We have two BioStack Compost Bins: bin #1 has unfinished compost and bin #2 has compost which is pretty much done. One thing I like about the BioStack Compost Bins, is that each bin has three levels which you can remove and add to… so you can adjust the height of the bins. Since we currently have more unfinished compost, I took one of the levels from bin #2 and added it to bin #1.
They are filled with tons and tons of worms!!!
12:45pm I’ll be planting alot soon and almost out of blank plant labels, so I’m erasing (they were written with pencil) used ones to be reused… #
4:06pm Tulips and my Mom’s Azaleas are blooming the the back yard… #
4:19pm Borage, Osteospermum and Snapdragon are blooming… #
4:28pm Comice Pear graft, Asian Pear near sink and Persimmons are starting to open its buds… European Plum near veggie bed is starting to bloom… #
4:31pm Envy, Fruit Smoothie and (Seeds from 2005) Zinnias are sprouting… #<
5:39pm Sowing 3 types of Tomatoes: Black from Tula, Beefsteak and Rutger-Select… #
5:43pm Sowing various Peppers: Emerald Giant, Golden Marconi, Red Bell, Carmagnila Rossa (G3), Sweet Mini Red, Sweet Mini Orange and Thai Dragon… #
5:49pm Sowed other Nighshades: Easter Eggplant, African Orange Eggplant, Congo Trinidad Pepper, Datura Golden Queen and Datura Purple Queen… #
5:54pm Almost forgot to sow the Scarlet Chinese Eggplant (G2) seeds… #
6:36pm My Mom is top dressing her hanging tuberous Begonia with compost… They are starting to sprout… #
6:46pm Sowed some flowers in cell-packs outside: Tithonia Torch, Moonflower, Cleome Rose Queen and Cleome Four Queen… #
6:46pm Sowed even more flowers in cell-packs outside: Orange Butterfly Flower, Blue Flax, Statice Rainbow Mix and Coreopsis Plains Bicolor… #
6:47pm Sowed Strawflower Dwarf Mixed Colors in milk carton container… #
6:50pm Sowed 4 veggies into cell-packs outside: Misome, Miike Purple Giant Mustard, Marvel of Four Seasons Lettuce and Broccoli Raab… #
6:51pm Kiwis, Figs and Pomegranates are starting to leaf out… #
6:54pm It’s been a busy day in the garden and it’s now dark… I would stay out longer to sow more seeds, but the mosquitos are annoying me!… #
10:35pm I noticed that the Sugar Cane now has a second sprout. The first one is about 3 inches now… #
This afternoon, it was raining, but I went outside to bring out the kitchen scraps for the compost bin.
I got the to compost bin and noticed tons of Soldier Fly Larvae crawling out of the compost bin. I tried my hardest not to smash any.
The Purple Hyacinths were blooming although slugs and snail have gotten to the flowers.
I walked around and noticed the Pink Banana Passiflora (which seemed to have died in the winter) now has tiny buds growing near it’s base.
Next to it, I also noticed that the Hyacinth-like plants (from my friend Howard) are sprouting up, although there were weeds and a Kiwi seedling in the pot.
What really made my day, was seeing my Yellow Masdevallia Orchid, which I took outdoors about two years ago, now re-blooming for the first time. This is the first non-Cymbidium Orchid that rebloomed for me… I think I want to get more Masdevallia Orchids now, since they seem to survive outdoors and actually bloom (in the winter)!!!
I spent yesterday (Saturday) doing a little bit of cleanup on my three vegetable beds in the backyard.
I finally found another Smith & Hawkins BioStack Compost Bin for sale on a Craigs List ad. I sent an email out and it was available… so I drove about 45 minutes away in the rain and picked it up in Pleasanton. It came with some extras, was never used and a good deal at $45.
I didn’t have work today, so I was able to do a little garden work and snap more pictures.
I checked the Brussel Sprouts and Swiss Chard and they are doing okay, but there was a lot of snail/slug damage :)
The Sugar Snap Peas that I planted on the 8th are sprouting. I can’t tell if the leaves have not opened up, or if they were eaten by snail, slugs, pill bugs and/or earwigs. I’ll have to recheck tomorrow.
I turned the leaves in the compost bin, and you can see the steam rising. Looks like the BioStack is doing a much better job at heating the compost up than my garbage can bins. I did notice these weird bugs under the lid with ants tending them, kinda aphid size, but they looked a little different than aphids.
The Dutch Irises and Spring Star Flower that I potted up on the 8th are emerging.
The Coleus survivors are surprisingly still hanging on, but I really should get some cuttings… and I should get off my behind and get the old aquarium in the patio and bring it in and put some grow-lights!!!
I took a day off of work today to bring my mom to a doctor’s appointment. Before we left, I had the chance to check out the back garden, which I hardly get to see in daylight since the days are so damn short.
I turned the compost in our new Smith & Hawkins BioStack Composter, which I won at a city composting workshop, and can definitely feel the heat being generated. I want to get another one, so if you are in the San Francisco Bay Area and want to get rid of yours, I’ll take it.
Lately, I’ve been thinking of what kind of trees I would like to have once I buy my own house. I want something that is not only nice, but also serves another purpose like for fruits or shade.
A few entries ago, I posted pictures of a Lemon Grass that I grew.
I told my mom that I want an avocado tree and guess what she said? About 6 months ago, she found 2 seeds in the compost pile that were sprouting and she planted them. She told me that they are under the plum tree. So I checked it out and what do you know… we have a couple of avocado plants…
I’m going to replant these into a large container tomorrow and give them more sun so they grow well… Ya, know… for my future back yard :)