vermiman
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A Mature Breeder Earthworm
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Half planter and half worm pit. - 2008/05/10 15:12
I have a 6' by 3' worm pit. I have planted a tomato plant on one side. The other side I keep covered and fed. The tomato has really taken off after planting it into the worm pit. Do you think that this situation can benefit both the tomato plant and the worms? What do you think?
It's Black Gold!! It's Squirmy Tea!!
John 3:16
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wormwrangler
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A Juvenile Earthworm
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Re:Half planter and half worm pit. - 2008/05/10 16:06
I never grew anything in the bedding, but have thought alot about it. One year I did fertilize my tomatoes with some castings...well...err alot of castings 
And the tomato plants grew to epic proportions! They were the biggest tomato plants I ever saw, and lookin healthier than any ive ever grown. But, there was a reaction to the castings I did not anticapate.
They never ever produced one tomato, or any flowers. They just grew as large as trees!! I was told by a master gardener that they produce fruit to continue the life cycle of a tomato. But if there is nothing threatening to end their life, they will continue to grow. I am still not totally convinced this is why they did what they did, as im no scientist. But believe the castings are an awesome product that will inspire and surprise you.
These plants not only grew, they thrived through a winter, and then produced the best tomatoes we have ever experienced the next season. It was the weirdest thing! Not only did the tomatoes survive the winter, but so did the half a dozen marigolds planted around them.
Please let us all know how that little experiment goes.
Worms are fascinating!
Wormwrangler
Worm Wrangler |
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gnosnhoj
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A Protected Species Earthworm
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Re:Half planter and half worm pit. - 2008/05/10 18:10
My outdoor bin has been overrun by the roots of it's shade tree. Anything flora is gonna like it in there, big time. Imagine you're gonna have some tasty 'maters, and I don't think your worms will mind.
WW, that is interesting. I avct'd all last season, and had seriously prolific >12' tomato vines before first frost, although they didn't come back. That's neat!
Y'all have fun, whatever you're doing.
Gary
Hopkinsville, KY |
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farmer9989
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A Hatchling Earthworm
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Re:Half planter and half worm pit. - 2008/05/11 13:14
When i plant my tomatos i take post hole diggers and dig a hole about 2 feet or so deep. years ago i put cem fertlizer then latter years com cow poop, now this year worms and all about two quarts each then a little dirt then tomato plants covered deep up to bottom full stems sometimes pulling them off if it has lots of foilage . I go to a lawn mower shop or sears outdoors and get boards that they ship mowers in {free} use them as stakes then trotline or cotton cord to hold the vines up cheap easy , disposable, they make good compost bins also
We don't necessarily need to save the world , it will survive in spite of us .WE is what we need to save !!! |
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wormwrangler
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A Juvenile Earthworm
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Re:Half planter and half worm pit. - 2008/05/11 18:34
Yeah bro it is was really neat!
What really shocked us was when it snowed a couple inches. We only get a dusting or 2 every winter and I thought that would killem off quick LOL.
But I went out there and looked while the snow was on the ground, and the marigold flowers were poking out of the snow. They were still flowering in December! I just knew they were all dead in a few days.
They fooled me! The marigolds continued to bloom, and the tomato plants stood tall and proud through it all.
Now I measure up the castings before I use it on the maters LOL. Dont want another repeat, I want maters LOL.
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Mordante69
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A Hatchling Earthworm
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Re:Half planter and half worm pit. - 2008/05/14 01:24
wormwrangler wrote:
One year I did fertilize my tomatoes with some castings...well...err alot of castings
How a lot is a lot? I've got some Green Peppers going in 4 gallon containers and threw in about a cup's worth. I am interested to see how well the castings kick in their survival instincts. I've got upwards of 25 Tomato plantings going as well but haven't wormed them yet. I'd like an idea of LOL where good lies and were supernatural begins!
BTW I've told your story to three different people already. All of them were amazed.
Mord.
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gnosnhoj
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A Protected Species Earthworm
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Re:Half planter and half worm pit. - 2008/05/14 11:55
General rule is 10-20% vc to 90-80% soil, in containers at least. The vc microbes gotta have something to work on, and that's the organic materials in the dirt. More ain't gonna hurt anything, regardless, but the plants draw from the soil for their required nutrients. VC facilitates the nutrient availability.
