There was a plea for help from our friend Bryan, over at askbryan.com:
Dirt whisperer I am not.
Compost pile thawed. It’s a big heaping stinking pile of rotten leaves at the bottom. Not compost at all. I need some cover and food for my garlic, I think. Thought I could use my compost, but it’s more like a primordial sludge with untransformed leaves in there.
I’m new at this, give me a break.
I could barely sleep last night because of this. Manifesto alert, proceed at your own risk. Everything we post about here on Backyard Ecosystem. Everything underlying the movement toward greening our cites over the last several decades. The very title of the excellent book written by Erik and Kelly over at the blog formerly known as Homegrown…
The Problem: Fruit flies in your vermicompost bin or in your pre-composting container. The solution for both of these problems is super simple. If you are finding fruit flies in your worm bin simply stop feeding. Cover the exposed surface of the bin with coffee grounds. Then add a layer of fresh bedding. The easiest…
Compost myth: I can just dig up some worms for my vermicomposting bin right? Compost Answer: No. The worms in your yard or garden are earthworms. You cannot just dig up some worms from the soil outside for your worm bin unless you live on a working ranch or dairy farm and have a large…
Compost MYTH: It is alright to toss an apple core out the window. It will break down and help the environment right? Compost Answer: It would be much better to save the apple core or other biodegradable waste for your indoor vermicomposting bin or your outdoor compost pile. Besides setting a really bad example by…
The number one chunk of misinformation out there which needs to be shot down in flames is that you need to purchase worms for an outdoor compost bin. Worms are for indoor vermicomposting bins that are designed to process kitchen scraps. Indoor vermicomposting bins will turn out great fertilizer for house plants or limited outdoor…
Thank you Zach for asking some great questions! Q: What is the benefit of having a compost bin over just a pile? I ask because it seems like it would be easier to turn a pile than compost in a bin. A: An attractive bin is nicer to look at and is a preemptive strike…
We’ve all had them. And I really want to know. You compost now, but it might not be going so well. Or you know that composting is one of the easiest things you can do to save the world, but don’t know how to get started. Or You have been composting for years but you…
Pictured above are four options, an open pile (with pitchfork in the foreground), a commercial bin (with a Nuc – a small beehive for swarm transport sitting on top), a leaf mould pile (behind the movable wooden fencing), and a plastic garbage can containing weed tea. If you want to buy or build a compost bin,…
Backyard Ecosystem began as an expression of my determination to make a difference in our own backyard. Literally and metaphorically making a difference at the micro level of my yard and to operate at macro level of treating the entire planet as something I am an integral part of and whose destiny is shaped everyday by what I do in my corner of the world.
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