Now that I am back on the farm and have been giving the worm farm a bit of attention again, it seems to be doing much better.
I started off by weeding the worm bin, which had pretty much become overgrown from seeds that were discarded into the bin along with the kitchen waste, and although I did not mind harvesting the odd pumpkin and tomato from the bin, that was not the bins intended purpose. So I pulled everything growing in there out and used that to mulch the top layer in an attempt to protect the soil from the harsh sun, insulate the ground temperature and reduce water evaporation.
Then I fed the bin again with organic food waste from the kitchen as well as some of the rotten guavas that had been abundantly falling from the tree which shades it.
When you have a closer look at the soil, you can see that the majority of the top layer is comprised of vermipost, and it is heavily crawling with all kinds of microorganisms. This is a very good indication of a very healthy ecosystem inside the worm bin and also that the worm population has been actively busy processing anything that we are placing into the bin into rich usable fertilizer which will be ready to harvest very soon.
But in the worm-bin, it is not only the vermipost that I am after, the natural seepage from the tank makes for an excellent liquid fertilizer that is naturally fermented and alive with microorganisms, this works very well as a natural tonic and plant boost in any garden, whether it is a aesthetic home garden or a production garden, you can think of this liquid fertilizer much like a probiotic for your soil, that not only feeds your plants but help re-establish the active microorganisms in your topsoil.
And while I was working on the bin, I noticed that the first liquid fertaliser was already slowly starting to drip through. This meant that the natural filtration sump that had been filling up over time has now reached the point of being in line with the outlet, and is now ready to be collected.
So, I dug a hole beneath the outlet pipe and placed a collection bucket underneath it, so that any run off could be collected and administered to the vegetable gardens as needed.
This fertilizer can be extremely rich, so I normally mix about a half a cup per litre of water to dilute it, and then use that as a supplementary plant feed.
We have already harvested the first full bucket of run-off since the harvesting container has been put into place, and I am looking forward to a constant supply of liquid fertilizer in time to come.
I used to buy in these natural fertilizers, and I have had great success with the product, it has helped me increase the yield and give me better quality of fruits and vegetables, and that then encouraged me to start producing my own. And although the amount I produce is hardly enough to enhance the entire farm, at this stage it is sufficient to use in the farms food gardens that supply the household with fresh fruit and vegetables, and for now, I am very happy with that.
One strange thing that I did notice wile working on the bin, was the fact that I couldn't find any of the red composting worms that I started the bin off with - in their place, I came across these normal, and slower composting earthworms - I am not exactly sure how they managed to get inside the bin - but somehow they did, and they have taken over the show.
Although these worms are a lot slower to compost - they are still getting the job done for now, I am not sure if I want to restart the bin at a later stage again with the red wrigglers and release these worms directly into the garden soil, but for now, I will just keep going with what I have at hand.
Now if you are not really a reader and would rather listen to me blabbing on about this little project - I made a short video which is available to watch here
Although being back on the farm has lead to some amazing progress in many aspects, it has also been filled with its fair share of hardships, and one that I took extremely hard of course was when old Chester my farming companion of over 13 years passed away.
As he grew older he became riddled with cancerous growths, he soon became weaker and weaker, and his general condition started going down. There was not much that we were able to do for him, but we did try and make his last stretch as comfortable as we possibly could. I even baked him some soft cannabis dog biscuits to help alleviate his pain and discomfort towards the end.
But sadly, it was his time, and although it was one of the saddest animal graves I had to dig in my life, I feel slightly better knowing that he is no longer suffering.
And in stead I look back gratefully at all the time that I was able to share my life and my space with him...
Farewell My Friend!