November 21, 2024

13 thoughts on “VIDEO: Grow station and worm castings

  1. Nice update, J!

    Your growing corner has developed well! Like those connecting possibillities between the lamps. I have single cables all over, and they take some space.
    About the seeds that didn`t germinate yet. When you mentioned the pepper not sprouting, I remembered something here. My ones didn`t germinate before I increased the temperature. I don`t know what temperature you have in the room, but I had to place the seeds at about 30C. (In a plastic box placed on top of a grow light armature) This worked well.
    Could the temperature affect the other un-germinated seeds as well?

    Cheers,
    Halvor.

  2. That's a great lighting system.. I have had issues with eggplant seeds here as well, I've put it down to them just being more fickle than most..
    Spent a few hours yesterday harvesting worms for the compost pile from one of our barrels, was great to sit & catch up with the squirmers for a few hours 😉
    Can't help you with the sand & question sorry Jay..

    Cheers Mate..

  3. good info – thanks
    a bit off topic but … good info:
    a way to harvest baby worms:
    after I screen the bins I put the castings into a smaller bin, add some bread or corn meal, cover the bin and within 10 days there is a mass of little baby worms under the bread. scoop them out and put them back with the adults and your castings are good to go

  4. I'm sorry to hear that the seedling for the biochar trial aren't germinating. I read through the comments, and it looks like others have already suggested what I would try (i.e., lower lights, heat pad, mylar).

    I wouldn't be surprised if the sand helped your worm population grow. They'll reproduce more quickly when conditions in the bin are favorable, whether its having enough food, the right temperatures, the right moisture, etc. They need grit to thrive, so the sand could very well be helping.

  5. Interesting about the sand Jay, but I don't think the sand would have that fast effect on the reproduction cycle. The worms make those little cocoons (I think that's what they're called) and the cocoons usually produce between 1 and 3(or more) worms…but the worms have to develop a number of days before then come out of the cocoon. So, I'm suggesting that it could be a coincidence…possibly?

  6. Good morning, Jay.  I always enjoy your updates. Since you are not growing in large quantities, try the DAMPENED PAPER TOWEL METHOD for fast germination. It should get you back on track for Patrick's biochar experiment. Since most seeds need heat for germination, it is easier to keep baggies by a heat register or some other type of LOW TEMP heat source, instead of trying to keep little pots moist & warm. Paper towel & baggies are inexpensive and you can fit quite a few by a heat register or on a germination mat. If using a germination mat or heating pad, make sure you put a towel between the heat mat and the baggies. If they were sitting DIRECTLY on the heat mat, they would probably COOK. You want the baggies just slightly warm, that is why I lean my baggies up against my heat registers, they don't get too hot.  Then plant the germinated seeds, put them under your grow lights. You  should be good to go and ready for Patricks experiment. :0)

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