On Your Mark, Get Set, GROW!

So I have been getting a few strange looks lately about my premature seed starting enthusiasm. For the last couple of weeks I have been indulging in seed fantasies. Thumbing through the Seed Saver’s Catalog, reading descriptions, oogling over pictures and names of heirloom seeds passed down from generations.  Never to be a plain Jane tomato in this girls garden, I read over each description overwhelmed with possibilities. Black, orange, pink, yellow, red, green; pear-shaped, baseball sized, beefsteak; organic, heirloom, disease resistant, full flavor; so many decisions!

After finally weeding it down to just a few, erasing and rewriting my choices nearly a dozen times, I submitted my order and waited eagerly for delivery. Luckily for me, FoodHub, a new and upcoming local food “hub” in Davenport, conveniently located in the Freighthouse next to Fresh Deli, orders the seeds every week, saving me the cost of shipping. So for me, the wait was minimal. 

Mr. Chipi helping plant seeds

Normally I like to start my tomato, pepper, eggplant, and other long season crops indoors around the end of January to early February. Typically, according to package directions, it is recommended that you begin sowing seeds indoors around 6-8 weeks prior to the last frost. I ignore those guidelines and begin earlier to give myself plenty of buffer. Since seeds usually take at least a week if not two to germinate I want to make sure I have plenty of time in case some seeds don’t come up. 

Plus, with last year’s early season beginning in April, I definitely don’t want to be regretting not starting sooner. Really, the only terrible thing (if you can call it terrible) about starting early is that if your little seedlings don’t stay so little, transplanting at least once into a bigger pot may be necessary to prevent their roots from getting too cramped. This part always tends to trip me up a bit because when I start, my seedlings are in tiny little cell packs that don’t take up much room, so out of paranoia I plant as much as I can. When I need to repot, I seem to forget that the new pots will be taking up 3x the space….”oops…..now where do I put all of you?” 

So, as of now, I have tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, kale, leeks, cabbage, broccoli, and herbs started. 

Lets rewind for a minute because I do want to comment on where my seeds came from: Seed Saver’s Exchange. If you haven’t heard of them, visit their website at seedsavers.com. Seed Saver’s Exchange is an organization dedicated to providing heirloom and open-pollinated seeds that produce unique varieties of fruits and vegetables. They are located in DeCorah, IA and get their seeds from all over the Midwest. 

My other source this year and last was our local seed exchange which took place at the FoodHub next to Freighthouse Farmer’s Market. If you live in Davenport and want seeds, this is the place to go! There will be gardeners with extra seeds to share and exchange on Saturday’s from 9am-1pm. It is a great place to meet other gardeners and get tips on how to grow those finicky veggies.  If they don’t quite have the seeds you were hoping for, no need to fret, they have a Seed Saver’s Exchange rack with some great varieties to choose from. 

A few growing tips to you brave ones who are considering starting your seeds indoors this year: 

If you want to grow “organic”, I recommend Sphagnum peat moss rather that seedling mix. You can find this at any hardware or garden store for pretty cheap. Make sure you completely wet the peat moss before you fill your trays! This stuff is nearly impossible to wet but once it is, it holds moisture really well. I was given a tip over the weekend to throw the peat moss in the microwave with some water for a few minutes and the peat moss will absorb the water right up. Haven’t tried it yet so let me know if you get results.

Peppers!

                                               

If you are growing peppers, they benefit from a little heat to get them to germinate. Currently I have a space heater underneath the rack they are growing on, but I have also had success with a heating pad placed underneath their cell packs as well. I would probably recommend the heating pad over the space heater as the space heater tends to dry things out a bit. 

Cover your seeds with plastic to keep them moist until they germinate, then remove and begin supplying them with plenty of light. Seeds don’t really need light until they germinate but do benefit from the heat. 

Once they are up, you can choose to offer them a light fertilizer (very light because their roots are still establishing and you don’t want them to get burned). I would wait a few weeks to let them establish.  Replant any seeds that didn’t germinate and keep the soil evenly moist. Then just sit back and watch them grow! 

Worm Composting

Today, I am going to tell you all about the wonderful world of worms….in my kitchen. When the weather began to turn cold I decided it was time to take my composting endeavors inside. Keeping rotting produce in the kitchen is not my idea of a party, but when worms are involved they take the party to a whole new level. Now, it may seem gross to keep such slimy companions so close to your perishables, but worms are one of the world’s greatest treasures (when it comes to composting).

After some research and hands-on learning, I committed to a marriage with my worms. Not just any worms, Red worms or “wigglers” as some may call them. Red worms are the only worms appropriate for an indoor composting unit as they are small in size, have a big appetite, and reproduce quickly (about doubling in numbers by six months!) In nature, red worms don’t need a lot of space to live and are often found in the top organic layer of the soil or under an old pile of logs so they don’t require much depth. Earthworms, on the other hand, require a lot more space (at least 2 feet of depth), so a bin would have to be very large, and would ultimately be heavy and awkward to maintain. Since I assume most don’t intend on putting their bins on display for holiday and dinner parties, red worm bins can be conveniently stowed in a dark, cool place. Out of sight, but not out of mind.

