Soil & Compost
Worm Tea, Compost Tea & Leachate
Did you know that you can steep your finished compost or vermicompost in water to create a nutrient-rich liquid called “compost tea” that enriches soil and reduces plant pests and disease? Worm tea, a type of compost tea made from vermicompost, has the same benefits as worm castings but in liquid form. Castings are produced…
Read MoreFrom the Rotline: How Long Until My Compost Is Ready To Use?
Rotline Question: How long will it take until my compost is ready to be used? Answer: The timeline for composting depends on a number of factors. There are three basic approaches to composting which can be mixed and matched based on resources available and the composter’s goals. They are passive composting, active composting, and hot…
Read MoreTo Reduce Food Waste, Investors and Community Organizations Need to be at the Table
By Bea Miñana (Closed Loop Partners) and Jessica Toth (Solana Center for Environmental Innovation) Food waste is created at every point in our current food supply chain––on the farm, during manufacturing and transportation, on store shelves, at restaurants, and in our homes. Today, most of that uneaten food ends up in landfills, or is otherwise…
Read MoreSan Diego County unanimously passes ordinance in support of organic waste processing!
Celebrations are in order! The San Diego County Board of Supervisors just passed an updated ordinance that will amend the County’s existing zoning ordinance and allow organic material composting to occur in more areas of the unincorporated county. This will have a significant impact in the years to come on San Diego County’s ability to…
Read MoreHow to Save Your Worm Bins From Aggressive Ants
How do you save your worm bins from aggressive ants? To find the answer, we asked our summer college interns, Maddie and Kelly, to investigate. The worm bins at Solana Center recently experienced an increase in ant populations, possibly due to the decomposing food source and the moisture the bins provided. Although most species of ants will not harm…
Read MoreFrom the Rotline: Why are my worms trying to escape?!
Question: Why are my worms climbing out of the bin and trying to escape? Answer: The Great Escape by your worms means there is an imbalance in the worm bin. If your bin becomes too acidic, too moist, too dry, too compact, full of rotting food, full of food they don’t like, too warm, too…
Read MoreWhat is an Aerated Static Pile (ASP)?
Have you seen us mention ASP compost before and wondering what it means? ASP stands for aerated static pile which is a powerful system that uses large pipes to circulate air from fans through the pile, eliminating the need to physically aerate the composting organic material. This system can manage large quantities of waste and makes it particularly suitable…
Read MoreComposting & Soil Resources in the Unincorporated San Diego County Area
Are you looking for home composting resources in the San Diego area? Solana Center carries many supplies for pick up from our center in Encinitas. Visit our online store to purchase supplies or view the complete list of locations that sell composting products in unincorporated San Diego.
Read MoreConstruya Su Propio Recipiente de Malla
El recipiente de malla galvanizada es una solución económica para el abono. Se puede construir por menos de $20 y es fácil para mantener. Para mezclar el abono, simplemente deshaga el recipiente y muévalo al lado del material; luego vierta el abono en el recipiente en su nuevo lugar. Materiales Necesarios 10 pies de media…
Read MoreHow do Tumbler Compost Bins Work?
Tumblers are composting bins that are manually flipped, spun, rolled or crank-turned for aeration, depending on the style. These bins do not require turning with a pitchfork or auger, instead, the entire compost bin is turned for aeration. There are several variations on this theme. Below is a spinning tumbler that is subsidized by the…
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