Compost Heap

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Maintaining A Compost Heap

A lot of gardeners will end up with large amounts of organic waste. Grass, leaves, dead plants. And a lot of gardeners spend money to get rid of those organic wastes. When they could have just as well transformed that into compost. And it makes a really good compost as well.
It can be used as a fertilizer which saves you money, because you don't have to buy anymore fertilizer. And when done correctly it will be nothing but benefits for your plants, and that's what we are all after, aren't we? Exactly! So next time you want to throw all of that organic waste away, don't! Instead turn it into a natural fertilizer for your yard.

How To Make A Compost Heap

The normal way to make compost is to dump everything in a pile in the back of your yard. This can bring some nasty images to mind and you may not want to think about leaving rotten garbage with the worst odor in the back of your garden. But if you maintain the compost heap correctly it will produce a wonderful compost without the nasty odors. When I first started a compost heap (which was to improve environmental health) I made a lot of mistakes. Like I prevented the pile from oxygen (which it REALLY needs!) and I kept it dry (which I shouldn't have). It all ended in a very non beneficial way and such a foul odor that the plants in my garden started holding their breaths!

When you choose a location for your compost heap, try to pick a spot with a larger amount of square footage. don't be tempted to but it all deep in the ground because it won't do you any good there and it won't get everything it needs. If you've got a shack or a shed of some kind, you can put borders on the roof and put the compost on top of the roof. i've seen it done a few times and it seems to work really well. And you're using a piece of land that you otherwise wouldn't have had! If you can't use the roof (or won't) then just spread the compost out over a larger square footage somewhere in the back of your garden.

Anything organic can be thrown on the compost heap. Stuff from in the kitchen, yard and garden like leaves, food that you couldn't finish, grass and you can even throw in newspapers. But keep it down to about one fifth of the pile (maximum) newspaper or the compost heap won't work very effectively. If you're using a barrel to put everything in it you'll find that it can fill up rather quickly in a matter of weeks. Getting compost isn't hard at all. But getting your garbage to compost is the hard part.
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When the heap has lots of bits of everything you should get the heap wet. The entire heap. This will encourage the entire compost-process. Also chop everything to pieces. Get every piece as small as you can. That way the materials will be composted a lot faster. Also keep aerating the pile as it starts to compost, keeping air in it is very beneficial for the decomposition of your compost heap.

If starting and maintaining a compost heap sounds like something you could and would like to do then you should start by finding a suitable location. That's basically the hardest thing about having a compost heap. Choosing the location with enough square footage that won't violate the rest of your garden. Even though you can erradicate the oder it sometimes has. Looking at it while you're walking through your beautiful garden isn't something to look forward to.

Organic Fertilizers For Lawn

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Many people want to have a beautiful lawn without all of the harmful effects of synthetic fertilizers. If you live in an area that has storm drains, the chemical-laden water draining from your lawn will go directly into a sewage treatment plant, which may not be adequately equipped to process the chemicals found in synthetic fertilizers. Consequently, the treated water released from the plant may be released into waterways and nearby streams, causing enormous environmental harm.

Aside from the environmental impact of synthetic fertilizers, studies show that organic fertilizers are a better choice because they help build up the delicate local ecosystem that helps keep your lawn healthy. This includes making a healthier habitat for the helpful bacteria, fungi and earthworms that aerate the soil. Fortunately, organic fertilizers are now widely available, easy to use and come in a wide variety of application methods and products you can choose from.

Natural Science Products

For many years, Natural Science has been the industry leader in developing organic fertilizers and associated products. In fact, their products are used on many golf courses around the country – so it’s probably safe to say that they’ll meet the nutrient requirements of your lawn! You can purchase their fertilizer in the form of odorless pellets that are specially designed to release nutrients slowly, so that you don’t have to reapply fertilizer very often.

Kelp-Based Products

These organic fertilizers are the equivalent of putting your lawn on steroids. Kelp-based fertilizers contain valuable amino acids, vitamins, and calcium. In addition, kelp fertilizers are known to be especially helpful during droughts and other conditions where your lawn may fail to thrive under environmental pressures. It can be said that your lawn's nutrient requirements are similar to a human’s dietary needs. Just like your lawn, your body can survive and live a normal life on a shortage of nutrients, but will collapse under added stress. Kelp products provide your lawn with these valuable nutrients that can help it survive through times of stress.