Care for these bins is simple. Worms eat pretty much everything in sight (or in front of their mouth since worms don’t have eyes…) with a few exceptions: plastic, fried foods, oil, eggs, dairy, meat, chocolate, or any combination of those. That leaves a vast list of things we can feed! Newspaper, old mail, brown paper bags, cardboard, fresh produce, coffee grounds (with filter), tea bags, crushed egg shell, and so much more.

Looking back, I am amazed with how much gets thrown into the trash or recycling that could be made into beautiful black dirt! What a waste! Now that I have a worm bin, I can feel good about where my scraps are going, knowing I am making an investment into next year’s garden.

Worm compost is one of the best forms of fertilizers for plants. Its natural, wormmade, pure dirt filled with lots of water retaining organic matter and nutrients plants just can’t seem to get enough of.

What about the bin? 

The construction of a bin was as simple as purchasing two opaque Sterlite storage bins with lids (I chose 10 gallon and opaque because worms hate light), drilling holes for ventilation on one of the lids, more holes on the bottom of both bins, and even more around the top perimeter of both bins. These holes not only serve as ventilation, but contribute to an easy and hands-free transition between one bin to the next. The two bins are stacked sitting on the lid without holes. I then fill the top bin about a third of the way full with shredded and dampened newspaper and/or cardboard, top that with a little wetted sphagnum peat most (for moisture retention), and add worms! I typically start my worm bins off with 9 dozen worms (3 doz. In a package). After they get settled in for a few weeks, I can begin adding food scraps. Slowly at first, then more as they establish.

The bins are stacked because eventually it is going to be full and ready to harvest. If the compost gets too “enriched” the worms will die of toxicity (remember, their home is also their toilet…) So, typically every six months or so, it is a good idea to give them a fresh start and harvest your now valuable “dirt”. Instead of dumping your bin out on your kitchen floor, trying not to get compost all over creation while searching for your worms, you can switch bins with ease by taking the bin on the bottom and placing it inside the current worm bin. Add dampened newspaper, food scraps, and moistened peat moss and wait for the worms to come to you (and they will). These worms will travel up through the holes in the bottom and find their new food source. After a few days, you can safely harvest the old bin of compost, clean, and place on bottom for your next rotation in six months!

What to do with the compost??

This bin is about 3 months old and almost ready for its first harvest. 

There are three basic ways to use this compost.

1.       Compost tea: Get an old sock, stalking hose, or other porous fabric and fill it with the compost. Place it in a large container of water and let it “steep” a few hours or days (however potent you want it). Water your plants or your garden with the tea solution and watch your plants flourish.

2.       Straight up: Sprinkle the compost around the base of your plants and water as usual. The compost will slowly work it’s way to the roots.

3.       Gift bags: If you don’t have a green thumb or the time for houseplants or gardening, send some compost away with friends and loved ones. A cute gift bag with a little worm poop always makes people smile. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

How to feed and care for your worms:

Believe it or not, there is a method a bit more advanced than throwing your food in the bin and forgetting about it. It is very important that the food is covered/buried under the layer of peat moss/compost. If the food is not covered, you open your house to some very unwanted guests. Fruit flies. Where there is decomposing food, there are fruit flies. They hitchhike as eggs on our produce waiting for the perfect moment to attack driving a sane person…..well, insane. Since flies don’t dig, making that food source less accessible typically solves/prevents the problem.

I also recommend rotating where the food is buried. I bury one pile of food scraps in a corner, then work my way out burying other scraps in different places. By the time I get back to my first spot, weeks later, it is ready for more scraps. Simple.

If the bin is overwhelmed and the worms can’t keep up with demand, you might smell a foul odor. This is the ONLY time a smell will be present. Otherwise, the bin is completely odorless smelling of nothing but clean earth. If a smell is detected, try giving the worms a break and letting them feed on the food they have. They will also eat the newspaper and peat moss so don’t worry, they will not starve.

 After feeding, the only other care required is to maintain substrate moisture in the bin. Worms love it dark, cool, and moist. I use a spray bottle and mist every few days when their soil feels a bit dry. A good test is to grab a small fist of soil and squeeze. If a few drops come out, you are good and they do not need more water. If no drops come out, it is time for a spray down. On the contrary, if water is gushing from your fist, there is too much water. Luckily we have drainage holes drilled in the bottom of the bin so this should not be a lasting issue. Worms can drown if water does not drain properly.

I realize now that this post has become more of a “How To” than a show and tell. I have just learned so much I can’t help but share my enthusiasm! So in summary, worms are awesome, they are good for our plants and our planet, they are fun to look at or at the very least make for a good conversation piece when you approach the bait shop for your first batch of worms. I have had a lot of funny responses when requesting a store’s entire stock of red worms. No, I don’t have an affinity for fishing in the dead of winter, I compost! I reassure them with a smile, “don’t worry, these worms are going to a loving home.” We all laughed knowing they were none too concerned about worm rights.

Enjoy!

Laura