Those would be good ideas as long as you can REMOVE when slipping the soil oit because the roots will not grow through those. Really, I think when i do it again I will not line with anything, just use a trowel to scoot a short span at a time.

I think I'd slip it out down along the edge of the trench, then carefully move it in off the "wrapper".

I guess either works. Key is obviously to disturb the roots as little as possible. In the end, peas are tough little guys. I plant them in six cell pots and just pop them in the ground.

Mary, the biggest reason I did it in the guttering is because I have been having such poor germination so I presprouted the. I could have done individual in paper pots and just planted the entire pot but I saw this video and wanted to try it. I will do it again. Also, I am going to presprout some beans early and try that too. See if I can get a jump on bean beetle.

I hadn't thought of pre-sprouting beans. So far I have a 100% fail in garden. I will try.

Good luck, Gleni!
Is that new avatar a critter from your own garden?

Critter, no it is from the MacPherson Range about 60miles south of here. It was a frog a friend and I discovered over 40 years ago. Fortunately it is not one of the five species in the mountains that has become extinct since that time. Kyarranus kundagungan, sometimes put in the genus Philoria.

Live long and prosper, Kyarranus kundagungan

Where is Rick Cory when you need him? I started my compost experiment. I thawed out the kitchen waste that I ground up and froze. Well, one bag. I got a rectangle basket, plastic, that has holes all around and on the bottom. I put in a little soil, straw (not ground up), food waste, then layered it food, straw, with some dirt on top then watered to moisten. When we ground straw, green stuff from the fall cleanup, and sticks I had almost instant heat. But I can't start up the grinder just yet. Can you think of anything else to add. Wish I had bunny poo or chicken. Or worms.

@rickcorey

That should get him for you!

Thanks Arlene

The worms will come.

The article you posted had me thinking you were on your way already.

All you really need to do is load those bins as you have kitchen/yard waste.

I really need a composter for kitchen scarps. I was looking at them on the mainland but they were either too big to get on the boat or too expensive.

It sounds very good ti me! "Instant heat" is like the compost sounding trumps and playing fanfares: you've given it everything it needs or could desire. Carry on in the same direction!

The holes in the bottom of the basket should let worms enter once it cools down enough for them.

BTW, the mix sounds so rich that maybe, if you can, position the basket where any rich "drippings" will enrich the soil that you want to enrich. They'll also attract worms to the area under the basket.

If you want to increase the amount of compost at the expense of speed, add more straw, sawdust, paper or other "browns". It sounds like you have lots of rich kitchen waste, which could enrich lots of low-N "browns" to give you even more organic matter to feed to the soil.

I put every napkin, paper towel and coffee filter into my kitchen waste to take maximum advantage of every nitrogen molecule in the scraps. Of course, I never see my pile heat up noticeably, let alone see "instant heat"!

And I keep intending to shred some newspaper into the pile.

P.S.

I've been getting ready to go on vacation. I'll be away from ATP for a week - I wonder if I'll have withdrawal symptoms?

Hard to believe you won't have a computer/smart phone, or do you have to swear off for the week?

I want to go cold turkey and enjoy the mountains.

RickCorey said:I put every napkin, paper towel and coffee filter into my kitchen waste to take maximum advantage of every nitrogen molecule in the scraps.

So do I.
Just to keep the worms happy and multiplying!

Oh the mountains!
Good for you!

We will miss you, but YOU go enjoy some time with Mother!

Rocky Mountains ... they say that beer, BEARS, wild turkey and elk will wander through the backyard.

On the other hand, SNOW is predicted for the first whole day there. Planning to buy firewood on the way north from Denver.

I think its time to get away from the keyboard for a while. Both work and social life are keyboard-heavy.