Florence Grovida Gardening

A GarbageCanComposter

• Introduction to Worm Farming

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Dr*l 8 to 10 holes in bottom of can. Space holes about 4 of 5 inches apart up the sides (stay at least 4 nches away from hoodies and rim). Don't drill holes in lid.

Ucove^very additional 4-inch laye* with an ^ so of soil or sawdust (or 2 m >1 chopped ■prinkli the soil or sawclu t vci every addition up excess moisture and keep away Hies. Attach tnti securely with the tiedown strap lo keep anrv,,J> tolling the con around illy : > tind ^^

contents. Add enough wate» to roo>slen inghxi»tn*.^ they dry out.

^icV a convergent spot. Arrange the three bricks so that the/ provide a stable base It your con sits on o patio or deck, place a tray underneath the bricks to catch any dnps (they can stain). Place 2 to 4 inches of loose, dry material Ichopj^ed leaves or straw) in the bottom

A Simple Large Bin

If you want a sturdy, simple-to-make bin that can handle larger volumes of material, wire mesh is the answer. A five-panel bin is more effective than a square one, as the material in the corners of a square bin never heats up and takes a long time to break down. A cylinder of 36-inch-wide chicken wire is even simpler but flimsier. (For metric equivalents, see "Useful Conversions" on page 208.)

Materials

• 15 feet of sturdy, 2-ft.-wide plastic-coated wire mesh (12- or 16-gauge)
• 20 metal or sturdy plastic clips (or plastic-coated flexible wire ties)
• Heavy-duty wire or tin snips
• Pliers
• Work gloves

Cut five 3-fooi-long sections of wire mesh. Leave long wires along one cut edge of each panel (the top), and cut those on the other edge (the bottom) flush with the horizontal wire. Using pliers, bend over and clamp each long wire flush with the mesh.

Attach the long edges of eoch panel to the adjacent panel, forming a pentagon. Clip or tie each 'seam at the lop and bottom, and in two pfoces in between

| Find or aeate a level site large enough to hold two bins side-byside. To turn and aerate, tug the bin up and off the pile. Pioce the empty bin next to ?he pile Fork the piled material into the empty bin, mixing wed

Triple Bin: Cadillac of

Composters

Materials

• Four 10-ft., pressure-treated 2 x 4s
• Eight frit., pressure-treated 2 x4s
• One 9-ft., two 6-ft.. and six 3-ft. 2 x 2s (pressure-treated) Two 6-ft cedar 2 x fe
• Nine 6-ft. cedar 1 x&
• 22 feet M-in., 3-ft.-wide hardware cloth (to be cut into one 9 ft. piece and four 37-in. pieces)
• Twelve V^-in. carriage bolts, 4 in. long, with washers and nuts
• 3 lbs. 16d galvanized nails V2 lb. 8d galvanized casement nails
• 25(3 chicken wire staples
• Two 10ft. sheets clear corrugated fiberglass roofing (4 oz.; 2 feet wide)
• Three 8-ft. corrugated wood strips ^ 40 gasketed aluminum nails for corrugated fiberglass roofing v- Two 3-in. zinc-plated hinges for lid
• Four flat 4-in. corner braces with screws
• Four flat 3-in. T-braces with screws

Tools

Hand saw or circular power saw

• Drill with '/2-in. bits (for bolts) and
• in. bits (for nails)
• Screwdriver
• Hammer w- Tin snips or sturdy wire cutters
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• in. socket wrench i Carpenter's square

Power stapler (optional)

For composting large volumes, nothing beats the triple-bin sjMem. first binholdr new. accumulating layer Wh< il»i> bin is. full, itsci)fl tents are turned into tin *vond bin rurnm. Once most of ttfjift ial has broken down, the contents- of tin second bin are i<>rl e im<> the third bin, which holds compost until it is finished.