Cottonseed-Based Formulas

Cottonseed is famous for providing a steady flow of nutrients to your lawn. In addition, when you use cottonseed products on your lawn, you’re indirectly helping the environment. Because cottonseed is removed from fibers during the process of transforming cotton in fabric, it’s typically considered a waste product. Therefore, whenever you use cottonseed products for your lawn, you’ll be improving your lawn and helping prevent this material from being dumped into waterway or landfill.

Blood Meal Products

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As you may already be aware, blood meal has been used for centuries by farmers and home gardeners as a natural soil additive. Like cottonseed, blood meal offers a slow releasing formula of nitrogen and many trace elements your soil needs to thrive. Blood meal is typically applied later in the season, and should also be used before planting. If you’re planning a complete overhaul of your lawn, you may want to start by applying some blood meal fertilizers to the soil a week or so before you begin seeding.

If you don’t have the time to perform a complete soil analysis to determine which specific nutrients your lawn needs, you can still purchase a number of all-purpose organic fertilizers that will help improve any lawn. There are also a number of organic products that will enhance the results of these all-purpose formulas; as well as help your lawn cope with weather-related stresses. As you watch your lawn go from yellow to vibrant green, you can sit back and enjoy peace of mind knowing that your lawn is beautiful and environmentally safe.

Building Compost

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Building a compost pile is a great way to recycle your garden and kitchen waste. It's also an organic way to give your lawn plants the nutrients they need. It's a relatively easy process that requires little maintenance, so it's advisable that homeowners practice composting.

First, find a good spot for your compost pile. It should be out of sight, and equally accessible from your lawn and your kitchen. Build your compost bin out of wood or wire mesh fencing. Wire mesh fencing can work well since it can stand up on its own. Recycled wood will make for a permanent compost bin, but the pieces have to be arranged or connected carefully. When building your compost bin, don't cover the top.

When layering your compost pile, start with a 4-inch layer of leaves, then an inch of good soil. Add 2 inches of grass clippings or old plants. Make sure that fungi, weeds, and other lawn diseases didn't contaminate the green material you add to your compost bin. Repeat alternating these layers a few times.
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A week after you start your compost pile, turn it with a spading fork. You can start adding kitchen waste such as ground coffee beans, eggshells, and other green waste. Don't forget to turn your pile weekly to make sure that the waste and moisture gets distributed evenly. In two months, you'll start having usable compost. You can dig out your compost when you can't distinguish the components of the waste material you added. Don't add animal excretions, meat, and oils in your compost pile.

Healthy compost is made up of one part green lawn debris and one or two parts of healthy garden soil. Healthy compost is also damp, although it is not soaking wet. It should also give out an earthy smell.

Growing Organic Herbs in Pots

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I think growing organic herbs is the best. What a great way to have them for use in your kitchen.
I do not really want to eat the chemicals that are used in traditional gardening methods. Do you?
Are you new to the concept of organic gardening?
Check out the following information to see how to get started.
What is Organic Gardening and Growing Organic Herbs?
This type of gardening is centered upon adding natural nutrients to the soil. The use of chemically-based fertilizers is avoidedand no chemical pesticides are used.
In some cases, other natural growing mediums can also be used in the place of soil.
How to Prepare Soil for Growing Organic Herbs
You have to break up the soil in your garden area as with traditional gardening.
Make sure to go one to two feet deep with this. The soil should be broken down to as fine a texture as you can get and remove all the rocks.
Have you been composting as part of doing traditional gardening?
Then you already have part of what it takes to add extra nutrients to your soil. If not you can purchase organic materials to do the job.
Add about 2 to 4 inches of compost to the soil and work it in thoroughly. Once the soil is ready it is time to plant.
Which Organic Herbs to Grow
So many great choices! Ideally you should choose your herbs you are going to grow before preparing the soil.
This way if any have special needs for thriving you can add it to the soil.
Some herbs that can be grown are:
Oregano
Thyme
Basil
Bay
Sage
Mint
One thing about mint is that it spreads so much that you may want to plant it in pots instead in the ground. Only because it can really take over the area you plant it.
The choice is yours on which herbs you are drawn to and like. Just make the choice based on what you wish to use in your cooking. Some people use a lot of basil while others use more oregano.
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My mom would freeze bags of fresh basil that our neighbor gave us. It would last the winter and the smell was out of this world.
1. When planting your herbs from seedlings do not plant them any deeper than the pot they came in.
2. Make the hole wide enough to allow the plants roots a bit of space to spread out.
3. Place the herb seedling in the hole and gently cover with soil. Pat it down to remove any air pockets.
4. If you are using seeds, follow directions on planting depth on the seed packet. Water the herb seedlings or seeds in well.
Mulch
A natural mulch such as cedar or cypress wood should be placed on top of the soil. This is to keep in moisture and control weeds.
Go a little thinner on the layer if you are growing from seeds. This is to make sure the seedlings can sprout through easily. Otherwise use about 2 to 4 inches of mulch on top.
Pest Control
Pest control can also be done organically instead of with chemicals.
Having ladybugs in the garden, for instance, cuts down on aphids. You can even purchase them to have enough in your garden.
Other methods are also available check at your local plant nursery to see what they suggest for your area of the country.
All that is left is to watch your herbs grow. When they are mature enough cut and use them. This will just allow them to keep producing.
Growing organic herbs rewards you with flavor for your food dishes.

