Soil Madness...

Okay, I have dutifully tested my soil - per the Finnyknits Method (see links in previous post).

I got painfully bored with waiting for the soil to settle in my jars - so it took me two days. But it's done!

Both beds (new and old) are in surprisingly good shape:

OLD NEW

pH 7.0 7.0

P 0-1 3

N 4 4+

K 3 4+

The newest bed (with the Lyngso soil) has nutrients in abundance. The old bed (with last year's soil and a top dressing of new Lyngso soil) is low in phosphorous. So really, all I need is some Bone Meal (2 oz.) for that bed. And, of course, I shall amend both beds with more compost 'cuz that never hurts!

The straw-bale bed hasn't really started "cooking" yet. I stuck a compost thermometer in it yesterday morning and it registered 45* (same temp as outside - Brrr!). I think it may be a bit early in the season to expect decomposition to occur. Sooo, I'll make sure I keep it damp and I'll just avoid planting in it 'til I see some bacterial activity (vis a vis the compost thermometer shows me some Action!).

In the meantime, I've still got all my baby plants to tend to. As the maters get bigger, I will follow "The Latest Advice:" I'll pot them up into 1-gallon containers, planting them deeply so they'll develop a healthy root system. By May 1, temps oughtta warm up; then I can plant, and I'll be Good-To-Go!

Hopefully, I can give the Garden Goddess (I'm waggling my finger at YOU, Finny!) a run for her money this year!

And since there really isn't much gardening-action going on right now (other than moving the babies inside/outside/inside/etc!), I *suppose* I could shift my attention back to painting The Studio!

Oh, and in case you're wondering *why* I'm building a studio in the first place, I have an alter-ego with a website where I show off some of my "stuff." It's nothing full-blown Commercial or anything like that - it's mostly just my Therapy. Here is the site if you're the least bit interested: NanTiKi.com.

Studio Slow-Down - Pause for Gardening...

Okay, maybe a little Studio-Update:

It is DONE - Freaking DONE structurally (Yay!). I'd started to prime it, but found the task mind-numbingly dull (Like, "Make-Me-Wanna-Gouge-My-Eyeballs-Out" Boring!), so I ended up calling the professional painter who did our house. Figured, if it's less than a couple hundred, it's worth it!

Bada-Bing! Bada-Boom! Done in less than 3 hours!

Now it's retina-searing white! The Plan is to paint a beach/ocean/sky scene on the back-wall - free-hand. And I found some stencils and faux painting techniques we can apply to the remaining walls.

This on the lower-half of the walls. Only the stripes will be vertical and I'll try to touch it up so it looks kinda like bamboo wainscoting.

This on the upper half. Way cool stencil!

Then, depending on how motivated I'm feeling, we'll either staple some reed fencing to the ceiling, or else I'll do the same faux-bamboo paint treatment up there. Or, if I totally screw-up the faux bamboo paint treatment, I may end up stapling reed fencing to the lower half of the walls! Anyway, you get the idea. Big Dreams! Let's see if I can pull it off ;-)

Garden Update:

Holy cow. It's Springtime already! Thankfully, Chris helped me re-locate my raised Garden Bed to a new, sunnier location. Annnnd he built me a new 4'x6'x1' raised bed frame. Also in a new sunny location (I've heard that sun helps veggie gardens!). In the process of relocating the old bed, we moved all of the old soil to the new spot; then harvested every last shred of usable compost, and we *still* didn't have enough dirt.

New, but Empty Beds!

Ramble-Ramble-Ramble... About a week earlier, P and I had gone to the San Francisco Garden Show and - weirdos that we are - found ourselves at Lyngso's booth, sniffing compost samples. Their Organic Vineyard Compost is simply to die for!!

Anyway, Chris and I saddled-up Willie (our Tundra) and - after calculating my soil and compost needs - drove up to Lyngso's in Redwood City. Their U-Sack-It option is pretty cost effective, but when I told 'em how big my new raised bed was, they talked me into buying a yard of garden soil. (The guy working the counter was a Total Soil Geek! His eyes totally lit-up when I told him how much I loved the smell of the Vineyard Compost. What a hoot! But he was also very, very knowledgeable!).