These directions are for the smallest dimensions that allow hot piles. For hot (fast) compost, chop all material* and turn the pile- in place every week to 10 days, in addition to turning them into th»- \-\t bin. This design uses wire mesh for maximum aeration and to reduce cost. You can substitute cedar beards or pressure-treated wood for the sides; space them at least Vz inch apart for air circulation. Wear work gloves when handling hardware cloth, and wear eye and ear prot<-ction when cutting lumber and assembling bins. (For metric equivalents see "Useful Conversions'' on page 208.)

Build Dividers i

jCut one 3 1 '/2-inch and one 36-inch piece from each 6fooi 2 x 4. Butt-end nail the four pieces into a 35 x 36 inch square fe ~ -other three sections. Cut four 37-inch-!ong sections of hardware clatter edges back 1 inch. Stretch cloth across each frame, check frame to* -ness, and staple screen tightly into place every 4 inches around edge-

70 skcrbts to orbat soil

2 Cut 9-foot pieces out of the foui 10-foot boards; two of these will be baseboards and one will be the top board at the back (save the last board for step 6). Position the four dividers on edge parallel to one another, 3 feet apart. Measure and mark center points on the two inside dividers. Position the two baseboards on top of dividers. Make outer dividers/sides flush with the ends of the baseboards. Measure 3 feet in from each end and mark positions for the two inside dividers. Line up the center lines with the 3-foot marks, making front edge flush with the baseboard. Drill a VS-inch hole through each junction, centered linch from the inside edge. Secure baseboards with carriage bolts, but don't tighten yet.

Turn the unit right-side up and repeat the Process (or the top 9-foot board in back. Using e carpenter's square (or by measuring beiween Opposing corners and adjusting until measure men,s exoctly equal), make sure bin is puQHB; tighten all bolts securely. Fasten a 9-^long piece of hardware cloth securely ro

~ o( bin, driving staples every A inches Ptound the tame

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Make Front Slats and Runners

Cut the six 3-foot 2 x 2s down to 34 inches long for the inside (back) runners. Nail one inside rung ner parallel to the front runners on the side of each divider, leaving a 1-inch gap for slots. Cut all the 1 x 6 cedar boards into slats 31 Va inches long reinsert in runner slots. Do not nail in place; you'll wort to remove these slats to get at your compost. Tne runners allow you to easily slide the slats in and out.

Hh Cut four 36-inch-long 2 x 6s for front slat runners Nail one securely to the front of each outside divider and baseboard, making it Bush on top and outside edges. Center the remaining boards on the front of the inside dividers (flush with top edge and overlapping about 1 inch on each side); nail securely in place.

^J Use the last 9-foot 2 x 4 for the back of the lid and the 9-foot 2 x 2 as the front. Cut the 6-foot 2 x 2s into four 32'1/2-inch lengths for sides and center braces. Lay out into position on ground and check for squareness. Screw in corner broces and T-braces on bottom side of frame. Center lid frame (brace-side down) on bin structure and attach with hinges. Cut corrugated wood strips to fit the front and back 9-foot sections of the lid frame. Predrill nail holes in the strips with Vk-inch drill bit; nail with 8d casement nails. Cut fiberglass into approximately 3-foot lengths to fit flush with front and back edges. (Ridges run back to front.) Overlay pieces at least one channel wide to keep out rain. Predrill each nail hole in fiberglass and corrugated wood strips on top of every third hump; nail with gasketed nails.

Composting with Earthworms

If you want to continue composting through cold winters or blistering summers, indoor earthworm bins arc the answer. They also work well for apartment dwellers who want to recycle kitchen scraps, and for people with tiny yards. Worm castings are richer than other forms of compost; they're one of the best soil conditioners and one of the most balanced sources of nutrients. You can buy bins complete with worms, but it's very easy to make your own (and less expensive). (For metric equivalents, see "(Tsaul Conversions " on page 208.)

• Locate your bin in a basement, storage room, or garage that stays above 40° (5°C) and below 90UF (32°C). Try to keep bins at 60 to 70°F (15 to 22°C), where composting worms are most active.
• Order red wigglers or red worms (Lumbricus rubellus) or brandling worms (Eisenia foetida); suppliers are listed in the appendix. If you know someone who composts with worms, ask her for 3 or 4 cups of bedding with lots of worms. Ordinary earthworms won't work.