Beneficial Garden Insects

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Beneficial garden insects are used to control the population of harmful insects. Especially when it come to organic gardening.

This type of gardening does not use any chemical pesticides to curb the activity of the unwanted pests.

So to control these the organic gardener uses their natural predators. The trick is to learn which are beneficial garden insects.

What are the Beneficial Insects and Why to Use Them?

Mention the word insect or bug and some people shudder. Or the thought may occur that the bug that will damage plants. Think of the hard earned money you just spent on your plants. You will know what I mean!

I have discovered that are many of them that help your garden rather than harm it. They actually devour the harmful ones and helps your plants grow normally and thrive.

Check out the list below to see some of the species of beneficial insects. You will find they help with your gardening efforts:
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Ladybugs should be at the top of your list of insects to have living in your garden. They feed on aphids (often called plant lice) for one thing.

Even their larvae eat up the aphids in large numbers. One ladybug can consume as many as 5,000 aphids during its lifespan.

The adults can have bodies that are from yellow to red with very distinctive spots. Plus there are even some black ones.

They give off a foul-smelling fluid when they are bothered. As a result they can scare off predators.

Hover flies are another predator of harmful insects. They are so named because they can hover in mid-flight and then fly off again.

They eat thrips, scales, caterpillars, and aphids just to mention some of the insects.

Ground beetles are either shiny brown or blue black in color. They love some type of shelter to live under such are rocks or logs.

These beetles will eat cutworms, snails, root maggots and more. If you have the sheltering for them they are easily attracted to your garden.

Lacewings are brown or light green. They can be recognized but their good-sized wings with very distinctive veining.

The adults and their larvae search over the plants in your garden to feed on insect eggs, aphids and more.

They hide under debris to protect themselves.

Spiders are very important to the garden for controlling unwanted, harmful insects.

Using straw for mulch and growing perennials will help encourage the spiders to live in the vegetable or flower gardens. These should be attracted not looked down upon.

The above are just some of the insects that give you beneficial results in a garden. There are many more.
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Plants that Attract Insects

Some plants will attract insects more than others. Below is a partial list for some examples:

Anise
Blanket Flower
Broccoli in the flowering stage
Candytuft
Catnip
Dandelion
Goldenrod
Lavender
Mexican Sunflower
Rosemary
Sage
Sunflowers
White Clover
Zinnias
Many other plants will attract insects. These are just some examples for you to see. Grow enough of these types of plants and you will encourage the helpful insects to come live in your garden.

Where to Get the Helpful Insects

Some of the helpful insects can be purchased through plant nurseries or online. Ladybugs are one good example of this.

Others just need the right living environment to find their way to your garden.

Before attracting or releasing any of these helpful insects, make sure the prey they like to feed on is present. Otherwise they cannot sustain themselves.

As an organic gardener you should understand that you cannot and should not get rid of all the insects in your garden.

Instead learn which ones are beneficial garden insects that will eat the harmful ones. This way you can have balance in the garden.

Garden Tools For Organic Gardening

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When you have the right lawn garden tools for organic gardening it makes it so much easier to do.

