Worms!

The compost worms I'd ordered finally arrived. Two thousand of them.. in the form of 'worm bombs'. Apparently there will be an "explosion" of worms once they get settled and feed and... hopefully, mate with each other!

We decided to use a polystyrene container with holes punched in the bottom (for drainage). Recycled shadecloth as lining (so worms don't escape). The most important thing was the bedding, as this is where the worms will breathe, eat and (hopefully!) live.

I had done a bit of initial research on appropriate worm bedding, but different sources say different things. Some said to use shredded paper, others said soil, but the instructions which came with the worms said to use compost and well-matured manure. A friend of mine whose dad once had a worm farm said he used lawn clippings.

So in the end, we decided to go with a mixture of shredded paper, compost, grass clippings and a bit of soil. After moistening it and mixing it all in together, we let the worms free!

We left the worms to settle in overnight. The next morning, we fed them a handful of chopped up cucumber, buk choy, banana skin, carrot and potato peel and even a teabag! When we checked later that night, unfortunately none of it had been touched. The instructions did say to leave them to settle for a day or so before feeding, as they may take time to get comfortable after their big trip.

Checked again this morning and still no joy... no food eaten and no signs of worms. I sprayed the entire surface to keep the bedding nice and moist. Worms have no way of controlling their body temperature and rely completely on their surroundings to keep them within the right temperature range.

Will write more once there's something to report....

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

Been a bit AWOL on this blog lately... However, there is change in the air, heralded by the torrents of rain we have been receiving - unseasonably early. It is welcome news to me.. as the rain brings some cooler air temps and gives me time off from watering the garden!

Grass has shot up everywhere due to the extra rain, hiding the growing pumpkins.

I haven't watered for the last four days now. But am still spending time in the mornings harvesting, mainly cucumbers, and pollinating whatever's flowering (mostly cucumbers, a handful of pumpkins and the odd zucchini).

My boyfriend and I have also been busy scouring the neighbourhood for unwanted goods for our garden. It is what's known as Hardwaste Collection. The northern parts of Australia are susceptible to cyclones, and as Cyclone Season approaches, the local councils will take away any bulky material / goods that is no longer required by households.

We managed to scavenge quite some good stuff! Among them were hanging baskets, chicken wire, shadecloths, metal poles, sprinkler heads... and an old carpet. We lay the carpet onto one of the heavily weed-infested areas in the hope that the lack of sun and air will smother them.

So while I have been busy at work, the boyfriend has been busy adding improvements to the garden. He has put in an entirely new irrigation system for all three garden beds:

The latest additions to our garden:

A mulberry sapling...

A watermelon seedling....

A yellow-flowered shrub.....