| How to Grow Your Own Fishing Worms Posted: 22 Jun 2021 05:00 PM PDT Buying live bait can put a serious dent in your wallet if you're an avid angler. A more thrifty solution is to raise your own worms in your very own worm bed (also known as a "composter"). It's as easy as drilling some holes in an ordinary foam or plastic container, putting down a layer of shredded paper, filling it with a few inches of potting soil, and adding a little water. The end result will be a moist, nutrient-rich, sealed environment that's perfect for continuously breeding new batches of your bait worms of choice. [Edit]Building a Worm Bed - Pick out a suitable location for your worm bed. You have the option of starting your worm bed either indoors or outdoors, depending on the weather conditions in your area. If you want to build it outside, choose a spot with plenty of shade, preferably one that's covered to divert rainfall. If you'd prefer to keep it indoors, set aside a little space in your garage, basement, garden shed, or screened-in porch.[1]
- You can keep an outdoor worm bed going year-round, provided it's in a spot that isn't susceptible to freezing during the winter months.
- It's generally not a good idea to raise worms inside your actual home. Not only will your bed likely emit an unpleasant odor, there's always a chance that one or more worms could find their way out of the container.
- Select a simple foam or plastic container to use as your bed. A compact foam cooler is ideal for this purpose, as the insulated walls will protect your worms against drastic changes in temperature. However, you can also use any ordinary plastic or polyurethane container, as long as it has a lid that locks down tight.
- If you know your way around a toolbox, consider constructing your own customized worm bed to your preferred specifications using your materials of choice.[2]
- The exact dimensions of your worm bed aren't important. All that matters is that you provide an enclosed space with enough room to house your worms comfortably.
- Drill a series of holes in the top and bottom of the container. Fit your drill with a hole saw attachment and bore a hole on the upper part of each of the container's walls. Then, switch to a bit and drill 2-3 holes in the bottom of the container near each corner, leaving of space between each hole.[3]
- Avoid using a bit larger than about , or smaller species of worms may be able to squeeze their way out.
- The large holes at the top of the container will allow your worms to breathe inside the lidded container, while the smaller holes at the bottom will filter out excess water and waste products.
- Create a layer of preliminary bedding from shredded paper. Tear sheets of newsprint, printer paper, or thin cardboard into pieces and scatter them over the bottom of the empty container. Try to distribute the bedding as evenly as possible so that there are no noticeable mounds or bare spots.[4]
- A paper shredder can quickly reduce your bedding material to fine, consistently-sized strips, if you have access to one.
- Steer clear of scrap paper printed with colored dyes. These can be toxic to many species of worms.
- Cover your bedding material with of potting soil. The exact amount of soil you add will depend on the overall size of your container. Sift in the soil until the container is at least a third of the way full, then spread it out so that it's nice and flat. Make sure there's enough soil for your worms to tunnel through.[5]
- Any type of well-balanced organic potting soil will work just fine.
- Break up any large clumps of soil or peat moss by hand.
- Add just enough water to the soil to thoroughly dampen it. Pour the water into the container little by little, turning the soil with your fingers or a hand trowel as you go. By the time you're done, the soil should be moist but not soggy. You'll know it's reached a good consistency when it clumps easily.[6]
- Be careful not to add so much water that it begins pooling on the surface of the soil. Too much water could put your worms at risk of drowning.[7]
- Following your initial watering, you'll want to give the soil a good dousing periodically (at least once every few days) to keep it moist.
[Edit]Maintaining Comfortable Conditions for Your Worms - Stock up on your desired species of bait worms. There are a number of ways you can procure worms for your composter. The simplest and least expensive option is to dig them up out of your own yard or garden, if you know what you're looking for. If that's a no-go, you can also purchase them from your local tackle shop, or place bulk orders for oversized beds online.
- Red worms and nightcrawlers are the 2 most common varieties of worms used as live bait.
- If you're not sure what type of worms to buy, research the feeding habits of the fish you're hoping to catch. Trout and perch, for example, are drawn to small, manageable bait like mealworms, while fat red worms and nightcrawlers are a favorite meal of catfish, walleye, bass, and other big swimmers.[8]
- Spread your bait worms evenly over the surface of the bedding. Introduce the worms to their new home and allow them to begin acclimating. Once you've got all of your worms situated, place the lid on top of the container and check to make sure it's secure.[9]
- Be gentle when transferring the worms from one container to the other. If you're not careful, you could hurt them.
