Reuse and recycle. Homemade nutes from waste.

[RookieBuds]

We have a couple maple trees that DUMP leaves every year, so the last couple yrs I've been using them ---- and really all veg scraps now ---- to my advantage

Here's a wire bin i whipped up about maybe 2-3 yrs ago, it started with only leaves but now everything goes in there:

Pure gold!!


But, here's what I'm noticing.... Having this just on bare ground, the roots of "something" are growing up into it, so I need to move all this beautiful compost to the raised beds & start a new bin OFF-GROUND, maybe a plastic wrapped pallet

I had to rig up a way to gather this year's leaves, so I did this for now, & will smoosh all these (and more) leaves down into the new off-ground wire bin

 

[Rozgreenburn]

Good looking compost!
I move outdoor compost areas from time to time and I use a piece of pond liner or flat roofing rubber membrane under the pile, to keep it separated from the ground.

 

[Willie]

But, here's what I'm noticing.... Having this just on bare ground, the roots of "something" are growing up into it, so I need to move all this beautiful compost to the raised beds & start a new bin OFF-GROUND, maybe a plastic wrapped pallet

Trees know where the food is, lol. I have a large spruce along one side of the veggie garden and every 2 years I cut a trench between the 2 areas. Cuts out a lot of roots. They say a tree will make roots as wide as the canopy is but I find that is flat out not true..........they will grow way past that drip line looking for food.

 

[RookieBuds]

Trees know where the food is, lol. I have a large spruce along one side of the veggie garden and every 2 years I cut a trench between the 2 areas. Cuts out a lot of roots. They say a tree will make roots as wide as the canopy is but I find that is flat out not true..........they will grow way past that drip line looking for food.

Oh definitely WAY past, I'm almost sure the roots of the maple in back is also reaching up into the raised boxes totally across the yard from it.

 

[Mr Jay]

Trees know where the food is, lol. I have a large spruce along one side of the veggie garden and every 2 years I cut a trench between the 2 areas. Cuts out a lot of roots

Took the words outta my mouth.
My Lilacs feather roots into my soil station.
Don't quote me on any of this but, as I understand it roots are capable of manipulating the interface to promote nutrient uptake. And unlike worms, Roots don't eat dirt. Roots themselves contribute to the root zone biome with the aid of mycelium.
I could be wrong, maybe those roots are stealing my lunch.
I am trying to create 'living soil' right?
The moniker seems more appropriate when I see something actually living in it.

 

[Nefar]

Beautiful.

Let me know if they hatch out. Never seen Mystery babies.

Button battery for scale.


2 more egg clutches I left in the tank to their fate. I only hatched out this one. I made the mistake a couple years ago on hatching out a few of these. 75g was over loaded very quickly. If they survive I should see a load of them on the glass in a couple days.

Some shells I'm going to grind up to throw in mix for grow #2.

 

[Mr Jay]

Awesome stuff. Any assassins left in there ?

 

[iwentdoodie]

huh. well, guess that snail infestation is gonna pay off in a couple hours.

 

[Nefar]

Awesome stuff. Any assassins left in there ?

There are always assasins lying in wait.

 

[Mr Jay]

Love the colour on those. So unique.

Those Guppies can also be opportunistic. They will clean up any little shrimplets that arrive.

 

[Nefar]

There starting to show up on the glass now, @Mr Jay -- No macro lense on the phone camera.