Vermicompost A Basic Idea

When we talk about vermicompost we mean composting organic materials by using redworms and other such worms. The process is called vermicomposting. Worms create a blend of different composting ingredients. You can enrich the quality of a soil many a times any adding vermicompost with it. It is considered to be very high quality organic fertilizer.

Worms in general situation eat in plenty in a whole day and with that proportion they release the casting. Most interesting fact is that their casting contains 8 times more microorganism than their food. These organisms do wonders for the plants. Besides the cast is also pathogen free. This cast is full with nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), and Potassium (K) than the normal soil. If you remember (in our earlier article we have discussed about this) these 3 minerals are essential for any plants growth. These casts are also rich in humic acid which is very much beneficial for any plant.

Several countries like USA, Canada Japan etc practice vermicompost in larger scales for agriculture. But use can practice it in your own house also. All you need is these basic materials:
1.    A container
2.    Bedding
3.    Water
4.    Worms
5.    Kitchen scraps

Fill the container with bedding and kitchen scraps. Mix some water to make it moist; after that, add the worms into the mix. They will eat the mixture and create casts for you to use.

A word of caution: do not use any material such as bottle caps, polythene bags, aluminum foils etc. Avoid any type of insecticides or chemical near the bin. These will kill the worm population.

Vermicomposting is a fantastic way to convert your kitchen scraps into fertile manure. You can use earthworms to convert your kitchen wastes into manure (worm cast and some decayed materials) which you can then add to your window boxes. This acts as a buffer to reduce excessive acid or alkaline present in your soil. It will also help storing nutrients and retaining moisture. General recommendation is to add vermicompost and normal soil in 1:10 ratio.


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Growing Radish Some basic Facts

Radish is one of the easiest crops to grow. This is ideal for the beginners who are trying their hands on gardening.

A pH of 6 to 6.8 is ideal for growing radish. You can add other growing media with the soil to make it appropriate if the soil nearby is not up to that pH range. A list of the growth media can be found here. In normal cases fertilizers are not that necessary if you have put compost in the soil before planting the seeds. Avoid fresh manure or material which are rich in nitrogen.

Radish plant required direct sunlight at least 6 hours a day. Plant your plant accordingly. Put the seed in the soil at ½ inch depth and cover it with soil. The spacing between the plant should not less than 2 inch. Once the seedlings have grown about 2 inches in height thin them up to 3 inches apart. Lack of thinning can lead to inedible and shriveled roots.

Keep the soil moist by watering regularly. If s the soil is very dry it can result in radishes with very pungent flavor, whereas too much water can make the roots rot. If want to know more about watering check out my earlier blog.

Radish plants are not very much prone to diseases, on the contrary it is much more beneficial to other crops if you are thinking about companion planting. Planting radish along with cucumber or squash can reduce the beetle which affects cucumber or squash. It also attracts leaf bugs away from spinach. Sometimes there are some larva which attacks the radish roots. Crop rotation can resolve this problem. You can also add a good amount of wood ash to prevent these problems.

The best part of a radish as far as the beginners are concerned is that it matures very quickly. You can harvest your radishes with 3 to 4 weeks depending on the species. In case you are not sure of its size pull it out from the soil in case you find the radish is still immature, you can always replant it. It is always better to pull out a little immature radish than to take out over-matured. Oversize radishes can taste woody and unpleasant to the tongue.

The storage of this is similar to that of carrots. You need to cut off the leaves to eliminate any chance of further growth. Store them in refrigerator. You can use them for one or two weeks.

Radish are not very much known more their nutritional value, rather they are famous for their tasty addition to salads.

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