- A good rule of thumb is to add about 2 dozen worms for every of available bedding space.
- Keep the temperature inside your worm bed above freezing at all times. Aim to maintain a minimum temperature of . This may require you move plastic containers indoors on particularly cold days or nights, or reposition them so that they're sitting in more direct sunlight. Heat lamps are another useful resource to have on standby, particularly in cold indoor spaces like garages and basements.[10]
- If you're using an insulated foam container, you shouldn't have to worry about your worm bed getting too hot or cold, even during the height of the summer and winter seasons.
- Worms will attempt to evacuate soil that's below freezing, and can shrivel and die in soil that's or warmer.[11]
- Add compost materials to your container regularly to feed your worms. Worms extract most of the nutrients they need from soil, but since fatter worms make better bait, you'll want to give them a little something extra. Supplement their diet by scattering items like banana peels, coffee grounds, egg shells, cornmeal, and wet leaves over the upper layer of soil. Try to throw in a few items every 4-5 days, or simply add new compost as you generate it.[12]
- Some anglers with experience growing their own worms recommend mixing the compost into your bedding before adding your worms to the container to ensure that the soil is full of nutrients.
- Another option is to purchase a premade worm food that's specially formulated to plump up your bait worms. You'll find packages of worm food at any bait and tackle shop. of compost material for every of worms in your bed.}}
- Replace half of the soil in your worm bed every few months. As the materials in your composter climb closer to the holes in the top of the container, begin placing your composted food on one side of the bed for 1-2 weeks to encourage the worms to migrate in that direction. Scoop out the soil in the unused half of the bed and refill it to its original level with fresh potting soil and shredded paper.[13]
- If you don't want to wait for the worms to move on their own, you can also comb through the soil by hand or with a small rake to carefully coax them to one side of the container.
- Recycle the nutrient-rich soil you remove by using it in your garden or flower beds.[14]
- Worms should be kept out of direct sunlight, as a general rule. If you discover that your worms are trying to escape by crawling out of the top of the bed, however, positioning an artificial light source directly overhead will help discourage this behavior.
- If you end up with more worms that you can handle, share them with friends and family members who like to garden or sell the surplus to a bait shop to make a little extra money.
- Fashion your worm bed out of a durable material like polyurethane, wood, or even metal if you plan on taking the whole container with you on your next fishing trip.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Lidded foam or plastic container
- Power drill with hole saw attachment and drill bit
- Newsprint, printer paper, thin cardboard or similar bedding materials
- Organic potting soil
- Water
- Bait worms of choice
- Compost materials
- Hand trowel
- Peat moss (optional)
- Heat lamp (optional)
- Small rake (optional)
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Descale a Kettle Posted: 22 Jun 2021 09:00 AM PDT Kettles tend to build up a terrible-looking limescale over time. This build-up causes water to take longer to boil and can even lead your kettle to burn out in the long run. Fortunately, if you begin to notice limescale build-up in your kettle, you can easily use vinegar or lemon juice to get rid of it. [Edit]Descaling with Vinegar - Mix of vinegar and water and pour them into the kettle. If the volume of your kettle is too small for this mixture, fill it about halfway and place any leftover solution to the side. For best results, use white vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio.[1]
- If yours is an electric kettle, make sure it's unplugged before pouring in the water and vinegar.
- It's a good idea to check the owner's manual for your particular kettle to make sure that it's safe to add vinegar to the interior.
- Turn the kettle on and bring the vinegar solution to a boil. Plug in the kettle if it's electric or turn on the stove underneath a stovetop kettle to boil the solution. Let the solution boil for about a minute or so.[2]
- Feel free to use a high heat setting to bring the solution to a boil as quickly as possible. It shouldn't take longer than 5 minutes to get it boiling.
- Turn off the kettle once the solution is boiling and let it sit for an hour. The vinegar solution will do work its descaling magic simply by sitting in the kettle, so you don't necessarily have to boil it for a set amount of time. If you don't want to wait an entire hour, allow the solution to sit for at least 30 minutes before pouring it out.[3]
- If yours is an electric kettle with an automatic switch-off feature, feel free to let it switch off on its own instead of watching to see when it boils.
- Pour out the solution after an hour and rinse out the kettle. Be sure the kettle is cool to the touch before handling it. Thoroughly rinse the inside of the kettle under the sink faucet to get rid of any leftover vinegar solution. For best results, rinse out the kettle 2 or 3 times to get as much of the vinegar out of the inside as possible.[4]
- If your kettle has a removable lid, take this lid off to make it easier to rinse out the interior. You can rinse the lid by itself to make sure it's also clean.
