Comments on: “Weeds” in my Vermicompost!!

By: norah

norah — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 18:36:39 +0000

I have to tell you that I tried a winter worm windrow, as per your instructions, last fall and I have had so many pumpkin plants come out of it. I dumped the remains of the Halloween pumpkins in the row in December! I have had to pull many of them as they grew so fast and prolifically! They took over the bed and were crowding the tomatoes.

By: Jillian

Jillian — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 07:22:00 +0000

Btw, I got quite a few volunteer melon plants this year. Too bad we’re in a condo and have absolutely no room for them!

By: Jillian

Jillian — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 07:21:24 +0000

If you are allowed under local zoning laws, get some chickens! They LOVE tomato worms.

By: Michele

Michele — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:57:55 +0000

I decided to try your vermi-trench idea this year with a very small herb garden. Of course, I added vermicompost to the garden when I planted to get things rolling. I have TONS of plants that sprouted from that. Mostly from the squash family as well. I know that several are acorn squash b/c they have already born fruit and at least one watermelon. Still waiting to see what most of the plants produce though. Its like Christmas in July! I have never been able to grow a thing (terrible brown thumb) so I was so excited I just let nature take it course.
Overall, the garden is doing great. My sister absolutely freaked over my huge, very green parsley 🙂

By: Tom Stewart

Tom Stewart — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:20:32 +0000

I had a compost bin set up that I filled late last fall and thru the winter. One of the things I put in there was horse manure (I pick it up by the truck load…free!) and the lady that owns the horses gives them watermellon and cantalope as a treat. I took the bin apart with the intention of turning the compost, but I saw a plant starting to grow in the middle of the pile. So I have let it grow and now it has 5 good size watermellon on it. Also there is a cantalpoe plant right in the middle of everything. Your right, it is neet to see what will come up and what you can harvest.

By: John Duffy

John Duffy — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 04:18:27 +0000

My dad’s garden had a bunch of “volunteer” (tomato & potato) plants as we call them here in the midwest. I encouraged him to transplant them into his regular rows. They seem to be doing just fine so far. I am trying to wean my dad from chemical fertilizers & pest control measures in favor of more organic solutions. We’ve come to realize that Sevin dust seems to just make potato bugs fatter & more abundant. I think the little beasts have developed an immunity to the stuff. My mom seems to derive some degree of morbid pleasure from picking & squishing the invaders.
Does anyone have a good (organic) solution for controlling potato bugs? The little buggers are almost as prolific as red worms.

By: LARRY D.

LARRY D. — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:49:57 +0000

I’ve been pulling mine.But the picture of the potato has me wanting to mention what i plan to try as soon as i find the suitable potato for my area.
An organic master gardener has me hooked on trying the coco coir.And Bentley i will post the coir source to your email account.Just in case you find his prices amazing.My shipment came amazingly fast.
Any way,he said you can cut the bottom out of a trash can.And start the spud in the bottom,then keep buildind up as it grows.When you harvest, just lift the can and the spuds just roll out.That way you don’t have to do quite as much back breaking work.Sounds like a winner to me!