Worm Compost Leachate, Good or Bad?

September 2, 2014

...ated worm compost leachate: “Vermicomposting Leachate (Worm Tea) as Liquid Fertilizer for Maize“ and “Vermicompost Leachate Alleviates Deficiency of Phosphorus and Potassium in Tomato Seedlings.” I also found several Extension Service publications touting the use of worm bin leachate. There are some caveats, however. First, it needs to be diluted–at least 1:1 and maybe, according to some sources, as much as 1:10. And you should probably test it ou...

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Shedcropolis: A Garden Shed Made From (Mostly) Salvaged Materials

Mr. Homegrown

October 13, 2016

Design

6 Comments

Kelly requested a small shed to keep our garden tools, pots and fertilizer. I was not satisfied with either the small and ugly plastic storage structures nor the large, fake barn-like sheds available at the big box stores so I vowed to build my own. In a September blog post I wrote about my eccentric design process. Today, I’m declaring the world’s most pretentious garden shed, a.k.a. “Shedcropolis,” finished. For materials, I sourced salvaged 2x...

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Putting Your Civic House in Order: How the Young Members of the Family Help

Mr. Homegrown

July 10, 2017

Gardening

3 Comments

...his surprise he found him with a wheelbarrow laboriously hauling soil and fertilizer to his forlorn corner patch. Toni turned “good” and through interest in gardening got interested in other phases of school work. With him, as with all children, mastery of the soil proved mastery of self. The movement showed parents how the work of children can be made the means of contributing to the family income, thus making it possible for them to stay in sch...

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Saturday Linkages: Congrats Nithya Raman!

Mr. Homegrown

November 7, 2020

Saturday Linkages

...Is Naming Your Garden Pretentious? Mesquite, crucial to Indigenous diets for centuries, works miracles with water and needs no fertilizer. Why don’t we grow more of it? Partial fire season relief, at last: cold storm arrives in California Friday I Don’t Like Flashy Wood – Go Figure Two Gen Xers Walk Into A Retirement Home… Bruno Latour: ‘This is a global catastrophe that has come from within’...

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The Wonder of Worms

Mrs. Homegrown

May 21, 2015

Back to the Garden, Gardening, Vermiculture

5 Comments

...actly do you do with worm castings? Worm castings are often referred to as fertilizer, but they are really more of a plant and soil tonic. They contain nutrients and beneficial microorganisms. they improve soil texture and water retention. At the same time, they are mild. They can’t burn your plants like nitrogen-rich fertilizers can do. You don’t have to be afraid of applying too much. Some suggestions: Sprinkle about 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) of casting...

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