Like with any other hobby, craft, or activity having the right equipment is a must to get full enjoyment out of it.

Would you enjoy gardening if you had to physically dig holes with just your hands? It may be fun in the beginning but the fun would probably wear thin.

Let's look into various tools you may need.

List of Garden Tools and Accessories

1. Gloves should be the first thing on your list of tools. These will protect your hands from blisters and other things while you are working with your equipment.

The gloves come in various sizes and materials so it is easy to find a pair right for you.

2. Forks are quite useful for breaking up soil, turning compost pile and more. You can find many styles of these with sturdy, long handles for ease of use.

There are even those designed for manure, which if you have farm animals on top of doing organic gardening, having one of these forks will make your job much easier.

3. Shovels are needed to break up the soil to make it more workable. They are also needed to dig holes to plant your crops, seedlings, or seeds in the ground.

There are spades that are flat-edged and sharp enough to cut into the soil. This is the perfect choice to loosen even clay soil.

Then you also need a rounded-pointed shovel for digging after the ground has been sufficiently broken up. This type of shovel is good for scooping up and spreading compost.

It is also useful with mixing it in with the dirt.

Are you starting to see how the right lawn garden tools make the difference?

4. Rakes are needed to do gardening correctly. There are leaf rakes that designed with more flexible tines for raking the fallen leaves.

These leaves are perfect for your compost pile if you have one.

Then there are the stiffer-tined garden rakes made for raking the rocks and other debris out of your garden area.

This makes the soil better for the plants to grow in.

5. There are many types of hoes and some have flat edges and others are pointed. The blades are not the wide so it is easy to get in close to the plants for weeding or working in plant food.

6. Cultivators are available which help to break up the soil. The ones you operate by hand normal do not reach down that deep.

These are good for getting the soil ready for adding fresh compost. The compost is easier to work in when the soil is loosened up some.

7. Long-handled and short-handled weeders are on the market to help get weeds out at the root.

If you have a hard time bending over chose the long-handled version.
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8. There are various hand tools from shovels to rakes for working closer in. These have short handles.

With the shovels in this category, you can dig the holes just the right size for you flowers or seeds.

The small rakes, hoes and weeders in this category help you weed very close to the plants. Also, if you are doing container-organic gardening these tools are needed for that.

9. Let's not forget a wheelbarrow for transporting dirt, compost, or bags of amendments for the soil.

Garden carts come in handy too, for transporting potted plants to their destinations.

A seed spreader comes in handy for broadcasting new grass seed. It can also be used to spread your organic fertilizers or pesticides too. You can do this by hand but it takes a lot longer.

Now the above list of garden tools is useful to do your organic gardening in a simple and correct manner.

There are specialized tools for specific purposes too like planting bulbs.

There are various power-garden tools that get their energy from gas, electricity or batteries.

If you truly are concerned about the environment follow the organic theme, and only use these tools if you absolutely have to.

What is Organic Gardening?

OrganicGardening

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Organic gardening is what our ancestors did but did not know it!

This type of gardening does not encourage the use of synthetic chemicals for fertilizers or pesticides.

Everything you do in this type of gardening is not supposed to harm the environment.

It is supposed to be good for the soil.

Friends With Nature

The main thing gardening organically does is concentrate on working in harmony with nature. This is to try and produce the best growing conditions.

This is accomplished by the doing the following:

Feeding your soil is a priority with this type of gardening. When the soil does not have the right nutrients it cannot nourish your plants enough to make them thrive.
The soil should be loose enough for the roots to travel through as they are growing. This was they can locate the water and nutrients the plants need.
There are many micro-organisms the benefit plants too and should be present throughout healthy soil.

It is easy to feed your soil. Just add organic material to it in the form of manure, compost and mulches to name a few.
Work these deep into the soil, mulch can also be applied as a topcoat. Test the soil from time to make sure it has all the nutrients it needs.

Prevent Problems

Organic gardening is also about preventing problems from happening. Diseases and pests can ruin your gardening efforts.
This is true with any type of gardening even organic. So you must practice prevention at all costs.

Make sure you plants are not just crammed into your garden. Follow directions on how far apart the plants need to be from the other ones.
Certain fungal diseases can spread quickly otherwise. Also do not over water as fungus loves moisture.

This involves monitoring the moisture, amount of sun, and the nutrients your plants need.

