Next attempt at maples, Vermicomposting months ahead

[caters]

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.

 

[MaryMary]

I am a bit confused.

You are trying to grow a maple tree? You are trying to vermicompost and grow a maple tree? I found this thread of yours, and I read it, also. I'm pretty sure you are just trying to grow a maple tree......?
https://www.gardening-forums.com/threads/tried-growing-sugar-maples-3-times.3532/

This is a long post, but I'm trying to answer your questions about maples and vermicomposting. I'm going to try to merge the two threads together and help with what I can.

I figured out that the immediate yellowing after a few days of slow growth was due to a lack of nutrients.

From your other thread:

That is because the soil would be moist all the time,

You do NOT want the soil to be moist at all times. Maples do not grow in a bog or marsh. You want the soil to dry out a bit between watering. I'd imagine over-watering was the cause of the yellowing leaves. I'd attribute the slow growth to the fact that they are trees. They have well over 50 years to attain full growth, they are not like an annual that has one shot and it's done.

I have been feeding them mostly fruit and vegetable scraps

The fruit and vegetable scraps you are feeding the worms - are you running them through a blender first? Or simply throwing parings and cuttings on top of the soil? Remember a worm's mouth is very small. Also, a worm eats about half its body weight in a day. If there are only 8 worms in there, you may be WAY overfeeding them.

Another quote from your other thread:

The reason I had the standing water was so the soil would constantly be moist, even in a drought(which here in Ohio usually lasts about a week or so

A week without rain is NOT a drought!!




I am from Ohio. I too have tried to grow maples in a container. One thing you need to know is that maples get an extensive root system, and need room to spread out. If you think they may be root-bound, you need a bigger pot.

If I had to guess at your problem growing them longer than 3 years, it is that you are over-watering and not protecting the pot over the winter. Yes, a maple will survive a hard winter, but in nature, a tree's roots are partially protected from freezing by the ground they are in. Once the roots fill your pot, they will be closer to the outer sides of the container. That means they are subject to freezing. If you are going to grow them in a pot, you need to dig a hole in the ground big enough to put your container in, and cover the whole thing with dirt. Dig it out in the spring. ( I got tired of digging ever-bigger holes every fall! )

I have put a pair of mature maple seeds (...snip...) 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.

They are not going to sprout in the freezer, no matter how much water is in the bag. Maple seeds do not germinate in winter.

I will put the stratified maple seeds in there either late winter or early spring

Judging from the 100+ maple trees we mow down in the yard every spring, they do not need to be stratified to grow. A plant knows what time of year its seeds will grow, and a maple drops its seeds in the spring. Grow them fresh from the tree.

Do I have to feed the worms during the winter or will they hibernate deep down in my pot?

If the temperature drops below 40 degrees F, they'll die.