2020-01-01_ABC_Organic_Gardener

ORGANIC T

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WORM^ FARM

IN A BTH

Old baths can make marvellous worm farms. Here’s how:

1. Secure bath on top of besser blocks or in a timber
   frame, with a slight downward angle towards the
   plughole. Place high enough off the ground to fit
   a bucket under the plughole.


2. Remove the plug and place some fly mesh or shade
   cloth over the plughole.


3. Put 2cm of gravel over the base of the bath. Cover
   gravel with shade cloth or geotextile fabric.


4. Add 1cm layer of coarse river sand. Then add damp
   coco peat or old cow/horse manure for bedding
   on top of the sand.


5. Add compost worms or worm farm worms (they
   are not the same as earthworms). Leave in a pile
   in the middle.


6. Add finely chopped food scraps.


7. Cover with shredded paper or hay, then hessian bags.


8. Place a waterproof cover over the top, (I use a sheet
   of corrugated iron), then secure with weights such
   as bricks or rocks.


9. Place a bucket underneath the plughole to catch
   worm juice. Leonie Shanahan

Top: The finished worm farm with bucket of worm juice.

Above: Put some flymesh over the plughole so it doesn’t clog.

Sutopica

Plant now: Grow understorey plants as groundcovers

and interplant between your crops to protect your soil

from the harsh elements and to provide a living mulch

cover. Warrigal greens (Tetragonia tetragonioides),

a native, edible groundcover with a spreading habit,

is easytogrow.

Pest alert: Lace bugs are a tiny 2mm sap sucking

insect causing spotted or mottled leaf damage. Begin by

waiting for good predators, such as lady beetles and

parasitic wasps, to arrive and feast on them and restore

balance. Alternatively, spray with neem or white oil on

theundersideofleaveslateintheday.

Top tip: Raised garden beds heat up signifi cantly

on hot days. To reduce heat, grow plants on the outside

high enough to insulate the bed, such as lemongrass.

Another option is growing heat-tolerant plants in the

bed that cascade over the sides – nasturtiums are a

good choice.

Leonie Shanahan

Aid/smi-aid

Problem: Fungal and bacterial tomato diseases thrive

in warm, wet conditions. Minimise by pruning lower

leaves of tomato plants to improve air circulation. Only

water in the morning, and/or water only at the base of

theplantssothatwateris notsittingontheleaves.

Action alert: Help to beat the heat by regularly

watering more tender plants with dilute seaweed extract.

This helps to toughen leaves and increase

heattolerance.

Top tip: On a sunny day, learn more about the

micro-fauna in your garden by fi nding a comfy seat and

sitting still to observe. You’ll likely see small birds you

haven’t noticed before, and myriad insects working the

fl owers or preying on pest insects. A magnifying glass or

hand lens will help you to get up close and personal.

Penny Woodward

(Helen McKerral is away)

PHOTOS: INSET: LIBBY WOODWARD/RIGHT: LEONIE SHANAHAN.

Left: The Caper

Berry butterfly

is attracted to

native plants.