For as long as I can take it, and usually every day. Sometimes 15 minutes, sometimes 3-4 hours total, but that would be in several spurts with breaks, maybe a meal in between. That would include everything from pulling whatever weeds I see, to watering, to grooming/deadheading, fixing stray grass coming through a border, fertilizing. All of this stuff I really think of as puttering, not working, because I like doing it. Most of my perennials are shrubs or other plants that don't need much done to them. There are the occasional heavy chores that are actual work, but they're fairly rare and well spaced. I no longer have to do the mowing, so that's made a HUGE difference in time and effort spent elsewhere. I find this has me tackling more tougher tasks more often, trying things I wouldn't have felt like I had time for before. Awesome! But, I can't go at it like I used to in my younger years. I still get asked for my ID but if you look closely, you'll see the gray hairs, bifocals, arthritic thumbs. Don't think I'll ever acclimate to the oppressive heat down here although I prefer to live here. Thank God for A/C! Going outside in summer here is like going outside in winter up north. If you stay too long, it could kill ya.

It might be an iron deficiency, but other micronutrient deficiences also cause leaf chlorsis. I bet if you Google "leaf chlorosis" sooner or alter (probably from one of the state universities with an agricultural college) you'll find illustrations of the various deficiencies and the chloroses they cause. It does look to me as though it might be an iron deficiency, but it also looks as though it might not. When you had this last year was it also right after rain?

Right now, I need a sump pump...and I live on a hill. More rain in the forecast, too. The weather pattern has changed here - normally an El Nino year means severe drought in Oklahoma. Not this season anyway. With our normally semi-dry to dry summers, I use the garden hose to water EVERY day in most areas and every other day in other areas that prefer dryer conditions. We have our own well, so I can also use the sprinkler without ill affects on my plants. It is just like rain water. The birds, butterflies, bees and amphibians love it too. When I hand water, the birds follow me from tree to tree, so I spray up into the trees and they chirp and sing for me. The occasional tortoise will come out of hiding for a long, cool drink, too. I set the mister on the tropicals and water-loving ferns etc. to keep them happy. This takes all day. I use soaker hoses under my veggies when it is very hot and very dry to prevent scorching and so the water will get down deep where the nutrients are and encourage deep roots. For under my Phlox and roses, &etc., I screw on a fan sprayer and let it run slowly, gently and deeply under them to prevent leaf-scorch, and do this as often as needed. I even water in the winter if it is a dry winter. Soil heave (freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw) is terrible here in Okie, and in dry winters this will kill plants and even small trees and shrubs. And of course, potted plants need a drink just about every day in the summer. That is how I have to do it here to keep mine alive year round. ~Annie

If it truly was the "best damned worm composting place" we would not be unpaid slaves working to fill somebody else's pockets with traffic for ad money. But other than that I agree. There is a tribe somewhere where when the men come back from hunting they do not walk into camp noisy and triumphantly. They sit around the outside of the camp a bit away for a day or so observing. Then when they are back in the rhythm of the camp and know they would not be disturbing it they quietly return. Possibly it is enthusiasm that stops this procedure of looking around for a couple of minutes before bursting with excitement for the topic. I'd say growing into the name is still a work in progress. "1/2 pound and would require around 4 oz of food, but they didn't say how often" is a play on "worms eat their weight in food a day". But with a bit of tempering because that figure is under optimal conditions. It also fails to mention or consider bedding which is of equal or really more importance. Does the 4 oz include bedding which the worms also eat? Please ask the source of that information for me because I have always been confused. With out knowing anything about your bin or even seeing it I can categorically say add half the amount of food you are presently and tripple the bedding. Time is your friend. The worms will work for you, (as we do for this site), just sit back and let the multiply and in time collect your easily gained vermicastings or worm babies. *horrified face at worm babies. Worms just happen to be where we ply our trade. We could do this with dust bunnies. This post was edited by equinoxequinox on Mon, Apr 14, 14 at 23:52