Blog Author
brombear
(view profile)
Recent Entries to this Blog Be a Winner. Hug a worm
Posted: 27 Nov 2010
"For All that lives is holy. Life delights in Life"
Posted: 10 Nov 2010
my blood ran cold
Posted: 10 Nov 2010
how i communicate with chefs
Posted: 07 Sep 2010
rooting cuttings
Posted: 17 Aug 2010

All Entries
 

You are in Blogs / Bearblog / my garden /

Be a Winner. Hug a worm

Category: my garden | Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2010 5:57 am

Our bush block is covered in eucalypts and banksias. They give a little, dappled shade, but not much. The leaves on eucalypt usually point down- not only does this direct water towards the roots but minimises surface area in direct sun exposure. Unfortnately, this meant I was finding it very difficult to find a place to put my worm bins. The place where they have been is ok in winter, but in Summer catches the hot afternoon sun, and with month after month of 30 degress celcius plus, worms don't hang around too long. I was going to put the whole lot underground, with a removable green roof that would let rain thropugh and planted out to cool the underneath. I obtained large, strong, uv resillient plastic pallets, made up of many cells to form the walls, floor and roof- the front would have an adjustable height door for access. The are 130 cm square, so would have maintained temperature very well and provided a nice stable environment. Well, I've been talked out of it. This is the old cast iron bathtub we will use instead, partitioned into two sides, have yet to build a box and lid for it.

I have been here a year now. The Australian bush takes not much, and gives very little back- just enough for its own, but no extra for moisture loving hungry perennials and food crops. I have bought in dozens of bags of manure, truckloads of soil, bales of straw. So i was rapt when I trashed the old compost and we got our first decent lot of compost- about 60L of pure wormpoo. It is the first thing that the garden has really given back. Now things are strting to grow, and we'll make mulch etc, the more life out there, the easier it will be to sustain life.

Seeing all that lovely vermicast made me want to break out the champagne, only I don't drink so I had a good drink of water instead! it was extremally heavy.




worm house 9to be) ( photo / image / picture from brombear's Garden )






cast iron worm farm ( photo / image / picture from brombear's Garden )











This blog entry has been viewed 335 times
You're reading one of many blogs on GardenStew.com.
Register for free and start your own blog today.


Comments

 

Frank wrote on Sat Nov 27, 2010 2:25 pm:


Worms - nature's gardeners producing black gold :)




 

daisybeans wrote on Sat Nov 27, 2010 3:47 pm:


Interesting. I hope you're planning to post updates, Brombear. Where have you decided to put the tub?




brombear wrote on Mon Nov 29, 2010 4:29 am:


I put the bath under our decking. It's at the bottom of the stairs down from veranda and kitchen. Here it will be good to access after dark, being close to house, undercover and paved, and it also gets no sun on it but will get the breeze that comes through every evening. yes i will post updates- a bit shabby looking right now but functional. will fix up a little house around it.





Leave a Comment


Login or register to leave a comment.






You are in Blogs / Bearblog / my garden /