Vermicompost, worm compost, worm tea, worm castings… whatever you call it, it’s good for the garden, and it’s super simple to make at home. Vermicompost, the by-product of worms breaking down your food waste, is a brilliant moisture-retentive, nutrient-rich source of nutrients for any garden plant, but it’s particularly useful in the vegetable garden. Most…
If you’re new to gardening, you’re probably interested in using organic quality compost or manure, but not sure which to choose. Making your own compost is confusing enough, but when you add manures and fertilizers to the mix, there’s an overload of information. So what is compost exactly, and how is it different from manure?…
You know how much of an investment it is to build good soil. Amending native soil with compost and amendments can be expensive and time-consuming. If you put time and money into your soil last season, only to find that your soil reverted back to its original composition, you might be frustrated. Unfortunately, it’s a…
When I first started my garden, I had no other option but to place it in the vicinity of a walnut tree. I’d heard they may be toxic to vegetables, but the tree is far enough not to significantly shade or drop leaf litter on my plants. At the end of the season, I have…
Every year, home gardeners toss away tons of old spent compost because, well, they just don’t know what to do with it. Did it go bad after just one year? Can it be saved and refreshed? Buying fresh compost or potting soil is always more satisfying, but not necessary, and definitely not cheap. If you’re…
We’ve all read conflicting advice on what we can and can’t throw in the compost bin. Some people are more cautious than others and avoid composting any diseased plants, seeds, weeds, lemon rinds, and all kinds of materials. Today, we’ll be focusing on tomato plants – are they compostable, and if so, what are some…