So we drove around the meandering path to the ginormous crane/front-end-loader/Tonka Truck and told the operator what we wanted. Vroom-vroom-rumble-rumble-CRASH!!! The back of my truck (a semi-lifted 4WD) suddenly dropped 6"! Holy sh*t!

Did I mention that it had been POURING RAIN just the day before?! Yeah, like a cubic yard of soil isn't heavy enough on it's own, right?! We checked out the wheel-wells and there was enough clearance between the fender and the tires to make the drive home!

We also picked up 3 U-Sack bags of compost (that's all we could fit in the truck!)

Oh... And when we got home... We had to EMPTY THE TRUCK!!!

All... My... Friends... Know the Low-Ridah!

Chris, bless-his-heart, did all the back-breaking work. Shovel-shovel-shovel, haul-haul-haul, dump-dump-dump, lather-rinse-repeat (about 400 jillion times!)

Dayum - That's a lotta dirt!

All Done!

Sucks getting old and finding oneself no-longer-able to do the heavy lifting. But there's something to be said for having "the means" to hire someone else to do the dirty-work (Besides, it's also nice to know I'm helping Chris out, 'cuz he could use the pocket change)! And, to be fair, I *did* help by shoveling the dirt from the front to the rear of the truck bed!

(Then, Added Bonus! - We got to *scrub* the truck-bed before hubbie returned from his business trip!)

Anyway... I now have two "normal" raised beds, in a full-sun location (well, one is partially shaded in one corner).

Newly filled and "refreshed" Raised Veggie Beds

Annnnnd... My Garden Experiment for this year is a Straw-Bale Veggie Garden Bed. This was spotted at the SF Garden Show, as well. Ah Sam had a very cool display of different types of "sustainable gardens" (including a hydroponic lettuce-growing rig made from drainage pipes - I took pictures but haven't spent any time contemplating it - yet!). Anyway, their big display had these veggie garden beds made from straw-bales and compost. Link for details here.

The general gist is this: You get your straw-bales (presumably you could recycle old ones from Halloween displays - or whatever). You sprinkle them with blood-meal and compost, and keep them moist for 10 days to start the decomposition process; Then you plant your veggies directly IN the straw-bales, and tend the veggies as you would any other garden. At the end of the season, you harvest and leave the whole mess to rot and turn into compost!

Brandy-New Straw-Bale Veggie Bed

That's the theory, anyway! Me? I'm always game for a new Garden Experiment (even though most fail miserably!). So - the site where my "old" raised bed was, now has 4 monstrous straw-bales, covered in blood-meal and compost - which Princess Annie seems to find delectable - Yuk! On the plus(?)-side, she has already started digging "planting holes" for me (Grrr!). Anyway, they got set-up about a week ago, and I am watering them gently to get the "cooking" process started. Haven't stuck a soil thermometer in 'em, yet, to see how it's going. Might have to do that tomorrow!

New straw-bale bed, covered in blood-meal and compost
(And *after* Princess Annie started "helping")

Anyway, there's a *bit* of an update! Not sure if I'll be able to squeeze pics into this post, or if I'd be smarter just doing a separate post for photos. We'll see...................

I've got Worms!!!

Ewwww... Ick!!! Right?!

Nahhh - Not in this case! I'm a Gardener, remember?!

See, last week when I attacked my compost bins and discovered an insignificant quantity of usable compost, I pretty-much decided that the "Old Fashioned" method of composting wasn't workin' for me (My Bad - but I just don't have the time, energy or desire to obsessively turn my piles every week)! Bottom Line: A dearth of earth is more work than it's worth!

Yes, I'll still maintain my bins, but I don't think I'm gonna get much in the way of compost...

At least not until somebody buys me a RolyPig!

So anyway, I went to the San Jose Composting workshop yesterday. I re-learned about "regular" composting, and learned *some* new-stuff about vermicomposting. Of course, I'd already Googled the hell out of it, and already kinda knew The Basics - but I figured it couldn't hurt to attend the workshop...

