http://www.gardening-by-cathy.net Let's investigate organic and hydroponic gardening methods! Tue, 27 May 2008 03:53:28 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Learning about tomatoes can be fun and exciting. We are now approaching the scary part…so, how do I plant the thing – the tomato plant that is? The title means that once you follow these simple steps we are going to take the ‘scare’ out of planting ... http://www.gardening-by-cathy.net/index.php/archive/steps-to-planting-tomatoes-%e2%80%93-unscarified/ I'm back!! I took a brief 'sabatical' to get the house and the taxes in order. Are they? Well...not exactly, but they are a far sight closer than they were. Now on to the task at hand. Are you concerned about Identity Theft and hence, ... http://www.gardening-by-cathy.net/index.php/archive/spaghetti-gardening-cathy-style/ plants to be grown without soil while being supplied with all the oxygen and water or moisture that they need and crave. Instead of plants wasting energy searching for water and nutrients, these elements are supplied to them. Hence, growth is faster than in usual soil conditions because the plants ... http://www.gardening-by-cathy.net/index.php/archive/hydroponics-allows-3/ a green, caring vegetable farmer. It is so refreshing to see a producer who truly cares about the customer. Henry grows over 100 types of different vegetables on his farm. Why? For starters he doesn't want to turn a customer away and then there is his favorite reason, ... http://www.gardening-by-cathy.net/index.php/archive/henry-of-henrys-farm-is/ What if you don't see any cocoons after a few months?  Then you first need to check the temperature.  Does the bedding feel hot or cold to the touch?  Grains can heat up the compost, so perhaps you should cut back on the amount of grains or leave them out ... http://www.gardening-by-cathy.net/index.php/archive/why-vermicomposting-v/ For adequate drainage, be sure to drill holes in the individual tray bottoms and/or sides of the bins or construct the bin of chicken wire which is full of holes. Lastly, if you are using a plastic container, leaving the lid ajar would also promote air circulation. The red worms ... http://www.gardening-by-cathy.net/index.php/archive/why-vermicomposting-iv/ Next, sprinkle a light layer of crushed eggshells, followed by a light layer of sand. Since the worms do not have teeth, by swallowing sand grains it helps their muscular gizzard to grind away at the vegetable matter. Next, a light layer of soil gives them some additional ... http://www.gardening-by-cathy.net/index.php/archive/why-vermicomposting-iii/ Growing your own red worms is easy if you remember a few basic rules. Worms need oxygen just as humans do, only their exchange site of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide is their skin instead of lungs. Therefore, worms need adequate circulation. Worms also live in temperatures ... http://www.gardening-by-cathy.net/index.php/archive/why-vermicomposting-ii/ Today with the concern that we are slowly poisoning ourselves it is comforting to know that there is an all organic alternative to chemical fertilizers. Vermicomposting refers to the turning of our vegetable garbage into a soil additive called Worm Castings. The natural fertilizer contained in worm castings is very ... http://www.gardening-by-cathy.net/index.php/archive/why-vermicomposting-part-i/