The worm bins are $120 and must be paid for online or by check.  Please make checks payable to "UC REGENTS".

Our next class is scheduled for September 8, 2012.

You can place your order by clicking on this link or reserve a spot if you would like to sit in:

http://ucanr.org/sloworm

Below is a little article by Lee Oliphant.. Thank you Lee!

Worm Composting - Composting on a Small Scale

By Lee Oliphant, Ed.D., Master Gardener

Traditional composting is not for everyone.  Some folks just don’t have the space for composting bins but would love to have some of the “black gold” plant food that composting provides.  If you want to try composting on a smaller, more concentrated level, worm composting (or vermicomposting) might be the answer for providing food for your plants while recycling kitchen scraps and newspaper or shredded office paper.  The resultant castings provided by worm composting is a nutrient rich additive to soil.  The leachate caught from the box can also be diluted and used to water ornamental plants.

Worm composting requires a shady, cool place for your worms to live.  You will need only a few things to begin worm composting: a worm bin, newspaper bedding, kitchen scraps and, of course, your little “Red Wigglers” (Eisenia foetida). 

Your Worm Bin

Commercial worm bins are available or you may begin your worm composting you might want to purchase a simple 5 to 10 gallon plastic tub with a lid that snaps shut.  Worms like darkness, so an opaque bin is best.  Drill 1/4 inch holes around the bin about 4 inches down from the top and 2 to 4 inches apart. 

Worms thrive in temperatures between 50 and 75 degrees. Options for bin locations are the garage, basement, a shady deck or area in your garden, or in a garden shed.  In the winter, make sure that the box is sheltered from the rain.  The worms require oxygen and will easily drown! 

Worm Bedding

In their natural habitat, “Red Wigglers” live in piles of fallen leaves above the soil surface.  The best bedding in your bin is shredded paper such as uncolored newsprint or cardboard.  Prepare your worm bedding by wetting the paper and wringing it or drain it until is like a wrung-out sponge.  Separate the damp strips.

Worm Food

A pound of red worms need about a pound of scraps each week.  They eat just about any part of fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags and watermelon rinds.  To begin, layer about a pound of scraps over the bedding.  Do not put meat, oils, cat or dog feces, or dairy products, citrus peels or bread that contains yeast in your bin!  While worms can survive longer without food, they enjoy a weekly feeding. 

The Worm Crew

”Red Wigglers” Eisenia foetida (not to be confused with earthworms) can be purchased at garden centers, bait shops or from suppliers on the Internet.  You will need less than a half-pound of worms to begin your worm composting.  Worms need to be separated from their casting about twice a year.  One method for separation is to push the decomposed material to one side of the bin and remake the worms’ bed with paper and kitchen scraps.  Worms will eventually migrate to the freshly filled side of the bin leaving you with fresh compost. 

Another method for those of us who can’t wait for the wigglers to meander to “greener” pastures so that castings can be harvested is to expose the open bin to bright light or sunlight.  The worms will dive for darker quarters.  After a few minutes, remove the top inch (sans worms) and repeat. 

Your Payoff

Worm compost is ready to use when all vegetation has been digested.  It is very concentrated.  You can sprinkle and dig it into freshly cultivated soil or mix one part worm compost to four parts potting mix. . 

There are many informational resources for worm composting available. California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery has an excellent resource page.   “Worms Eat My Garbage” by Mary Appelhoff is a book that provides extensive coverage on the subject.  Her Web site is wormwoman.com.

Having trouble with your worm bin?  Contact the Master Gardeners!  mgsanluisobispo@ucdavis.edu

Click HERE to read more articles about Worm Composting.

 

Did you find some weird larvae in your worm bin?

Click here to see the image.

Soldier Fly Larvae seems to appear in my worm box throughout the year.  Once you recover from their ugliness, you will find that they are excellent composters and the flies are never even seen!

How can I keep my garden safe from pests during the summer months?

Dennis N.

 

By Andrea Peck, Master Gardener

 

These may be the dog days of summer, but creepy crawlies have their multiple eyes on your garden delectables. Outfitted in a myriad of shapes, sizes and colors, pests remain ambitious despite the heat and should not be underestimated; they are capable of mass destruction in short order.