Plus, after the workshop, they sell "subsidized" bins to San Jose residents. So I picked up a Wriggly Wranch Worm Bin:


I also found a worm supplier who, as it turned out, was actually at the Workshop, selling his - umm - wares! He's a nice guy, very knowledgeable - and "local" to boot! And he responds to questions and emails quickly, which is always a "Plus" in my book! Anyway, I'd hoped to purchase some worms from him yesterday, but he was a very popular guy! Everybody was crowded around him (this was *after* the workshop, mind-you!), and it seemed as though he was conducting his OWN vermicomposting class! Had I been able to get close enough to listen in, I would've stayed...

Alas, I ended up leaving wormless! But I figured that was okay because I could assemble and set-up my bin - and just arrange to buy my worms from him directly at another time...

Plus P, a FaceBook Friend (and pal from the ceramics studio) said she could give me some worms from her compost bin...

So I emailed Jerry aka The Worm Dude (Cool site, definitely worth a look if you're interested in worm composting!), and he wrote back yesterday afternoon and said I could swing by today.

That was cool because P was also available. So I met WormDude Jerry around noonish and bought a pound of Red Wigglers (small composting worms - different from earthworms).

After that, I hooked up with P for lunch. We had a lovely late-breakfast at Aqui's and we discussed composting, and worms, and chicken sh*t, and rabbit poop while we ate our eggs, sausage and tamales! (Funny... All of the tables in our immediate vicinity were empty! :::shrug:::)

Nahhh... P is Good People and we had some good laughs! And she sent me home with a plastic bin o' worms and 3 swiss chard plants that will go into my raised bed.

Anyhooooo... Back to the worms: The Wriggly Wranch is identical to the Reln Worm Factory. It's a two-tray system that allows for "vertical migration" of the worms. When they fill the lower bin with castings, you encourage them to wriggle up to the upper tray (by giving 'em shredded newspapers to climb, and moving the fresh bedding and food to the upper tray), then you can remove the bottom tray, harvest the castings, and start all over again. It comes with a coconut coir brick that you soak in water and it expands like nobody's business. That's the worms' bedding. All you do is add worms and food! Adding shredded, moist newspaper (soaked for 24 hrs, then wrung-out) is also appreciated by the worms...

The main thing is finding the right location for the worm bin. Some people keep them indoors (but that ain't gonna fly with Rog!)

Around here, temps tend to be fairly worm-friendly (So sayeth The Worm Dude - and he's only a couple-three miles from me!). They'll slow down significantly during the winter months - but they shouldn't die. Summer temps can be deadly, however. And with the bin being black plastic, they can easily "cook!" Luckily, we have a breezeway alongside the house (actually, it's more like "hurricane alley" if you want to talk about 'breezes!'). It's a narrow walkway leading from the driveway to the back yard - with a fence on one side and the house on the other. It's situated on the NORTH side of the house and, literally, never sees direct sunlight.

Plus it's fairly close to the back door - and totally paved, right? No slogging through mud to discard kitchen scraps... In other words: Perfectomundo!

So the Wriggly Wranch is all set-up; my new worms are settling in; and I'd already started gathering kitchen scraps during this past week... I've actually got a plastic coffee can, lined with a biodegradable plastic bag (so I can toss the bag in the compost bin if things start to get stinky). It's sitting on the bar by the sink. And I've trained Roger to dump the coffee ground in there. Also any carrot peelings, lettuce leaves, "science projects from the back of the fridge" (provided they're strictly vegetative!), crushed eggshells and whatever get tossed in there.

To feed the worms, you bury a small amt of food in their bedding, in the corner of the bin. The worms will migrate to the food and convert it from kitchen waste to Super-Fertilizer. And I don't gotta do nuthin'! (Other than keep 'em fed and about as moist as a wrung-out sponge).

So I'm a Happy Composter!

And - just so's this post could be considered Educational - I will summarize what I've learned about vermicomposting here:

1. Composting worms are different from earthworms, You can't dig-up worms from your lawn and expect 'em to be happy in a composting bin. Buy some Red Wigglers or Night Crawlers. Personally, I'd recommend The Worm Dude (appx $25 for a pound of Red Wigglers -and yes, he ships).
   
   
2. Worm bins can be purchased or home-made. I'm lazy, so I opted to buy one, But you can Google Worm-bins and find a ton of ideas. Wood is a better insulator than plastic, but it will eventually break down.
   
   If you do choose to make your own bin, make sure you include screening or use super-duper small air-holes because you don't want to invite flies (or their larvae) into your bin...
   
