Monday, June 18, 2012

Cherry Pies and Tiger Worms

  It was a productive weekend with Cat.We went shopping on Friday for compost for the new wormery compost bin.I saw this small Heliotropium plant.It has small purple flowers with white and yellow inner petals, but smells like a freshly Cherry pie.I tried growing this from seed before but it failed.It is sat in the conservatory along with the Black Knight Coleus,Fern,and Bletilla Orchid.
 We bought some new netting for the Strawberry bed.The plastic balls were used to hold canes in a fruit cage shape.The netting covers the sides and front.I did not want birds trapped in the netting so there is space at the back for them if they get stuck.The wet weather has boosted the Strawberry bed.There are hundreds of flowers and fruit forming already.I hope some will be ready for the Championships at Wimbledon.
 I finally got the Hungry Bin from Omlet.It is an inverted pyramid shaped bin that uses New Zealand Tiger worms to compost organic matter.The worm casts get pushed down to the bottom of the pyramid.The worms produce a liquid plant fertiliser that needs diluting ten fold in the drip tray underneath the hungry bin.
I am trialling the bin,and will mark its progress here.Cat put it together for me on Saturday.Our normal compost bins use earth worms to help break down the organic material.These specialised Tiger Worms usually live in the forest floor in the leaf mould layer, so they keep near the surface.If we feed them regular they will breed and will keep eating the organic kitchen waste.It will be an organic enclosed loop of making compost and fertiliser.
 Cat thinks I'm mad feeding the birds,and now needing food for the worms!They have already tried escaping through the lid,although it is locked to prevent insects and pests getting into the bin.
  The hungry bin is on wheels so it can be moved to prevent it getting too hot or too cold.The instructions provided tell me what the worms like and don't like.

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