October is a transition month here in Florida.  Sometimes (like this year) it's hard to tell that it's really fall.  In fact, it's as hot and humid as any August.  Except there has been a change - no more daily downpours; the light is getting shorter; the grass is growing slower.
During October, here are some tips on your what needs to be done to your grass this month:

• It's too late to seed, but you can still add plugs and sod. Remember to add VermaPlex® to any new sod for best results.
• The grass is still growing, just slower.  Keep mowing. (You are checking your blades for sharpness, right?)
• Even though some places are still getting hammered and even getting tropical downpours, this can all dry up in no time.  Be vigiliant and water when needed.  The sun is still hot.
• If you haven't' already, apply your high nitrogen fertilizers like VermaMax Granules® to Bermuda before the grass completely slows down too much.  It will continue to grow until it gets really cold, but, hey, that could happen at any time now.  Water after applying

Fertilizers for now:

• Apply your fall feeding of VermaPlex®
• Apply VermaMax Granules® to your Bermuda grass (hold off on the VermaPlex® until two weeks after.)

Hang in there - it really is going to cool down.  I promise.

Click here for information on use and application rates  for various crops.

Now,  Archer up there will be the first to tell you he's a really handsome fellow.  But he's not just another pretty face.  His manure is one of the most valuable organic fertilizers known.

Nature is truly a wonderful thing.  Did you know you can feed chicken manure to earthworms in your vermicomposting bin or worm farm?  Just be careful....it's hotter than most any other organic material.

And, did you know you can improve your worm castings fertilizer's  nitrogen and calcium content by adding composted chicken litter?  That's why VermaMax Granules® is so potent. It's a blend of worm castings and organically composted chicken litter.  But this chicken litter has the unique quality of being composted with the help  of VermaPlex®​ liquid.  

The combination of the purest worm castings on the planet and super-duper composted chicken litter produces an organic fertilizer that packs a powerful punch.  Not only does VermaMax® contain extra, readily available nitrogen for high-users like corn, the calcium content is through the roof.  A whopping 6.72%!

Calcium is extremely difficult to obtain organically and that's one of the criticisms used by certain unenlightened individuals against organic fertilizers.  With VermMax®, you get extra calcium AND extra nitrogen in one easy-to-apply soil amendment.

• Add one inch of the castings to an empty 20 oz water bottle.  
• Add water, not all the way to the top.
• Shake bottle up and let sit for 15 minutes.
• As a comparison, do the same with our Pure Black Castings™.

Results:

• An inferior product will have garbage floating to the top (like peat moss or un-decomposed organic material.) If "filler" has been added, there will be a layer of sand in the bottom.
• Pure Black Castings will have nothing floating on top and only castings in the bottom.

Also, check for moisture content.  A wetter product will weight more, so you are getting fewer castings.  Pure Black Castings™ have less than 30% moisture.

Raised beds solve many gardening problems such as:

• Poor drainage
• Poor soil
• Sloping ground

Plus raised beds can add beauty and interest to a boring landscape by:

• Adding height to flat gardens
• Providing level planting areas on steep grounds

Adding pavers and gravel around the beds creates a cozy court yard effect.  The beds design can be flexible - rectangular, square or in corners.

Raised beds hold lots of soil.  There are packaged pre-mixed planting soils available at local gardening centers, but mixing your own is more economical.  For a good planting soil mix:

• 1/3 peat moss
• 1/3 perlite
• 1/3 worm castings

This mix provides good drainage, aeration, and slow release fertilizer.

Adding a watering system as beds are built saves time and is easier to do.  By laying in a seeping hose, emitter, or sprinklers now, watering during dry spells is a breeze.

Self watering systems make sense for raised beds as well.  Simply install a barrel (paint or decorate to blend into the landscape), elevated higher than the raised bed ground level.  Install a faucet at the bottom and attach a seep hose or emitters to lay along the bed.  Fill the barrel with water and add a small dose of VermaPlex® for maximum plant nutrition through "micro-dosing".

Whether you subscribe to the "preppers" movement or are just worried about contaminated food and rising costs, this book is a good addition to any gardening library.  Solomon shares gardening knowledge from a time before chemical fertilizers and hybrid seeds.  

He covers such things as land acquisition, soil fertility, how to start different types of gardens, tools, composting, insects and diseases, and (my favorite) seed saving.

Mr. Solomon created and ran a seed company in the 80's and he passes on his knowledge of collecting and saving seeds.  I found the seed storage section particularly useful.  Keeping saved seeds viable is a must if we want to become self-sufficient and maintain heirloom seed varieties.  Proper seed storage is the key to retain viability.  After using  his seed-saving regime, I have better germination percentages than before.