   
3. Worms like "moderate" temperatures. They'll slow down in cooler temps (50's or lower), and they might die if exposed to prolonged freezing temps (under 32°F). Our temps can dip into the upper 20's, but that's only for short bursts. The worms will cluster together, but they can survive. Upper ambient temps: They can survive temps in the low triple-digits - but they won't survive in a black plastic bin subjected to direct sunlight (even if the ambient temps are only in the 80's).
   
   
4. Quantity of worms: 1-3 lbs will work for most families. It's just Rog and me here, so 1 lb should suffice. They'll consume roughly 1/2-3/4 of their body weight, per day. I have 1 lb of worms, so I can feed 'em roughly 1/2-3/4 lb of scraps per day (once they get settled in and happy). To start a bin, err on the side of "under-feeding" them - until they get settled in and you get a sense for what, and how much they like to eat.
   
   
5. Yes, they'll survive if you go on vacation for a couple of weeks. Under-feeding is better than over-feeding. Don't dump too much food on 'em before you go on vacation. You might kill 'em!
   
   
6. Worms are primarily bacteria feeders, they eat the food when it is all slimy and covered with bacteria (Tasty, yes?!)...
   
   
7. Once you buy 'em, if all goes well, you won't ever have to buy more... They're hermaphroditic (male and female) and they reproduce like crazy. They'll control their population, by themselves, based on the quantity of food and amount of space available.
   
   
8. Feed worms kitchen scraps by burying the food under one corner of the bedding. The worms will migrate to the food. By keeping the food in one corner (or moving it to a different corner), you can get a sense of what they like.
   
   Also, by keeping the food to one side or the other, that can help facilitate harvesting the castings. If you encourage them to migrate to ONE side of the bin, they'll stay there and not move until you start providing bedding/food on the OTHER side of the bin (that's especially useful if you're just doing a "one-level" bin. Mine is a multi-level bin).
   
   
9. It should take appx 2-3 months for me to get enough worm castings that I'll want them to migrate UP to the next level of the bin. Then I'll harvest their, umm, output...
   
   
10. Keep them moist. Spritz their bedding with a misty spray bottle if it gets dry. Their bedding should be like a wrung-out sponge. DON'T let the bedding dry out. DON'T dump, like, a Big Gulp's worth of water directly into the bed and DON'T let them sit in a puddle of water.
    
    Most likely, the kitchen scraps you give them should supply sufficient moisture on their own...
    
    
11. Worms Like: Damp shredded newspaper (not shiny paper, though - just newsprint), damp cardboard boxes (pizza boxes!), paper towels. Also: Kitchen scraps like lettuce leaves, peelings (potato, cucumber, carrots, etc.), melon rinds, rotten fruit (they won't eat the pits, but you can pick them out later), crushed eggshells (best if you whir 'em in a blender 'til they're like a powder - WARNING: Don't open the blender in the house if you do this! Take it outside b/c you'll get a cloud of eggshell dust). Eggshells are good because worms need "grit" to faciliate digestion. Toss in a couple of non pulverized eggshells, worms like to curl up in 'em like a bed! Old tomatoes, mushrooms, veggies, etc. etc. etc. Although... Some foods with seeds (well, the seeds themselves anyway) *might* not be palatable to the worms and could "hide" in your worm castings - meaning when you spread the vermicompost (castings+remaining organic material), you might end up with "volunteer" plants.
    
    Hint #1: The smaller the foods are to begin with, the sooner the worms can break 'em down so shred 'em fine.
    
    Hint #2: (Especially useful during winter when your worms may not be eating as much), if you freeze veggie matter (and store it that way for awhile) - it will tend to break down the molecular structure and help facilitate the process. Of course, you'll want to thaw it before you put it in the bin.



12. Worms Like - in moderation: Coffee grounds (and filters). Coffee is high in nitrogen and can heat-up the bin. Citrus (peelings or fruit). Highly acidic and can make for a very unfriendly environment for the worms.
    
    
13. Worms DON'T like: Meats, oils, dairy products, moldy bread, hot peppers. Paper towels with a *small* amt of grease - or pizza boxes - should be okay.
    
