Thursday, August 27, 2009

The Good... and the Disgustingly Bad

Look at this big wheelbarrow full of compost that we harvested last weekend! The contraption on top is the sifter Scott built. It uses chicken wire, which has worked well for us. Obviously some larger pieces get through than if you used hardware cloth, but it's generally things like egg shell pieces, which are fine to add to the garden without decomposing at all.

Scott is amazed at how good finished compost smells. That is a common reaction --- people are shocked that neither the pile nor the finished product stinks (unless something is wrong!).

Now check out this HUGE and disgusting hornworm/cutworm that was scaling our house! I guess I'd rather have it on the house than on the tomatoes, but it totally grossed me out anyway!
I hope y'all have had a great week and have an even better weekend!

10 comments:

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

I hope he was bird food quickly!! I don't care for those worms!

Susie said...

Ginger, I know what you mean. I can't stand to look at those caterpillars either no matter where they are at. Ick!

Becca's Dirt said...

Does that one turn into a butterfly? Don't let one get on me - I probably would make you laugh at how fast I can move to get the creepy off of me.

Isn't it great to know that you made the compost that you are adding to your garden.

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

What pretty compost :) I'm not very good about remembering to turn ours. Do you ever get animals trying to get in with food scraps? I'm always afraid mice or rats will find it.
That worm is disgusting :{

Wicked Gardener said...

I need a sifter!!! Can you talk to your husband for me?

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

Hi Ginger, I am sending you a Meme if you are interested in participating. Hope to read about you.
http://thequeenofseaford.blogspot.com/2009/08/what-can-i-tell-you.html

Ginger said...

Janet - Even though it was disgusting, I couldn't bring myself to smoosh it. Instead I put it in a rude neighbor's yard - LOL!
I'll do my seven things post soon, thanks for thinking of me!

Susie - It took me about ten minutes to get the nerve up to move it, and it's not like I was going to touch it!! I scraped it into a flower pot with a tool then dumped it out.

Becca - You piqued my interest, so I looked it up and apparently they turn into big moths! I'm not sure you can tell from the picture, but this one was about 4 inches long, so I bet the moths are something to behold!!

Catherine - I throw all of our food scraps in the open bins and haven't had any problems with animals. However, our dog will dig up fresh eggshells I bury around tomato plants, so he would no doubt be in the compost if it wasn't in a wire bin.

Wicked - I think the basic plan came from Lowes.com. I love that thing, especially how you can set it on top of the wheelbarrow!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Hi Ginger, Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope you come back anytime... I laughed at your comment about being a lawyer and wishing your were a gardener... I'm sure that being a gardener would be a little more simple..

We compost also and George uses that wonderful dirt around all of our hybrid tea roses. GREAT fertilizer!!!!

Glad you didn't kill the little caterpillar. He may grow up and be qute beautiful one of these days.

Thanks again.. Come back ANyTIME--and I'll return to yours.
Hugs,
Betsy

Meredith said...

Ewwww! That worm is huge!

The last one of these hornworms we saw, F. grabbed it off the tomato plant and squished it so fast I had barely registered it was there, and I can still mentally hear the squish when I look at this pic. I was kinda glad afterward, though, when I saw what that creature had done to my poor plant! Chomped off an entire branch.

Machelle said...

Instead I put it in a rude neighbor's yard - LOL!


SO Funny!!
I love the smell of fresh compost, and it gives me great satisfaction knowing that I helped make it.
I really enjoyed visiting your blog, you have a lovely garden.