Compost Negelct

I've been neglecting my compost.  Just as I've (largely) been neglecting this blog.  With this entry, I am recommitting to both.

Today I went out the back door and nervously took off the lid to the compost that I haven't looked at since September.  I thought for sure that the worms would be dead and the remains would be a juicy mess. Here is what I found:

Observation 1: Without my knowledge, my housemate has continued to feed the worms his food scraps.  Look at all those fresh veggies!
 

 

Observation 2: The worms are alive and well!  When I moved the top layer of fresh produce away, the worms were there, just beneath the surface - quickly wriggling out of sight and out of the sunlight.  It's difficult to see them in the picture below, but trust me, they are there.

Observation 3: Someone put whole potatoes in the compost.  And when whole potatoes are put in a moist, nutrient-dense environment, believe it or not, they begin to grow.  As always, I am amazed by nature's ability to recycle waste and recreate life.

This potato won't give up - look at all those roots!

Conclusion: Despite neglect by me, all is well in worm land.  It is hard for me to believe that, sometimes, no action is required.  Sometimes getting out of the way is the best thing to do.  Which reminds me of one of my favorite quotes:

"The art of medicine is to entertain the patient while nature cures the disease." ~ Voltaire

Eating with Integrity: open for business

I officially have a business!  It is called Eating with Integrity.  I have a Certificate of Trade Name filed with the County of Fairfax and the County of Arlington/City of Falls Church.  Tomorrow I will apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) at IRS.gov.  With trade name certificates and EIN in hand, I will open a small business checking account later this week.  A business website is coming soon!

My office is currently located at Pinecrest Wellness Center in Annadale, VA.  I am especially interested in digestive disorders, food allergies/food intolerance, Celiac disease, weight control, eating disorders, vegetarian nutrition, sports nutrition, and childhood overweight/obesity.

I can help you get back on (or continue down) the path to health and longevity!

Pumpkin grows fast, despite mildew

September 16

September 26

My one and only pumpkin continues to grow, despite being attached to a vine that is slowly dying from powdery mildew.  A quick Google search tells me that I could have halted, or at least slowed, the spread of the mold by spraying the leaves with an alkaline solution.  Too bad it took me so long to research.  As you can see below, the mildew has reached the leaves nearest to the pumpkin.  I wonder if it's too late to save them!

October 5

Quick Compost Update

 After struggling to keep my "keep it outside" composting worm bin healthy and cool during the intense heat wave at the end of June and for much of July, I am pleased to say that the worms are alive and thriving!  Even in spite of the scary white-grey larva that transformed into scary black winged insects that continue to emerge on a daily basis.

one of the scary black insects living in my worm bin (sorry it's blurry!)

My housemate and I think they are some sort of wasp.  Apparently, my compost has become a little biosphere of organisms: worms, fungus, insects, and the occasional germinating seed.

new growth out of food waste!

My first video

I planted three vegetables in April: spinach, zucchini and pumpkin.  The spinach was the first to begin producing edibles, but lasted only two weeks before it bolted and became flowery and inedible.  The zucchini seed I planted straight into the ground did the best, producing a bushel of healthy zucchinis.  The zucchini seeds I coddled in pots before transplanting into the ground did not do as well. By the end of August, however, all the zucchini plants died from a strange fungal infection.  Which, I believe, has spread to the pumpkin.

The pumpkin seed I started in a pot and transplanted is the only remaining survivor.  Although infected in places, it has not given up!  The pumpkin is a vine plant.  Amazingly, the single seed turned into a sixty foot vine.  This one plant stretches from the back yard, around the corner of the house, into the side yard and is continuing to expand exponentially on top of a bush.

The pumpkin vine keeps trying to produce pumpkins, but when the fruit reach the size of a golf ball, a strange fungus begins to grow inside and the would-be pumpkins turn yellow and fall off.  But there is hope!  On top of the bush, away from the damp ground, there is one pumpkin to be that is currently the size of my fist!  If it survives, I will need to find a square of plywood to place underneath it, as the bush will surely not be able to support the weight of a full-grown pumpkin.  Check it out in the video above.