    
14. Harvest your vermicompost when it looks all black and fluffy. Apply liberally to your plants and they will THRIVE!

Okay, I think that about sums up what I know about worms! Wish me luck - and I'll keep you posted!

Tahoe Weekend and Miscellaneous Stuff...

I'm a Bad Blogger...

The fact is, I just haven't found much worth blogging about (again, my muses are avoiding me!).

We actually did take a three-day-weekend trek to the snow last week (Friday-Sunday). We've only been talking about it every freakin' year since we've been together (2001!). This year, we finally did it!

That probably should have provided a Ton o' Blog-Fodder, but I wasn't in much of a literary mood.

Ohhh, I s'pose I could b*tch about the cheesy accommodations (It was a "Budget Weekend" after all!). But that's just too negative...

Besides, when you're traveling with dogs (and yes, we were!), you kinda have to take what you can get, right?!

Nevertheless, I will opine that - if YOU happen to find yourself looking for a cheap, pet-friendly motel on Tahoe's North Shore, and you happen to stumble onto the Tahoe Inn... Make sure you read the Traveler's Reviews (at sites like TripAdvisor.com) and set your expectations accordingly!

My expectations were low - and I was not disappointed! Let's just leave it at that!

* * * * *
Okay, maybe not! Let's just take it half-a-step further, shall we?!

Once we returned from our Big Adventure In The Snow, I knew the dogs needed baths (Pretty [melting] Snow + Furry Little Dogs = Mud Galore!). I didn't jump on it right away, unfortunately.

The next day, Princess Annie (The long-haired Doxie) was biting furiously at her butt. I wasn't sure what was going on - but she was clearly in distress, I watched her when she went outside to "take care of business," and I took a look at her - umm - "output" and confirmed that everything was "OK" from that perspective. Yet she continued to chew at her butt, rolling on the floor, and whining most piteously...

Called the vet... Grabbed the first available appointment...

$129.00 later: I learned that Princess Annie is allergic to fleas!

"B-b-but! We don't have fleas!" I said, incredulously (*Certainly* not Princess Annie! She's Royalty, after all!).

"Well, didn't you say you were in Tahoe this weekend?" the vet replied "Where did you stay?"

"Ohhhhh sh*t!" I muttered. "I mean, 'Oh Darn!' We stayed at a cheap motel that allowed dogs!" (Adding new meaning to the term "Fleabag Hotel!")

So it cost me $129.00 to learn that we had fleas - and I *still* had to bathe ALL the dogs myself! And hit 'em all with Frontline!

"$%#&!"

Problem solved now. So it's all good...

Anyway - I really don't want to rag on the Tahoe Inn. "It is what it is." And they DO allow dogs - and they ARE reasonably priced. If they invested any money in the place and updated/upgraded it - they probably wouldn't allow dogs anymore AND their prices would undoubtedly go waaaaay up!

Anyhooooo... It was a good weekend and it was nice to get away!

* * * * *
Back to work on Monday - and my workload is definitely picking up now (which is a good thing - but I was kinda getting used to being lazy!). Days are starting to get longer - which is really nice! And we've had a break in the rain - which is also nice!

Since I've mostly been working-from-home, this gives me an opportunity to putter-around a bit in the yard.

I'm happy to report that most of the fruit trees are in bloom... The early-bearer peach is in full-bloom and leaves are starting to appear. The later-bearer is just starting to bud. My Satsuma plum already bloomed and most of the blossoms are gone now (Gee, I sure hope we had some bee visitations!), and the Santa Rosa Plum is in full-bloom. Not sure about the Apple or Cherry Tree... Haven't seen any blossoms yet - so maybe they'll start budding later (or maybe I missed it!)

...Last year's Daylilies are all planted now (Yay!), and I've got more of 'em on the way (bulbs or bare-root or whatever). Dayliles are clearly un-killable - so they're the PERFECT plant for the far-back fence...

My raised bed is just about ready for new veggie plants. I cultivated the surface of the soil and mixed in the rotted leaves and composted (bagged) steer manure. I also set-up wire fencing to keep my Darling Quadrupeds OUT of the garden this year!

ALL of my tomato seeds have sprouted and I have a gazillion tomato plants that will soon be ready for planting. In the meantime, I hooked up with a gardening pal and pawned off SOME of the seedlings!