Placement of Plants

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Grouping plants according to this is important for the success of your garden.

Before you plant anything analyze which plants you are going to plant.
Pick the disease resistant ones when you are doing organic gardening. This will make taking care of them much easier.

Use beneficial insects to eat the bad ones. Ladybugs are a great example of this. They eat aphids for one thing.
So learn to use the good insect to combat the ones that will destroy your plants.

When you do this along with carefully watching and being hands on with your plants you will see there is little need for the strong pesticides.

This type of gardening is geared to be a healthier way to garden for the earth and you without synthetic chemicals and their side effects. I think it is also fun!

Neem Cake As Fertilizer

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Neem cake is a by - product of neem oil extraction from the Neem seed kernel. Neem cake contains a good amount of natural nutrients. Hence Neem cake is used as an Organic Fertilizer for plants, be it Garden Plants or Agricultural farm.

Why to use Neem Cake as a Fertilizer?
1. Neem Cake Very Cost Effective.
2. Neem Cake gives better yield than Urea and other conventional Fertilizers.
3. Neem Cake is a rich source of N P K and all other Micro Nutrients required for the plants.
4. Neem Cake, when compared with urea, contains more nutrients required for the plants and retains the nutrients of the soil.
5. Neem Cake controls nematodes and other pests of the soil.
6. Neem Cake improves the organic content of the soil.
7. Neem Cake can be used along with other fertilizers.
8. Neem Cake is much safe for the earthworm.

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Neem Cake is a fertilizer as well as a pesticide.
Neem Cake gives 15-25% additional yield than any other fertilizer.

A word of CAUTION:
Neem Cake should be used only in very small quantity i.e., half a teaspoon is sufficient for a potted plant and one spoon is sufficient for a grounded plant.

Should be mixed thoroughly and watered well. It is always advisable to use neem cake well decomposed or mixed while composting.

Or else the plant will die due to its excess heat generated from the neem cake.

Organic Garden Soil Mix

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When a person sets out to plant a garden, nurturing it and making sure that it yields crops are the main priorities. This is something that takes time and energy, but technology can help. The people who work in the lawn and garden industry have produced products to help gardeners improve their crops. One way to make sure that the garden is properly prepared is to invest in a high quality, organic garden soil mix. You should find a mix that comes packed with plenty of natural nutrients, which will allow the soil and garden as a whole reap quality benefits.

Most soil mixes are tried and true and the proof of many happy customers speaks for itself. However, many people are not able to afford this kind of mix. They can still do a lot of things in order to make sure that their gardens are healthy and useful. Composting is one of the oldest gardening strategies around. A person may be able to provide composting of their own and mix it with their soil at little or no cost. If you wish to try this technique, it is recommended that you check a gardening book to find out what works best in compost. People that want to use a custom organic soil mix that they make themselves can do so. They should talk to someone at a nursery to see what they might recommend be included in the mix.

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Spreading the enriched soil mix along the rows is a good way to feed the garden. Anyone who takes their gardening seriously should look into a high quality, organic soil mix, either purchased, or home made. It will improve crops of all kinds, and can enrich the soil thoroughly, for amazing results.

Fertilize The Garden Naturally

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If you want your garden to produce a lush bounty of fruits and vegetables, or you just want to make sure that you get the most flowers possible, you need to fertilize your garden. However, many artificial fertilizers are made from dangerous chemicals that can pose a threat to you and your family. By using a natural fertilizer, you can give your plants the nutrients that they need without having to rely on these artificial chemicals.

There are many organic, healthy fertilizers that are easy to obtain. You may produce some of them in your own home, or you can obtain some without too much difficulty. Give some of these a try to see if they give you the results that you want from your garden.

Much of the kitchen waste that you produce in your home can be reused as fertilizer. For example, banana peels are a great source of potassium for your soil. Roses, for example, thrive in soils that are high in potassium, so using banana peels as fertilizer is a good way to get bigger, showier blossoms.

If you are growing plants that thrive in acidic soils, such as tomatoes, blueberries, or roses, try using coffee grounds as a fertilizer. Save your coffee grounds until you have five or six cups, and then soak them in five gallons of water for several days. Pour this mixture on the soil near these plants to help acidify it.