Before you get out your pesticide or shotgun, however, you must determine the type of insect you are dealing with. Plant inspection is possibly the best defense a gardener has when it comes to intercepting major pest problems. Examine the top and underside of leaves, the surrounding soil and all other parts that have damage. Many problems can be averted by simply hand-picking pests. Observe your garden beyond plant level. Flying creatures, such as moths and butterflies have a life cycle. Those fluttery beasts, though attractive, will be laying eggs and subsequently hatching into hungry caterpillars.

Aphids, whiteflies, scales, cicadas, mealybugs are sucking insects that latch onto the leafy portion of ornamentals, fruit and nut crops and almost anything in between. Distorted, curled or yellowed leaves are suspicious signs. Most of these insect culprits exude a sticky, honeydew-type substance which attracts ants. To make matters worse, they may carry plant viruses. Aphids multiply rapidly, but are easily destroyed by a sharp blast of water. Insecticidal soap or horticultural oil sprayed on the underside of plant leaves, has some effect on whiteflies.

The indecisive earwig can be destructive or beneficial depending on the circumstances. When inspecting your plants, keep both possibilities in mind.

When controlling pests, it is best to start with the least invasive method of eradication. Hand-picking is an option when populations are low. Soft-bodied insects typically don’t survive a shot of water. Remember, pests don’t take a summer break. Provide your plants with nutrient rich soil and adequate irrigation so that they are healthy enough to sustain a mild pest ambushing. Remember to always read the label on any pesticide product and follow the instructions.

For more information on pest control methods visit http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu.

How Water-Wise Are You? A Mid-summer’s Check-up.

By Lee Oliphant

 

Your garden is flourishing and your water bill is skyrocketing. Take stock of your water usage. There may be ways to keep water use under control and still live in a beautiful environment that provides fresh produce for your family. How “water-wise” are you?

 

• Test soil for moisture content in various areas of your garden by digging down 6 inches. Soil should be moist at the depth 3 inches.
• Mulch the soil surface to reduce water loss due to evaporation. Apply mulches 2-4 inches deep around shrubs, trees, in flowerbeds, vegetable gardens and containers. Keep mulch away from trunks and stems.
• Group plants with similar needs. Many native, Mediterranean, and Australian plants need less water to survive.  Water them infrequently and deeply in the summer.
• Move container plants to a shady or semi-shady area in the summer and protect them from wind.
• Water early in the day to reduce evaporation. Water less often for a longer period of time to encourage deep root growth.
• A drip irrigation system may reduce water usage. Depending on the layout and features of your garden, slow drip and deep root watering systems can save approximately 50% of irrigation needs.
• Spike or aerate lawns to insure maximum water penetration.
• Check sprinklers to be sure that water is not wasted by run-off into gutters and streets. Check drip emitters for clogs.
• Adjust length of time of watering as days shorten.

 

Being water-wise does not require that you give up a beautiful garden. For more information, “Water Conservation Tips for the Home Lawn and Garden” UC’s ANR publication #8036 can be requested from the address below as well as downloaded from http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu free of charge.

I’ll be spending my vacation at home this August. What chores could I do in the garden while I have time?  Barbara D, Santa Margarita

By Ann Dozier   Master Gardener

I you’re a vegetable gardener, chores will thrust themselves upon you, what with harvesting, keeping pests under control, and maintaining a good watering schedule. You could also be starting seeds of cool-season vegetables in flats in a sheltered spot so they’ll be ready to transplant into the garden as the weather cools.

Fruit trees could be summer-pruned after harvest. Get rid of rampant growth and crossing branches. This helps keep the tree to a manageable size and opens it up to sun and air circulation.

Flowers that have slowed bloom can be pinched back to encourage a new flurry of blossoms: geraniums, begonias, impatiens, petunias, daisies, pansies and violas are all candidates for this treatment. Cut off dead hydrangea blossoms after bloom. Hydrangeas do not need to be pruned much in this climate unless you feel they are too tall – and then try to determine if your variety blooms on old wood or new wood so that you don’t cut off next year’s flowers. August is a good time to plant South African bulbs which do well here. Try babiania, freesia, and ixia, for example. You can also buy summer blooming plants like crape myrtle, butterfly bush and rose of sharon while they are in bloom to get colors you want.

Help the garden survive heat waves. Provide mulch and check your watering system to be sure it’s doing its job without wasting water. Deep-water trees that are not drought resistant to a depth of 18-24 inches; use a probe or a garden fork to judge depth of penetration. Don’t forget that your compost needs to be regularly dampened, too; it will break down quickly in warm weather if it has enough moisture.