I still need to finish constructing my self-watering tomato planters (One is "almost done!"). I think, maybe, I'll work on those tomorrow.

Nighttime temps are still a little too cool to set out seedlings - and the babies are definitely too young to go out (they've just barely started getting their first "true leaves"). They'll need to be hardened off in the next week-or-so. I'll probably move them out to the greenhouse and raise the thermostat - just a hair - so the heater will keep them from freaking out too badly at night! Although it'll still be a big adjustment going from the consistently-warm windowsill to the greenhouse. But less-so than sticking 'em straight in the ground!

My soon-to-be pumpkin-patch isn't *quite* ready yet. We need another couple of rainstorms, I think. And I'll need to drag out the rototiller and break-up the rock-hard clay that resides UNDER the mound of leaves/manure. Plus, the first couple of pumpkin seeds I'd planted never did sprout - so I started some more. Fingers are crossed that I didn't get a bad batch o' seeds! (eBay purchase, so "Caveat Emptor" right?!). So yeah, I started more pumpkin seeds, and some squash, and melons. Those are all in the windowsill and some are just starting to sprout...

Annnnnnnnd... Today's Big Job was turning the compost piles - both of 'em! And yes, that was a Big Job! I didn't do the greatest job of tending to them last year, unfortunately (Gee, I wonder why?! Couldn't be health-related :::sigh:::). So the quantity of usable compost was pretty disappointing. Only the very bottom layer ended up breaking down fully - so I'm definitely gonna have to buy bagged compost this year :-(

I may have to abandon the idea of composting on a large scale. But I am going to go to a Composting Workshop next weekend, and I will be buying a worm-bin so that I can at least use-up kitchen scraps and coffee grounds. Anyone in the San Jose/Santa Clara County Area can go to any of the workshops - for free - and pick-up compost bins - for cheap. Info here.

Another cool composting gizmo is here. I really want one. But I don't think it will work - as well as I'd like - for large-scale composting (of things like grass-clippings, leaves, etc.) as my bins. But my bins don't do a very good job, either, if I'm not willing to turn 'em and tend-to-them - ya know?!

* * * * *
I really hate that I don't have the "energy" to do this stuff! But I'm not gonna start another "Old-Lady-Whine" again :-x

Actually, I've got plenty to be happy about, health-wise. I had labs done in mid-Feb. My last A1C (for any Diabetic Readers out there who might understand and/or care!) came back at 5.7!!!! Yayyyyyy!!!! I *finally* made the "5% Club!" From 11 in Dec '07 to 5.7 in Feb '09 is pretty darned good, I think! Of course, I'm still taking insulin at levels that would kill most people - but I'm still happy with the improvement.

I just wish I had more energy! (and weighed about 100# less - which would undoubtedly help with the energy levels!).

Anyway - apologies for being a Bad Blogger. And apologies for a rambling and not particularly interesting post...

I'll try to do better!!!

* * * * *

FWIW: Here are some pics (and "Commentary!") from the Tahoe-Weekend Adventure!

ROAD-TRIP!!! Hwy 680 is GREEN:

Windmills over Altamont Pass: First Sighting of "Real Snow" on Interstate 80:

Pretty Snow:

Wiener Dogs' first romp in the snow: Our "Lovely Accommodations:" Groovy 1960's Can Light (I'm *positive* that my mom had a pole-light-fixture that matched this!):

Our Room Key (nevermind that we were actually in room 241!):

Princess Annie, enjoying a brew after a long drive:

My attempt at an Artsy-Fartsy shot. Icicles and Christmas Lights outside of a BBQ joint where we had dinner:

Drive around the lake on a perfectly gorgeous day:

Not-so-gorgeous drive home:

Stop 'n Go Traffic (Lotsa "Stop" - Not so much "Go!")

It's snowing!!! (And no, we aren't carrying chains - "Why do you ask?!")
Oh, because the snow might start to "stick" maybe???



Yeah, maybe!

But the trees were pretty!


Took us 2 hours to clear Donner Summit (a distance of 40 miles from Truckee) - and I was deeply regretting our decision to *not* stop at Mickey-D's (Coffee hit the bladder about 30 minutes into the Stop-N-Crawl-N-Stop-N-Crawl Traffic!). But we made it home safely (obviously!).