely depends on your set up, where its located, how often you rotate etc.
Mine go crazy for banana peels and my bamboo coffee filters!
That’s awesome
Hopefully you chop, freeze, then thaw the banana peels and all other scraps before feeding. It's much more digestible that way than throwing it in fresh, because the freezing process breaks down the cells.
uh oh. Ive been dumping red wrigglers in my garden for a couple years now... Doubt they survive, there is clay 14" below my garden. Any other options of revive old farm land that lack earth worms? My kids collect them from the older part of town when it rains.
Can you feed worms a bunch of crab meal, alfalfa or kelp to make it become more readily available? Do worms process oyster shells? How do they interact with trace elements? In theory could you feed a worm a strict nitrogen diet to get a high N content casting?
You Rock!!
Maybe for the 3rd compost idea , using Lactic Acid Bacteria?
Yea!
@@GardeningInCanada i have been using it , and it even makes my clay soil more air like and fluffy . As ur previous video said ! U should get a Nobel peace prize 🏆
All my hard working cute lil red wigglers, all named Vermie and Hermie interchangeably, tragically passed during the winter when I was not home due to illness. 😞
Do you know a great local place to buy a large amount of worms and eggs to get a worm farm restarted?
HAHA i love that
@@GardeningInCanada 😂 They are a tad hard to tell apart, after all!
One niggling point... in the industry we use an "M" in the word, i.e. "verMicast" and "verMiconposting". Shares the same root as words like vermiform :)
I’ll change that in my title and description!
Vermi-Con-Posting?
Is that untruths told about worms?
So I watched the compost tea episode and the. this one … and my question is: what about worm casting tea? 😅
I thought the invasive worm was the Asian Jumping worm. Red wrigglers are not considered invasive in the U.S.
depends on where you are in the USA. if it was covered by glacier it likely has not native species or very few. your state will also tell you if its invasive or not
A video I would like to see is how to use a microscope to identify beneficial bacteria and fungi in the soil and how to ID predatory nematodes vs bad nematodes. The stuff I have found is garbage and no one talked about types of microscopes, x power, lighting, soil mixing ratios, time, extraction and IDing n logging/sketching. As I type this all out I think I’m asking for to much from the UA-cam community and should just go take a class at the community college.
yea absolutely
@@GardeningInCanada I look forward to see that video!
Hi Ashley. Thanks for putting out such great content; I absolutely love your videos! Regarding manure and which video would be cool to see next, TIL that Home Depot (and likely other big box stores) sell human poop to unsuspecting customers, listing it as “Organic Compost” or some organic compost/manure blend. The fine print may say “contains bio solid compost”, aka human excrement. No idea how this is legal and not widely talked about, but it’s real. Google Dillo Dirt. It’s not the only one either. The Matt Damon poop potatoes are a work of fiction. How is this okay? Is it just a US thing, or is this a common practice in Canada too?
Aside from human waste, some big labels (cough, Miracle Grow) sell “organic” compost with obvious bits of plastic trash in them, made from local landfill garbage. None of this junk can be good for gardens, right?!
Holy moly! I will look into this and make a video on It!
@@GardeningInCanada Thanks!!! Dillo Dirt is available on the (US) Home Depot site. Cheers
Hi there, I work with biosolids for my job. Biosolids are regulated in Canada and have different classifications just like compost. In case you don't know, they can be spread in agricultural fields just like manure. There is a maximum application rate so that the nutrients and metals never exceed regulation limits.
I mean, big box stores also sell composting toilets, and some permacultural farmers use urine and poop in their compost. At least biosolids from sewage have gone through a standard process to make sure it's not full of pathogens. If they have been composted (i.e. composted biosolids) that's even better.
Yea its the same as the hog slurry they do for agric fields. In a lot of large cities in the USA actually sell their biosolids, its becoming more and more mainstream. Alice what boxes need to be checked off for the biosolid to be considered organic?
Ill check it out!
Worms technically are not an invasive species of North America they just disappeared at from the last ice age and was reintroduced in 1615 and Jamestown from the ball roots of the tobacco plants brought from Malaysia
It’s true the glacier did their doozy on them. But unfortunately the new environments and ecosystems don’t love them 😩
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❤️❤️❤️
👍👍👍
Vericompost, a silent 'm' i was not told about
no i made a very innocent pronouncing mistake
You put a lot of emphases on NPK, soil biology takes care of that. Biology will solubilize soil
Agree to disagree. NPK can’t be cycled unless it’s present and soil particulates are inorganic and contain zero NPK
Biology finds the NPK and all elements on the periodic table in the soil and makes it available to the plant in a few ways. Yes, the dirt you are thinking of.
@@TurboA4 Jason I really like your premise of that 'Biology finds a way...', BUT we cannot break laws of thermodynamics and pull minerals out of thin air. you are correct when you stated "biology will solubilize soil." but the biology cannot solublize what isnt there. Biology can bring in outside minerals, such as when birds fly over and deposit manure on your land, after eating from an other plot of land for example. N should never be an issue, because N fixing Legumes can literally 'pull it out of thin air' lol. But you can have some realy depleted P and K soils that cannot recover with out amendments. and yes, this can be in the form of 'biology' , such as compost or castings or mulch etc.
It needs inputs it doesn’t just appear. You need the chemical compounds present in the soil provided by organics.
@@GardeningInCanada Elaine Ingham says otherwise.
I have way too many worms, if anyone would like to try vermicompost, hit me up I live in Saskatoon.
I should have taken you up on this offer haha… I had such a nightmare even locating the few I did find my goodness! The first bath I got was half dead
@@GardeningInCanada Oh no, how disappointing!!
Do you live in Saskatoon?
Yea! I got mine from petsmart and they were very cold
@@GardeningInCanada
On the plus side they do multiply very quickly!!
If ever you need more there are thousands of healthy ones here for you. 😁
Hahaha nice!
Intestines of the world.. That's both beautiful and disgusting
Ahahaha how true.
How many times can I listen to someone mispernounce the word vermicompost? Not enough to sit through this video
Too much mumbling speech
Just started watching I dont know what u are going to say be careful lady u dont want to get canceled in the gardening world..lol