 Growing
Gardens
with Anita Morton
Worm wisdom
 Kitchen
vegetable scraps are a valuable source of nutrients for our plants, but those
nutrients aren't available until the scraps are broken down into humus, compost
or manure. Few of us can keep livestock in our backyards, but everyone has room
for a worm farm.
These can take the form of either a commercial black plastic system or something
like an old bath. All the worms need is a container that keeps out the light,
retains moisture and allows the waste liquid to drain off. Some form of bedding
material gives them a place to hide until the vegetable matter builds up. You
can use coconut fibre, old cow/horse manure or torn up newspapers, but whichever
you choose, make sure it is nice and damp.
Feed your worms regularly, and always give them a bit more than they can eat
up between feeds. They won't breed unless there is an excess of food. Worms have
no teeth, so they don't actually munch on your kitchen scraps. Instead, they wait
until bacteria have broken down the material and then slurp up the by-products.
Once you understand this, it's easy to work out the things that won't make good
worm food; basically, anything that doesn't break down quickly. Citrus peels,
teabags and onion skins are not a good idea in large quantities. If you use a
juicer, you will have lots of fibrous waste matter that is fabulous worm food,
as it rots very quickly indeed.
As vegetable matter breaks down it becomes acid. Worms like a fairly neutral
pH, so an occasional sprinkle of dolomite lime over the contents is a good idea.
Don't add too much at once, or the worm wee you drain off will be very alkaline
and not good for plants such as ferns, tomatoes and potatoes.
Lismore Garden Club News
The showiest of August's flowering trees are the deciduous magnolias. First
to flower is the Yulan tree, m. denudata, followed by the soulangeana hybrids,
small, round headed trees with short trunk and wonderful display of big fragrant
blooms - white-flushed pink to lavender purple shades.
These are varieties that flower through spring and each will give at least
a month of blossom. The evergreen bull-bay magnolia m. grandiflora is a beautiful
romantic tree with creamy white flowers.
August is a good time to plant potatoes. New home-owners can plant future lawn
areas with a crop of potatoes. This helps to break up the soil. When the potatoes
are harvested the ground will be ready for planting lawn.
Alternatively, if you are tired of mowing convert some of the lawn into a potato
garden.
There is no Club meeting in September because of the Lismore & District
Garden competition on Sept 4-5 and gardens remain open for inspection Sept 10-18.
Finally: "Nature does nothing uselessly" - Aristotle.
Happy Gardening
Ron Burns
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