Soil & Compost
Troubleshooting Your Backyard Compost Bin – Common Questions
Compost is a very forgiving process. There are many “roads to Rome,” and no two compost piles are alike. But sometimes things don’t seem to be going exactly how you want them to. Here are some common compost concerns and how to handle them. Every composter begins with their own unique blend of compostable materials…
Read MoreFrom the Rotline: How do I prevent swarms of flies in my bin?
While there is nothing wrong with having flies in a bin (and in fact, I implore you to find a bin without a resident fly population) they are often cited as a nuisance by backyard composters. Flies do enrich the bin ecosystem; having a variety of decomposers allows for material to be broken down more…
Read MoreRed Wiggler Worm Reproduction
As composters, we definitely love our worms. And if you have a healthy vermicompost bin, then you definitely know there’s lots of love between the worms, too. But how exactly do our worm bins become so populous? Red wiggler worms are frequent reproducers. If conditions in the bin are ideal, each worm can produce up…
Read MoreCocoa Oh No
I’ve been at the Solana Center for some time now, and the staff here really seem to love coconut coir! They are always recommending it as an ingredient in potting and seed starting mixes and as bedding for vermicompost bins. Coconut coir is a highly useful and sustainable product, but sometimes humans ask a scary…
Read MoreFrom the Rotline: Are Super Dense Worm Castings Still Usable?
Yes! Thick, fudgy castings are as viable a soil amendment as finer, more granular castings. Denser castings may, however, necessitate some adaptations to traditional methods of harvest and application. First, an important distinction: – Castings/Vermicast = Worm manure – Vermicompost = A mixture of worm castings and decomposed or partially decomposed organic matter that has not been digested by the worm. Worm castings are…
Read MoreCritters in Your Compost! (ID Guide)
Compost is ALIVE! Curious about what’s living in your compost? The physical and chemical conditions in a compost heap seem logical if you think about what compost really is–a big pile of food for billions of minute organisms. These microorganisms have certain chemical requirements, primarily: carbon for energy, nitrogen to build proteins, and oxygen for…
Read MoreToo many slugs in my compost bin!
Do you have too many slugs in your compost bin? In a spray bottle, mix in 1 cup ammonia to one quart water. Go out at night and spray slugs wherever you find them. Ammonia will have no affect whatsoever on your compost. It will only kill slugs and snails. If you go slug hunting…
Read MoreWhat are all those different grubs in my compost heap and should I be worried?
Many people are alarmed to find grubs taking up residence in their compost heaps, and the large population can worry some. Don’t worry, these guys are probably nothing to fret about. Most likely, they’re doing exactly what you want them do, which is EAT! They consume your organic matter and in turn leave you an…
Read MoreWhat should you do if your worms are trying to escape the 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 hot, too cold or they just organize an expedition, your worms can attempt an escape from your bin. This thwarted escape plan (if your lid is on tight) ends up with many worms in…
Read More“Rotline Question” of the Week: Composting Pumpkins?
It is pumpkin season, but now that you don’t need your carefully carved pumpkin any more, don’t throw it away! Pumpkin is a great addition to both your compost and worm bin! To add pumpkin to either bin, it is important that it is broken down into smaller pieces. Chop, cut, or saw the pumpkin…
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