Calcium carbonate is an excellent substance to add to your soil, but you do not have to spend money on lime. Instead, use crushed eggshells from your kitchen. Wash off the shells and crush them, then mix them into the soil. You can also use eggshells in your pots to build up the potting soil.

When you weed your garden, do not just throw the weeds away. Instead, use them as a natural source of fertilizer for your garden. Weeds such as chickweed, nettles, and burdock are excellent fertilizers. Sun-dry them and chop them up, then use them as a mulch for your garden.

You can also place a large crop of weeds in a bucket and add water. Let this sit for several weeks to let the weeds break down. Stir it on a weekly basis, and then dilute it with water and use it is as fertilizer for your garden. This helps to add a lot of nitrogen back into your soil.

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Grass clippings are another excellent natural fertilizer that is easy to obtain. They are also rich in nitrogen. You can just let the grass clippings sit on your lawn after you mow it to enrich the soil, or you can collect them and use them in your garden. As with weeds, you can soak the grass clippings in water for several weeks and then dilute it to use as fertilizer.

To keep your garden healthy, you do not have to buy expensive, artificial fertilizers. Try these fertilizers to make sure that your plants get all the nutrition that they need. If you wish to purchase organic fertilizer, it is readily available in many stores.

Feeding your Earthworms

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The beauty of worm composting is that it is an easy to dispose of a variety of food wastes, which in turn provide you with a valuable and healthy fertilizer and soil conditioner. Earthworms will consume almost everything you feed them as long as you feed it to them at a rate they can easily consume. The word, almost, is important because while they can eat much they can't consume absolute everything. Some food wastes are too harsh for them or cannot be digested at all.

What Earthworms Love: The list is long and really does include nearly everything. Here are the general rules:

Green Material

• Almost all fruits and vegetables (with the exceptions)

• Vegetable and fruit peels and ends (cut into thumb-sized pieces for faster composting)

• Coffee grounds and filters

• Tea bags (even those with high tannin levels)

• Grains such as bread, cracker and cereal (including moldy and stale items)

• Eggshells (rinsed and crushed)Non-Greasy Leftovers

Brown Material

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• Leaves, dead plants, and trimmings from the garden (shredded or chopped)

• Grass clippings (dry)

• Newspapers and Brown Bags (shredded)

• Straw (chopped or shredded)Compost (dry)

What Earthworms Don't Love: There are just a few things to avoid feeding your worms: All citrus fruits:

These are often too acidic for the soft bodies of earthworms.

• Meat scraps: They will usually putrefy before they can be consumed by the worms.

They also attract vermin such as flies, maggots, rats, mice, skunks, and raccoons.

• Dairy products: Like meat dairy products will spoil well before the worms can eat them. These are sure to bring in lots of unwanted visitors.

• Sticks or woody materials. (Worms don't have teeth and these are too tough for soft-bodied creatures to digest.)

Types of Earthworms

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The best earthworms to use are Red Wigglers, also called brandling worms (Eisenia Foetida or Eisenia Andrei), or European Nightcrawlers (Eisenia Hortensis). The three species are completely compatible with each other and can coexist nicely in the same worm bin.

These earthworms are commonly found in organic-rich soils throughout Europe and parts of North America and live in rotting vegetation and manures. As they are shallow-dwelling and feed on decomposing plant matter in the soil, they adapt easily to living on food or plant waste in the confines of a worm bin. They will eat up to three times their body weight in food scraps per day.

Do not attempt to use Canadian Nightcrawlers (Lumbricus terrestris) or the common fieldworm (Allolobophora caliginosa), the types found throughout North America, because they are essentially vagabonds by nature and do better in open spaces with lower density populations.

Climate & Temperature for Earthworms

The most common types of earthworms used in Vermi composting feed most rapidly at temperatures of 59-77°F. They can survive down to around 50°F, but temperatures above 86°F may harm them. This means that indoor with redworms is suitable in all but tropical climates. If a worm bin is kept outside, it should be placed in a sheltered position away from direct sunlight and insulated against frost in winter.

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It is a good idea to monitor the temperatures of worm bins, especially in large-scale bin systems, which can have high heat retention qualities, causing the decaying worm food to compost instead, further heating up the bins and killing the earthworms.