When I prep my raised veggie beds (4x8') before planting, I just spread maybe 1-2gal of vc on the surface and work it into the top few inches, then mix about a 1/2c into each planting hole.
Y'all have fun, whatever you're doing.
Gary
Hopkinsville, KY |
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wormwrangler
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A Juvenile Earthworm
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Re:Half planter and half worm pit. - 2008/05/14 15:56
Well we have found after many different experiments with mixing castings with potting soil and regular ole dirt, that a 1/3 castings to 2/3 potting soil or just plain dirt is about the best mix. Now these castings are from mostly feeding the worms horse manure. I believe there will be a difference in castings make up by what the worms are fed.
You know the old saying...garbage in...garbage out LOL.
One of my good friends is a master gardener with a public broadcast garden show, and he was so impressed with the results of our experiments that he brought out his video crew. We had at the time 3 HUGE spider plants with hundreds of babies hanging off of them.
So for his cameras we mixed the castings and potting soil, and planted 20 spider babies all about the same size in the mixture. Then we planted 20 more in just potting soil. All the spider plant babies were pretty close to the same size and all watered and treated the same.
He returned in 90 days with his video crew in tow to see and show the results.
The spider plants in the mixture looked like full blown adult spider plants with babies already shooting out, and they were flowering.
The ones grown in just potting soil had grown also, but were 2/3's smaller than the ones grown in the mixture. He held up a plant from each side by side for the camera, and it was obvious to everyone that castings wins hands down.
From those 2 television segments our casting sales went through the roof.
This was over 10 years ago, and we have lost the video, or I would put it up on youtube to show everyone. I even asked our master gardener friend for a copy, but he says that is long gone as they use the same tapes over and over darn it.
I do believe that everyone here will get the same dramatic results if they try it themselves.
I hope this helps.
Wormwrangler
P.S.
I will try and find the photos and scan them. Then put a couple here to show what im talking about.
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Mordante69
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A Hatchling Earthworm
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Re:Half planter and half worm pit. - 2008/05/15 01:52
Thanks fellas. This has got me really pumped. I wanna try some experiments myself. Just to see. I have some vict...I mean test subjects in mind. Just gotta find the time.
Question for either of you guys or anyone else....Have you ever had trouble with diseases when using the castings? Do they help significantly in fighting them?
Mord.
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Mordante69
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A Hatchling Earthworm
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Re:Half planter and half worm pit. - 2008/05/18 18:14
One more question to go with the other. Do any of you guys have problems with calcium deficiency with your Tomatoes? Do the castings cover that sufficiently?
Mord.
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gnosnhoj
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A Protected Species Earthworm
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Re:Half planter and half worm pit. - 2008/05/19 12:50
Mordante69 wrote:
....Have you ever had trouble with diseases when using the castings? Do they help significantly in fighting them?
VC as a foliar spray is used to overwhelm the bad bugs, enhancing plant health. Since I started spraying avct last spring I've had no disease problems.
Do any of you guys have problems with calcium deficiency with your Tomatoes? Do the castings cover that sufficiently?
No deficiency that I've noticed, and I reckon good dirt along with regular avct applications ain't hurting either. Dunno how much vc apps are helping that, but I do add all our eggshells to my bins, so I imagine that calcium makes it's way into the garden.
Y'all have fun, whatever you're doing.
Gary
Hopkinsville, KY |
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WFike
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A Protected Species Earthworm
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Re:Half planter and half worm pit. - 2008/05/19 22:21
Blossom end rot caused by calcium deficiency usually occurs after a long perion of very high humidity like raining every day for a week or more. The problem is that with the humidity so high the leaves can't transpire moisture out into the air and thereby bringing new moisture up from the roots with new batches of calcium and other minerals so the tomatoes have the end rot calcium problems. The way to eliminate the problem is with foliar sprays such as avct. All the calcium in the world won't help if the plant can't move it up to the fruits from the ground. Spraying some on the leaves will stop the problem if you don't let it get to far developed. One problem that castings seem to get rid of right away is powderey mildew on seedlings. The castings seem to just stop it cold!
Post edited by: WFike, at: 2008/05/19 22:25
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