- Use a clean, damp cloth to wipe away any leftover limescale. The vinegar solution will probably not have removed all the limescale, but any leftover build-up should be easy to remove by hand. If a damp cloth isn't cutting it, add a little bit of baking soda to a damp sponge and use that to clean out the inside of the kettle.[5]
- For best results, use a microfiber cloth or a cleaning brush with an elongated handle. Make sure you get all the corners as well.
- Run a plain water cycle to get rid of any lingering vinegar taste. Fill your kettle halfway with plain water and bring it to a boil. Pour this water out once it starts to boil. You may have to do this 2 or 3 times in order to completely deodorize the interior.[6]
- Repeat this cycle until you can't smell any vinegary odor in your kettle. You may also want to "test" your kettle by preparing a beverage in it and seeing if it tastes at all like vinegar.
[Edit]Using a Lemon - Squeeze a lemon into of water and mix it together. Once you've squeezed the juice out of the lemon, cut it up into small pieces and add these pieces to the water as well. If you don't have a whole lemon, you can also use lemon juice; just mix it in a 1:3 ratio with water.[7]
- Check the manufacturer's instructions for your particular kettle to make sure it's safe to add lemon juice or pieces of lemon to your kettle. It probably is, but it doesn't hurt to double-check.
- You can also use limes, although you'll probably see better results by using lemon.
- Pour this mixture into your kettle and bring it to a boil. Fill your kettle about halfway full with the lemon and water mixture. Plug in your kettle or turn on the stovetop underneath to heat up the lemon water. Discard any leftover solution you may still have.[8]
- Turn off the kettle and leave the solution to sit for an hour. Allow the solution to boil for about a minute or so before turning it off. Unplug your kettle or remove it from heat and set it aside on a cool surface. Leaving it for an hour is ideal, but let it sit for at least 30 minutes if you're pressed for time.[9]
- This will give the solution enough time to descale the kettle, while also allowing enough time for the kettle itself to cool down.
- Pour out the lemon mixture and rinse out the kettle once it's cool. Make sure the kettle is cool to the touch before handling it. Rinse the kettle in the sink to remove any remnants of the lemon water before continuing. Rinse it out 4 or 5 times for best results.[10]
- You may want to remove the kettle lid, if possible, to make it easier to rinse out under the sink faucet.
- Wipe down the interior of the kettle and run a plain water cycle. If there is any limescale left in the kettle, you can wipe it down with a small amount of baking soda on a damp cloth or sponge. Then, fill the kettle halfway with water and bring it to a boil. Pour out the heated water and remove the kettle from heat. Repeat this process as necessary until there's no more limescale in your kettle.[11]
- You may need to repeat this cycle several times to completely remove any leftover limescale or lemony odor inside your kettle.
[Edit]How Should You Clean A Copper Kettle? [Edit]Things You'll Need - Water
- Cloth
- White vinegar or a lemon
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Grow Cardamom Posted: 22 Jun 2021 01:00 AM PDT Cardamom is one of the most expensive and unique spices in the world. If you live in a very warm, humid climate (or in US Department of Agriculture zones 10 to 12), you can grow your own cardamom plant. Plant a few cardamom seeds indoors and let them grow for a few months so they sprout above the soil. Transplant the seedlings to a shady place in your yard. It will take several years of watering and nurturing, but your plants will produce cardamom that you can harvest and use in baking or cooking. [Edit]Starting Seeds - Get cardamom seeds from a grocery or agricultural supply store. Although you can collect cardamom seeds from capsules that you've purchased from the grocery store, it's best to buy cardamom seeds from an agricultural supply company. These seeds will be free from disease and are more likely to thrive.[1]
- Buy the seeds from local gardening supply stores or from online agricultural supply companies.
- Fill containers with loamy soil. The soil should be slightly sandy so it drains gradually. You can purchase loamy soil from most garden centers. If you're planning on transplanting the seedlings to your outside garden, you can use any size container. If you're going to leave the seeds in the container and grow the plants to maturity, use a pot that's at least deep and wide.[2]
- Plant the seeds deep. Push a few of the seeds into the containers and cover each with of soil. Water the seeds so the soil is completely moist.[3]
- Start as many cardamom seeds as you like, but plant them about apart in the container so you can thin and transplant them once they start growing.