Uses of Vermi compost

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In addition to improving garden soil in general, Vermi compost has a number of specific and specialized uses in the garden. Earthworm compost is more concentrated than most other composts so use it sparingly for best results.Vermi compost can be mixed directly into the soil, or leached in water and made into a worm "tea" by mixing some Vermi compost in water and steeping for a few days. The microbial activity of the compost is greater if it is aerated during this period, but mixing it with air using an aquarium or fountain pump. The resulting liquid is used as a fertilizer or sprayed on the plants.

 

• The dark brown waste liquid leachate, or worm "juice", that drains into the bottom of most worm bins, can be applied back to the bin when added moisture is needed, or it can be made into a very rich "tea" for watering fertilizing, or foliar feeding. Since it is very strong, it MUST be diluted before use.
• The pH, nutrient, and microbial content of these fertilizers varies upon the inputs fed to earthworms, but tends to be acidic. Test the acidity with a litmus paper and add lime to adjust the pH within a range of 6.0 to 7.0.
• Vermi compost can be used in potting soil mixes. For healthy seedlings, mix one part worm compost with three parts potting mix, or three parts sand and soil combined, or equal parts of peat moss, Perlite and earthworm castings.
• In the garden mix earthworm compost into the bottom of seeding trenches ortransplanting holes.
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• Earthworm castings can be used as a top dressing for house plants. Lay a thin layer around the plant stem covering the surface of your potting soil. Each time you water the nutrients will percolate into the plant roots.
• Vermi compost also makes an excellent mulch and soil conditioner for the home garden. Apply a one-inch layer to the soil around plants. Be sure not to pile it against plant stems.
• To amend soil, earthworm compost can be spread one-half to two inches thick over garden soil and mixed in before planting.
• Worm juice tea is an excellent booster for seedlings, and young transplants.
• Earthworm casting and worm juice teas are superior foliar feeds.

Benefits of Vermicompost

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Benefits of Vermicompost - Plant Growth

The following are the plant growth Benefits of Vermicompost

• Enhances rates of seed germination. The germination rate was 65 to 70 percent higher in controlled treatments with earthworm compost as compared with soil that had no earthworms.
• Increased availability of soil nutrients results in superior plant growth and crop yields.
• Improves structure and growth of plant roots.
• Reduces transplant shock.

Benefits of Vermicompost - Environmental

The following are the environmental Benefits of Vermicompost

• Reduces the waste stream by recycling food waste, and closes the energy/nutrient loop when used to grow food crops.
• Reduces contamination of other recyclable materials collected in conjunction with food waste.
• Production reduces greenhouse gas emissions such as methane and nitric oxide, which are produced in landfills and waste incinerators.
• Reduces fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions required by transport of food wastes since waste products are consumed on-site.

Benefits of Vermicompost - Economic

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The following are the economic Benefits of Vermicompost

• Conversion bio-wastes to saleable products creates new business opportunities.
• Creates low-skill jobs at local level.
• Low capital investment and relatively simple technologies make Vermi composting practical for less-developed agricultural regions.

Soil Benefits of Vermi compost

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Earthworms are accountable for a variety of soil elements including the amount of air and water that travels into soil. They break down organic matter and when they eat, they leave behind excrement that is an exceptionally valuable type of fertilizer. Worms, by simply eating, excreting, and living turn common garden soil into soil of superior quality.
• Increases soil fertility. Earthworm castings in the home garden often contain far more nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium than the surrounding soil.
• Secretions from the intestinal tracts of earthworms, along with soil passing through the earthworms, make nutrients more concentrated and available for plant uptake, including micronutrients, such as calcium, zinc and boron.
• Burrowing earthworms increase soil aeration and water transport. Worm castings when mixed with garden soil create better texture and soil-enhancing properties including increased porosity, aeration, and drainage.
• Enriches soil with micro-organisms, adding enzymes such as phophatase and celluase, and plant hormones such as auxins and gibberellic acid.
• Earthworms stimulate microbial decomposition and improve soil structure by encouraging aggregation of particles. Microbial secretions and growth of fungal hyphae stabilize the worm castings. Microbial activity in earthworm castings is 10 to 20 times higher than in the soil and organic matter that the earthworm ingests.
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• Improves water holding capacity. Worm-worked soil is relatively water-stable and will resist soil compaction and run-off due to rains.
• Vermi compost offers plants disease-fighting properties; lower anaerobic rotting odors; and enhanced microbial activity. Harmful organisms such as Salmonella bacteria are destroyed at a higher rate.
• Attracts deep-burrowing earthworms already present in the soil.
• Earthworm activity decreases the amount of heavy metals present in the soil.