A large portion of the book is dedicated to "What to grow and how to grow it".   Many popular vegetables are covered with instructions on growing, harvesting, and (of course) seed saving.  Check this book out sometime at your local library or online.  It's a book that's been well-used in this household.
More Information:
Visit Mr. Solomon's "About Me" page.

The flowers are in full bloom, the vegetables are producing, and the grass is growing. While you're enjoying the beauty and harvest of your gardening efforts, here's a quick list of  late summer chores:

• Keep your container plants fed and watered.  Use a slow release fertilizer like worm castings and add extra potassium for blooms.
• Remove faded flowers to encourage more flowering.
• Watch out for pests like aphids.  Look for and pick off destructive caterpillars and grubs.
• Collect seeds from healthy plants for replanting.
• Trim and cut back shrubs and hedges.
• It's time to plant spring-flowering bulbs.
• Plant cold-hardy annuals now and remember to protect during the winter.
• Mow, mow , mow.  Increase the cutter height during dry spells. Water new sod throughout the summer.   Unless it's very dry (not around here!), established lawns don't require watering.
• Harvest your vegetables as they become ripe to encourage more production.

Above all, keep cool.  Fall's just around the corner.

If the worm castings are mostly vermicompost, the price should reflect the smaller concentration of castings contained in it. Vermicompost is an excellent amendment to your garden soil, but it will require more fertilizer applications at planting time and/or be replenished quickly.  

Think of vermicompost more as a soil enhancement, adding tilth to your planting medium rather than as a fertilizer, although it does contain microbes and has fertilizer value.  Vermicompost should be relatively inexpensive and probably should be bought locally, since the shipping costs can be prohibitive (especially if it's wet).  

A lot of the worm castings fertilizer you find for sale have a high concentration of worm castings but with a substantial amount of organic material (vermicompost) remaining in the product.  This higher concentration of worm castings makes for better fertilizer than the vermicompost above, but  a premium should not be charged for this fertilizer since it isn't "pure" and requires higher application rates.

Again, the shipping of un-concentrated worm castings that also contains large amounts of vermicompost is not cost effective. Before purchasing an unknown source of worm castings, it's probably wise to get a small amount or sample before getting large amounts only to find it isn't  straight castings.  Click here for a test to do for judging whether a worm castings product contains vermicompost.

Fertilizers that are pure castings are the most concentrated.  The process to reach this level of purity is longer and more expensive than with simply vermicompsting organic material to a certain point and bagging it up.   The application rates are lower for pure worm castings and the price should reflect this concentration. 

Whether the pure worm castings being sold are certified organic or not is another consideration.  Some castings are grown organically but lack the "certification".  They may or may not conform with the standards set.  You should not pay a premium for castings that do not have organic certification.

The certification process for fertilizers is difficult to achieve and maintain.  This certification provides a user the assurance  they are applying a truly "organic" product free of harmful  toxins and poisons and that it conforms to standards set by organic certification boards.

Generally speaking, you should apply 20 pounds (or 320 ounces) of worm castings per 1000 feet of root growth if you're using VermaPlex®; or 40 pounds (or 640 ounces) of worm castings per 1000 square feet of root growth  if you are not using VermaPlex®.

For calculating smaller garden plots, it's probably simpler to find the amount of castings per square foot.  So, you would use .32 ounces worm castings per square foot with VermaPlex® and .64 ounces worm castings per square foot without VermaPlex®.

When you build your bed and at the beginning of the growing season, a good mix for your square foot or raised bed garden  is 30% worm castings added to your growing medium.  Then apply side dressings of castings a few times through out the growing season.

If you're raising vegetables in a raised bed, particular an "intensive" planting where the entire bed is used by the plants, you can measure the length and width of the bed, then multiply by the number of beds to get the square feet of your planting area.  Multiply the total square feet of planting area by .32 (or .64) to get the amount of castings required.

For instance, to add a side dressing of worm castings fertilize to an 8 x 4 foot raised bed, you would need about 10 ounces of worm castings per application. (8 feet times 4 feet = 32 square feet times .32 ounces worm castings = 10.24 ounces of worm castings.)

This is a small amount, but if you're using pure castings like Pure Black Castings™, which are concentrated and 99.9% all castings, it doesn't take a lot.  Fertilizing with vermicompost, which is worm castings mixed with organic material, requires much larger amounts. Here is an article on this site which describes the difference between vermicompost and worm castings.