- Joined
- Mar 8, 2014
- Messages
- 33
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- 6
- Hardiness Zone
- 6a
- Country
Next spring I will try to grow a maple tree once more.
I figured out that the immediate yellowing after a few days of slow growth was due to a lack of nutrients. So in June or May(I can't remember but it was 1 of those 2 months) I put like 8 worms in the soil.
A bug ecosystem started being established and the day after I put the worms in there I was surprised. 1 of the worms was eaten while it was on the surface and most of it's body was left there. I don't know if it was because of that red queen ant(which I know from my location that it isn't a fire ant but why red? Could that simply be the color of a black ant queen?) or something else but either way it died. I leaved it on the surface to decompose or be eaten.
I have been feeding them mostly fruit and vegetable scraps but the past few batches I gave them were 100% carbon because the nitrogen smell(not from ammonia, thank god) was too strong. It is getting back to an earthy smell so I should be able to add nitrogen to their diet soon. I feed them 1 batch every 2 weeks or so.
So yeah, worm and bug ecosystem is established and adding nutrients to my soil. weeds grow fast after about a week when I add a new batch due to the nitrogen in there and me leaving seeds there for them to eat. Pepper plants especially grow fast and they are the ones that most often grow. Tomato seeds will sometimes grow in there but not nearly as often as pepper seeds.
Part of the reason I add big batches every 2 weeks or so is not only because of the decomposition rate(been getting faster and faster and I think it has reached its peak) but also to block sunlight for 3 reasons:
1) Worms hate the sun
2) Weeds won't grow fast without the sun
and
3) To keep the soil moist(Speaking of which I might need to add water to the soil after these several months but then again maybe not).
So yeah big batches means worms are happier, weeds don't grow as fast, and soil stays moist longer.
I have put a pair of mature maple seeds(both viable(Hardness is my key to viability of maple seeds, If I can't feel it until I go deep or I can but it is soft, it isn't viable)) in a Ziploc bag and put that bag in the freezer making sure there is as little air as possible. This is to minimize the condensed water that could make them sprout. I think I will put the stratified maple seeds in there either late winter or early spring(when it is still cold) and have them sprout on their own. When I do this, I will leave an empty space around the young trees until they are of sufficient size. Then I will add food back there again but making sure to leave some space for the trees.
I was wondering, Do I have to feed the worms during the winter or will they hibernate deep down in my pot? If both are no than I suppose that next spring will start off with 100% baby worms.
I figured out that the immediate yellowing after a few days of slow growth was due to a lack of nutrients. So in June or May(I can't remember but it was 1 of those 2 months) I put like 8 worms in the soil.
A bug ecosystem started being established and the day after I put the worms in there I was surprised. 1 of the worms was eaten while it was on the surface and most of it's body was left there. I don't know if it was because of that red queen ant(which I know from my location that it isn't a fire ant but why red? Could that simply be the color of a black ant queen?) or something else but either way it died. I leaved it on the surface to decompose or be eaten.
I have been feeding them mostly fruit and vegetable scraps but the past few batches I gave them were 100% carbon because the nitrogen smell(not from ammonia, thank god) was too strong. It is getting back to an earthy smell so I should be able to add nitrogen to their diet soon. I feed them 1 batch every 2 weeks or so.
So yeah, worm and bug ecosystem is established and adding nutrients to my soil. weeds grow fast after about a week when I add a new batch due to the nitrogen in there and me leaving seeds there for them to eat. Pepper plants especially grow fast and they are the ones that most often grow. Tomato seeds will sometimes grow in there but not nearly as often as pepper seeds.
Part of the reason I add big batches every 2 weeks or so is not only because of the decomposition rate(been getting faster and faster and I think it has reached its peak) but also to block sunlight for 3 reasons:
1) Worms hate the sun
2) Weeds won't grow fast without the sun
and
3) To keep the soil moist(Speaking of which I might need to add water to the soil after these several months but then again maybe not).
So yeah big batches means worms are happier, weeds don't grow as fast, and soil stays moist longer.
I have put a pair of mature maple seeds(both viable(Hardness is my key to viability of maple seeds, If I can't feel it until I go deep or I can but it is soft, it isn't viable)) in a Ziploc bag and put that bag in the freezer making sure there is as little air as possible. This is to minimize the condensed water that could make them sprout. I think I will put the stratified maple seeds in there either late winter or early spring(when it is still cold) and have them sprout on their own. When I do this, I will leave an empty space around the young trees until they are of sufficient size. Then I will add food back there again but making sure to leave some space for the trees.
I was wondering, Do I have to feed the worms during the winter or will they hibernate deep down in my pot? If both are no than I suppose that next spring will start off with 100% baby worms.