- Grow the cardamom until it sprouts a few leaves. The cardamom should germinate after about 30 to 45 days. This means you should see the cardamom plants begin to poke up through the soil. Continue to water so the soil stays moist and leave the seedlings in the container until you see at least 2 leaves on the seedlings.[4]
- It will take around 90 days for the seedlings to become large enough to transplant outside.
[Edit]Transplanting and Caring for Cardamom - Choose a space in the garden with well-draining soil. Pay attention to the soil after a heavy rain to see how it drains. You shouldn't see deep puddles remain, but the soil should stay moist. If the soil is too rich in clay, it will kill the cardamom plant, so find somewhere else in the garden or mix sand into the soil to break up the clay.[5]
- The ideal soil for cardamom is loamy with a pH level between 4.5 and 7.
- Pick a space with partial shade. Cardamom plants will die if they're in direct sunlight, so choose a planting area that has partial shade. If you only have a space that is completely shaded, it will work, but the plant may not grow as quickly.
- Cardamom plants usually grow under the canopy of trees that are above it.[6]
- Select a planting area that has high humidity. Since cardamom grows in subtropical forests, it needs high humidity to thrive in your garden. To plant the cardamom outside, the humidity needs to be around 75%.[7]
- Cardamom also prefers temperatures between and .
- Plant the cardamom seedlings deep. Dig deep holes that are apart. Place 1 seedling into each hole and surround the seedling roots with dirt. If you'd like to support the plants as they grow, drive a garden stake into the soil away from the base of each plant.[8]
- As the cardamom grows, you can tie the plant to the stake.
- Avoid planting seeds too deep since they may not sprout if they don't get adequate sun.
- Plant the cardamom in a container if you want to move it. If you live in a climate with temperatures that occasionally dip below , you may want to plant the seedlings in large pots instead of outside in the garden. This will allow you to bring the cardamom in when it gets cool.[9]
- If you use a pot, choose as large of a pot as you can for your space that's also easy to pick up so you can move it in and out of your house.
- If you do need to bring the cardamom inside your house, consider placing it in the warmest, most humid room of your house, such as the bathroom.
- Water the plants to keep the soil moist. Feel the soil with your fingers every day to ensure that the soil is most. Since the soil should never dry out, water until the soil is soaked.[10]
- The cardamom plants will need even more water during the summer when they're growing the fruit. Plan on watering more during these months.
- Add fertilizer twice a month during the growing season. Choose an organic fertilizer with high phosphorous content. Spread it in the soil around the cardamom plants 2 times a month during the summer growing season.[11]
- To add nutrients back to the soil, you'll also need to spread aged manure or compost once a year.
[Edit]Harvesting Cardamom - Grow the plants until they're high. Continue to water the plants regularly and fertilize them as needed. The plants will begin to grow tall, narrow stalks that reach high off of the ground.[12]
- Keep in mind that it will take a few years for the plants to put on a lot of growth.
- The stalks will grow rows of bright green leaves that are about long.
- Wait 2 to 3 years to harvest the cardamom fruits. The plants will flower beginning in April or May and will continue to blossom through July or August. The yellow flowers are small and oval in shape.[13]
- The flowers hold capsules that contain 15 to 20 cardamom seeds.
- Some plants may take up to 4-5 years until they bloom.
- Although the plants flower early in the year, wait to begin harvesting until October or November, so the cardamom can ripen.
- Gather the cardamom capsules by hand. Once the capsules of cardamom fruit begin to dry out a little, pull one to see if it breaks easily. If the fruit snaps off easily, you can begin pulling off all of the ripe capsules.[14]
- Cardamom plants will continue to produce more cardamom seeds every year.
- Dry the cardamom capsules. Depending on how many capsules you want to dry, you can use a variety of drying methods. For small-scale drying, spread the cardamom in a single layer and allow the sun to dry the capsules. Larger, commercial harvests often dry cardamom using extremely hot kilns.[15]
- Once the cardamom is dry, you can open the capsules and crush the cardamom to cook or bake with.
- If the plant's leaves turn brown, it's getting too much sunlight, so consider transplanting it to a shadier spot. If the leaves are yellow, the plant probably needs fertilizer.
- Spray the plant's leaves with water if the tips turn brown. Ensure you don't spray too much water or the roots may begin to rot.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Small containers
- Cardamom seeds
- Soil
- Organic fertilizer
- Watering can
- Large pot, optional
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
No comments:
Post a Comment