Gardening Questions:
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Carrots
Beans
Vermicomposting Questions:
1. We opened our compost bin today and it was really wet. Is this normal?
It is normal for the bins to be quite moist as the worms are eating your garbage. When you see condensation on the lid of your bin, it could mean that there is too much moisture in the living environment for the worms. Leave the lid of the bin off, or give it a little bit more air to dry the bin out a little bit. Remember, you do want SOME moisture in the bin, but don’t want the worms to drown in the water.
2. We have some sprouts shooting up. Is this normal?
Seeds, pits and potato eyes that we feed the worms love germinating in the worm bins! This is the perfect place for many seeds to germinate, as it is warm, moist and nutrient rich! It is totally normal to see sprouts forming in your bins, however, as the look for more light, they will not be successful, and will become worm food once again.
3. We put some crushed egg shells on the soil. Do we have to mix it in or is it okay on the top?
Crushed egg shell is great for the worms’ digestive tracts! Make sure that you treat the crushed eggs shells the same as you do the food you are feeding them, by burying it in the hole under some soil. The worms will eat them and spread the around themselves. If you leave food/coffee grinds/egg shells on the top, the worms may not eat them, as they live in the bottom quarter of the bins.
4. Our worms have become infested with little white flies. There are thousands of them. Do you know what they are? And more importantly, do you know how to get rid of them?
The little white flies are a type of mite that lives in the top section of your worm bins. They seem to come seasonally, and are actually helping to decompose the matter in your compost bin. HOWEVER: these mites will multiply very quickly, and if your worms living conditions are too moist, making them move upwards into the top section of your bin, the mites will cause some havoc for the worms.
The solution: Dry out your bin. The mites will only do well if your bin is moist/wet. Once it is dry-damp, and only the bottom of your bin is wet, then the mites will not survive.
Program Questions:
1. Where does the Little Green Thumbs Saskatchewan Program get its funding?
The Little Green Thumbs Saskatchewan program is very fortunate to receive funding from the Go Green, the Green Initiatives Fund from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment; the Eco-Action fund from the Federal Government; and as a project funded by Heifer International.
2. How can our school get a gardening kit?
Your school can apply to be part of the program by filling in an application form on the website, or by contacting info@littlegreenthumbssk.ca for more information.
3. How much extra work is involved with the Little Green Thumbs Sk program?
The Little Green Thumbs Saskatchewan program has been designed to be as user friendly as possible. This is a hands on program that will add greatly to your classroom programming. There is a fair amount of commitment to the program, such as the Teacher’s Workshop at the beginning of the year to learn how to use the kit. The most time intensive portions of the project are the Teacher Workshop (August or September), the Garden Set-Up in your classroom (either in September or January), Celebration Event preparation (March, April, or May), and the Evaluation at the end of the year (June).
We have developed programming around the gardens, where the coordinators will make 2 visits to your classroom. There is also a website page that you can share your gardening experience with others. We wish to make the garden experience as great as possible for you and your students. Our coordinator will offer support to all schools to help troubleshoot with your gardens and set up.
4. Do the schools need to pay for the materials, workshops, or worm bins?
As the schools progress through the program, they will be asked to pay for certain things. All schools are GIVEN the initial gardening materials, workshops, and worm bins. For the 2nd year schools, they are responsible for replacing some materials, but will receive some from the program at no cost. In the 3rd year, the schools will receive similar items to the 2nd year.
Please look at the Replacement Parts order form for further information.
5. How can my organization become part of the Little Green Thumbs Sk program?
The Little Green Thumbs Saskatchewan program does have wonderful partners, and is we would welcome more partners in the project. Please contact Adrianne Begg at info@littlegreenthumbssk.ca for more information.
We are currently looking for Greenhouses in Saskatchewan and the Saskatoon area who would be willing to donate some storage space, as well as help us in ordering items and assembling our kits.
6. When will you be selecting the new schools for the 2009/2010 school year, and how many schools will be chosen?
We will be selecting schools for the 2009/2010 school year in April and May 2009. Our new schools will be tentatively chosen by June 2009. For the 2009/2010 school year, we are hoping to be able to bring the Little Green Thumbs Saskatchewan program to some new schools, while continuing our support to the 50 schools who are already LGT-SK participants.
7. What kind of programming and support is offered for the schools in their 2nd and 3rd years of Little Green Thumbs SK?
In the 2nd and 3rd years of Little Green Thumbs Saskatchewan, schools can expect to have funding for teachers to come to the Teacher’s Workshop to continue their indoor gardening education, access to the Website and their Cluster blog, email and phone support from the Coordinator (and hopefully one visit per year). Schools can also anticipate some replacement parts to be covered by the program, as well as troubleshooting advice from experts in horticulture.
Please contact us with your Gardening, Vermicomposting, or Program questions.