Experiments have shown that as earthworms ingest soil particles they absorb heavy metals in their gut, decreasing bio-available metals between 35 percent and 55 percent in two months.

Panchagavya

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Panchagavya – The Power House

Panchagavya is also known as panchakavyam. Panchagavya is a mixture of five products of cow. The cow’s dung, cow’s urine and cow’s milk are the three direct constituents and the cow’s curd and cow’s ghee are the two derivative products. These five products are mixed in proper ratio and fermented. The mixture is usually made using yeast, bananas, groundnut cake and the tender coconut water. This is a potent organic pesticide as well as a growth promoter. The word Panchagavya means "mixture of five cow’s products," in Sanskrit and it has been in use traditionally in Indian rituals throughout the ancient times and is of religious significance Hinduism. Panchagavya is also known as Cow Pathy treatment in Ayurvedic medicine.

Panchgavya is in use as a fertilizer, pesticide and growth promoter in organic agriculture.
The standard of Panchagavyas are mentioned in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. CSIR is the patent owner of Panchagavya.

Panchagavya Preparation

Panchagavya consists of nine products viz. cow’s dung, cow’s urine, cow’s milk, cow’s curd, cow’s ghee, banana, tender coconut, jaggery and water. The cow’s dung is mixed with cow’s ghee thoroughly and kept for 3 days. After 3 days, it is mixed for another 15 days at regular intervals and then added to the other 7 ingredients and kept for another 30 days. Panchagavya is usually stored in a wide open earthen pot in the open. Then it turns clear and it is used directly or sometimes diluted further with water before use.

Studies have been conducted to confirm the efficacy of Panchagavya for human medicinal use and have shown no positive benefits or significant side effects.

Panchagavya Uses

In gardening

As a fertilizer, pesticide and growth promoter.
As a pre treatment for seed germination.
As a pre treatment for rhizomes like turmeric and ginger.
As a plant growth promoter and immunity developer.

In Medicine
The medicinal use of panchakavya is practiced in Ayurveda. Cow’s urine therapy is recommended for curing several diseases such as certain cancer types, though these claims have no research or scientific evidences.

Do it yourself Panchagavya for Organic Gardening (DIY Panchagavya for Organic Gardening)

[ad_right]Ingredients for 5 liters
Cow’s Dung 500 gms.
Cow’s Urine 500 ml.
Cow's Milk 500 ml.
Cow’s Curd 500 gms.
Cow’s Ghee 500 gms.
Jaggery 250 gms.
Bananas (very ripe) 4 nos.
Water of 2 tender coconuts
Groundnut cake 500 Gms.
Yeast Tablets 4 Nos.
(Available as Vitamin B Complex supplement in Medical Shops.)
Water 8 liters

Panchagavya Preparation Method

Mix cow’s dung with cow’s ghee and keep in the shade for 3 days.
Mix the above with all other ingredients in an earthen ware pot and mix well and tie with a cloth and keep aside for 10-15 days.

Everyday, morning and evening open the pot and mix 12 times clockwise and 12 times anti clockwise using a wooden stick and close well using the cloth.
After 10 days the mixture will turn colorless and become clear.
Then this can be filtered or the upper most solution can be alone siphoned out and stored in plastic cans.

When the fermentation is complete only , the mixture will turn colorless and can be stored for a year or so.

Note:
You will need a wide mouthed earthen pot with lid of about ten liters capacity for mixing and a cloth to tie the mouth before fermenting the mixture. Wash the pot carefully and store water for three days before using it for making Panchagavya. Alternatively plastic container can be used.

Panchagavya in Organic Gardening

For Aerial spray

Mix 20 ml of Panchagavya in 1 liter of water (2% Panchagavya) and use for aerial spray.

For Grounded or Potted Plants

Mix 50 ml of Panchagavya in 1 liter of water (5 % Panchagavya) and use for ground or potted plants.

For Seed or Rhizome Treatment

Mix 100 ml of Panchagavya in 1liter of water (10 % Panchagavya) and use for seed or rhizome treatment.