The only time I am concerned with chlorine is when planting my seeds in the basement. It is probably even unnecessary to worry about this, but I use rain water for the seeds. If you don't have easy access to rain water, you can set a 5 gallon bucket with tap water outside for three days and the chlorine residual will drop from 2.0 to 3.0 ppm down to near zero (maybe not if the chlorine is added as chlorimines (spelling). One learns from experience about watering. You can follow the core temp. as one indication. I find a $15 or $20 compost thermometer a valuable tool. When the core temp. cools off, either the center is low on moisture and air; or the material has completed this part of the composting process and needs to be turned. This applies more to 'hot' or 'warm' composting rather than a 'cold' method where the person just 'lets it rot'.

Thanks Karyn, I knew someone would come through for me. I'm just using the milk jugs on my brug plants. That way I can make sure they get the fertilizer on them and it slowly soak into the ground. This way I have no run off. I water everything else except the dogwoods with a waterhose. Let me restate that, with several 100 ft water hoses hooked together. THey are extremely hard to pull when they are full of water. LOL I know this sounds awful but the last time I used the Epson Salt I just threw some on the ground around the plants and watered it in slowly. I guess that's the lazy way of doing things huh? I'm really thrilled with how big my plants are getting. I can't wait until this fall to see just how big they will get. Well I've got to run out and water a few things. I was holding off because it was suppose to rain but it looks like it's already south of us so...I'll go drag the hose around and water some of the stuff that looks dry. P.S. Those squash we're eatting are out of this world. George grilled some of them on the grill and they were to die for. ummmm ummmm Good! Happy Gardening, and thanks for the advice. Marian

I have had red wigglers in a bin in the basement for a LONG time (maybe fifteen or sixteen years?). For me, they have been a great way to compost my kitchen waste because my yard was too small for a regular compost bin, and besides I live in New England where it is too dark and icy for much of the year to really have a flourishing compost bin--at least not a small one. Anyway, that was long before I had access to the internet and wonderful resources like this forum, and even before Mary Appelhof's book (which later became my bible!) All I knew was that these red wigglers could consume my peelings, eggshells, corncobs, and leftovers, and that I should tear some newspapers into strips and throw the strips in too. And it worked! Over the years I have set quite a few people up with their own Rubbermaid tubs and a starter set of worms, and once when I did lose my worms (I moved during the winter and they ended up freezing) I was able to start up again with a cottage cheese container full of worm-filled compost from an old friend whose worms were the progeny of my original ones! So I am an old-timer at this, and despite that fact, I have only recently joined this forum and am absolutely amazed at how much I have learned. I love it! And I just love the fact that so many people are getting worms. I think they are terrific, and I don't understand why everybody doesn't have them! (Well, maybe the fruit flies might explain a lot.) To those of you new to vermiculture, I say welcome! Thank you for your enthusiasm, and for contributing to making our world a better one. And please don't worry too much about what to give your worms or not to give them. They are sturdy and forgiving little creatures, and even if you have a set-back, you (and they) can recover. And I know from personal experience that not everything people warn you about is that much of an issue. My worms have always had to contend with the fact that I view them as responsible for taking care of ALL my kitchen waste and turning it into lovely castings. I had no idea that oatmeal was verboten! And neither did they, apparently. And I think vermicomposterchild is very wise to have two bins, because that way of one of them has a melt-down, she will still have plenty to reintroduce to the process. Probably that won't happen, but it's comforting to know. (To me, anyway!) Worms are great, and so is this forum. When I have a problem or a question, I know just where to come. Keep up the good work, everybody! Betts

With cacti and succulents in a soil-based mix like that, you should wait until all the soil is dry, all the way down to the bottom of the pot. You can test this either by weight (picking up the pot) or with a thin wood skewer that you can poke down to the bottom of the pot. Once it dries out you need to water it thoroughly until water comes out of the drain holes. Dry soil of that type may be difficult to re-wet, so I often water once, wait a half hour, then water again. If you're going to repot, do it when the soil is completely dry. Then let the plant sit dry for a full day after repotting to let the roots heal before watering again. There's an excellent article on water movement in container soils here: Container soils - water movement and retention