Drill 12 holes in bottom of bin, 4 lo 5 inches apart. Or melt holes with o fat (size 15) metal knitting needle heated in a flame; use a potholder and open a window to vent fumes.

Materials

► Plastic bin with handles and matching lid, approximately

I '/2 x 2 feet, and at least 8 in. tall

• Drill with Vz-in. bit
• Plastic tray as large as bin (or sheet of rigid plastic large enough to cover top)
• 2 pieces scrap 1 x 2 or 2 x I wood, about 1 ft. long
• Fiberglass window screening, 2-1 x 18 in.
• Newspaper or chopped leaves
• Spray mister or watering can with sprinkler nozzle
• Sturdy, long-handled plastic spoon
• About 2 lbs. red wiggler worms

J Lay wood scraps flat on tray, and place bin on top. II you can't find a large tray, use the lid as your tray and make a new lid out of a sheet of rigid plastic. (A plastic garbage bag works if you punch a few small holes for air.)

- lay fiberglass screening over bottom of bin; it should come up an inch or two on the sides. Fill bin halfway with moistened bedding. Rip newspapers into 1 • to 2-inch-wide strips and mist or sprinkle until moist but not soggy. Or moisten chapped leaves for bidding. Release worms on top of bedding.

Feed your worms vegetable [or garden) trimmings and/or coffee grounds. Don't add anything from the "What to Avoid" list on page 57, and don't add eggshells (worms avoid them). Peel back bedding, add the scraps, and replace bedding to minimize odors and fruit Hies.

^^ Leave the lid ajar for ventilation. If the contents start getting soggy, pull the lid back to let in more air. If they start to dry, close the lid or mist with water. You can close the lid completely for a week or two at a time without harming the worms. Keep bedding at least 3 inches below rim, and loosen periodically with spoon.

Start with a couple of pounds of food a week After several feedings, use the spoon to dig a hole for new additions. Or spread additions on top o^ e/r, -g bedding and cover with fresh, moistened bedding (or a sprinkling of sawdust). If you use a lot of acidic material (coffee grounds and sawdust), sprinkle a tabiespoor of lime over the bin every few months.

Whenever most of the material looks ¡ike soil, you can remove castings by scraping finished compos! off the top, a little at a time. Or push all the compos' and worms to one side. Fill the empty half with new, moisr ened bedding. Add food scraps only to the new bed ^ ding. After a few weeks, many worms will nave mc-eo into the new half, so you can dig out the old and almost worms behind. Repeat whenever one side appears ready for garden use.

Outdoor Worm Bins

Here's an easy variation on earthworm composting. In summer — or where winters are mild - try outdoor worm bins. Start with an 8- or 10-gallon plastic trash can. Cut out the bottom and drill or punch several holes in the sides. Dig a 1- to 2-foot hole and sink the can partway in the ground. Fill as for indoor bins and replace the lid. Check moisture level often and add dry bedding if soggy or sprinkle with water if dry.

The worms will slow down in cool weather and die if it gets cold. Try covering with hay bales for insulation, but an indoor bin to overwinter the worms is a better idea. If you dig up earthworms for outdoor bins instead of using red wigglers, they'll simply retreat deep into the soil to overwinter, returning the following spring.

Master Gardening Tip

How Hot Is Hot?

lb find out how hot your pile gets, you'll have to Specialized compost or soil thermometers are piles. Well-made hot piles usually reach about 160 F (/I weed seeds and diseases, your pile needs to maintain this temperatureior a few days. Only the most heat-resistant weed seeds and some viruses will then survive. It a pile gets to only 120°F (49°C), it may take a couple of months to kill the same organisms, and some will probably survive. If you don't want to worry about temperature, simply bury pest- or disease-ridden plants and troublesome weeds away from the garden rather than composting them.

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