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May 22, 2001

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Catnip Test-off

Guest post by Claire Pfeiffer

Cats are so lucky.

It takes just a sniff of catnip to get them feeling wonderful, whereas we humans must rely on more invasive and costly contraband materials to receive the same effects. And catnip is so cheap; if I gave my cats an allowance, they’d become total dope addicts. My mom had some catnip planted in her garden last summer, and she made lots of feline friends–the catnip patch became a communal meeting place for all the cats in the know, like a kitty café. A garden just isn’t quite complete without a few kitties romping in it.

The effects of catnip are so pleasing to cats, and also to their people, who get to watch the hilarious action of their cats rolling around blissfully. In our Lab this month, I took two unwitting guinea pigs, or rather, cats, as test subjects in an experiment on the effects of catnip on cats. My hypothesis was that differing grades or consumer varieties of catnip have dissimilar effects on kitties, as extrapolated from knowledge of other types of drugs and their variance. Though the variables in this test were wildly uncontrollable, and proved only to get increasingly uncontrollable as the test proceeded, I believe to have proved my hypothesis correct, and submit to you my results, in the hope that my research will contribute to you finding more ease and wisdom in purchasing or growing catnip.

Our cats, Maddy and Opale, were the test subjects. Forthwith is my scientific log of events.

Day One:

Opale munchs on premium herb.

I started off by testing some catnip pronounced Primo by experts. I scored it at an “herboriste”, where they sell all sorts of arcane herbage grown in pristine organic conditions in spiral formations reminiscent of alien landing sites. My cats weren’t visited by visions of little green men (observed: they didn’t act freaked out, and they didn’t say specifically that they saw these ubiquitous little dudes. Obviously this points to one of the main problems with conducting experiments on cats, namely that they can’t speak human, but since I have a strong relationship with each of our cats, I believe I can tell what they’re thinking, and also vice-versa, which creeps me out, really.

But I am not discounting the fact that they could’ve been protecting something, as some people have proposed that cats are actually from outer space. But I digress. In fact, I think that instead of whirling out into the galaxy, this trip for them was pretty grounding. They were really “in” their bodies, and didn’t give a shit that they looked like total goofs as they rolled all crazy on the floor, getting pieces of paper stuck on them and so on. They were a lot like the peaced-out hippie ladies I bought the stuff from. The coming-down was totally settling, and now they are both quietly doing their own thing.

Day Two:

Maddy gets wacky on the floor with catnip.

First of all, I was very surprised that the Cosmic Cat-Snacks I bought were meant to be eaten at all, considering that kitties only gotta smell the weed to feel alright. After trying these on one cat, (the other one turned up her nose to these liver-flavoured nuggets) I was disappointed that she didn’t react like the cartoon cats on the package, who looked crazed and ecstatic. Mind you, the illustrations were of orange cats, which are usually of a more maniacal nature than mild-mannered grey ones. Indeed, Opale did cavort with a bit more frisk, but I can’t even be sure that she wasn’t just acting as usual. I even tried giving her a double dose just to see if she’d go nutty, but without results. (There are no reported negative side effects of catnip on cats.) Meanwhile, Maddy is still catching a buzz offa the minute amount of organic homegrown still lingering on my floor from yesterday.

Day Three:

The scientific veracity of today’s experiment was foiled by the cats jump-starting the process and ripping open the little baggie of industrial-grade corner-store catnip in my backpack while I was scrubbing up. I wonder whether they aren’t now hooked on the weed. Will observe them for withdrawal symptoms and report later. I thought this stuff was supposed to be safe; my suspicions now tell me that in fact, this may be a lie concocted by the establishment to keep all cats complacent and silence them, preventing them from exposing the truth. (Trust me, if I knew what this truth was, I would tell you. That’s the whole problem.) Today’s stuff proved largely ineffectual, although it could be only in comparison with the potent variety they sampled on Day One. The trip only lasted 10 minutes, and they both ended up all rolled up in the living-room carpet, purring. Now they are making advances on me to give them another hit. But I am through with pushing–I’m thinking of some humane way I can devise a metered-dose system for my poor little drug addicts.

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May 21, 2001

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Rain Barrels – Save it for a Sunny Day

Why use rain barrels?

Water that comes to city dwellers in the form of rain is hurried—into storm sewer systems and away by asphalt, concrete, or the roof of your apartment, surfaces that don’t absorb water. Sewer systems in many cities combine household sewage with storm water in the same pipes. Because of population growth since these older sewer systems were installed, sewers overflow when it rains a lot. That means sewage gets dumped, untreated, into rivers and lakes.
In contrast, rainwater that falls on porous ground is filtered through layers of soil and rock and into ground water aquifers or into streams, rivers and lakes unassisted.

According to the City of Vancouver, 40% of household water is sprinkled on lawns and gardens—a madly inefficient way to water plants. Using a barrel to catch the water flowing from eaves troughs is one of the simplest, cheapest ways to conserve water and divert it from the storm sewer system. And if your city or town bans watering during times of dry weather, it may be the ONLY way to avoid having to watch your garden wilt.

Rainwater is oxygenated, unchlorinated (chlorine is bad for soil bacteria, not to mention our air), and warmer than tap water, qualities that actually make it a better source for plants and safer for the environment.

If you use a rain barrel, or if you’re planning on it, make sure it’s childproof. To be safe for kids, rain barrels need to have a secure lid.

Rain barrel set-up

Plastic barrels are used for shipping and storage of nice things like chutneys and olives, and not-so-nice things like pesticides and heavy-duty detergents. Sometimes, the outside of a barrel will tell you what it contained, but there’s no guarantee it hasn’t been refilled with something else. Know where your barrel comes from and make sure it’s clean.

As you probably realize, setting up a rain barrel is simple. (If you rent, you’ll want to check with your landlord first, naturally). However, newly built buildings in many cities have downspouts that connect directly to pipes that divert water right into the storm sewer system. Check out our links to get advice on disconnecting this kind of downspout some cities will even disconnect your downspout for free, or pay you to do it. It’s a good idea to phone your city first and find out.

The downspout of the eaves trough runs from the roof right down to ground level. You’ll need to shorten it enough to get the rain barrel underneath the spout. Basic tools like a hammer, a screwdriver or drill, some nails and screws, and a step stool or ladder should do the job if you don’t have them, borrow.

Most downspouts are a series of aluminum tubes with tapered ends, tucked one into the other and nailed or screwed onto the building with brackets. Undo these brackets, remove the bottom section(s) of the downspout, then set up your barrel underneath and reattach the downspout to the building. Plastic tubing or flexible piping (at your hardware store) can be attached to the spout to direct water right into the barrel, or even more than one barrel at a time.

Where to find them?

Rain barrels can cost as little as $5 and as much as $100. A basic plastic barrel made for shipping can be scored at a garage sale for five bucks or so but again, know the past lives of your barrel, and be aware that you’ll be watering your plants by hand-filling a bucket or watering can from the top of the barrel.

If you’re having trouble finding a cheap barrel, try getting in touch with a local environmental group, or even contact a food distributor or shipping company and ask them. Affordable barrels are out there.

Whistles-and-bells barrels come with a screen filter, an overflow hose (which moves extra water to the garden when it rains a lot) and a tap at the bottom where a hose can be attached. This is the type of barrel you’ll find for sale for about $100 at most garden centres.

Many environmental groups and cities across sell rain barrels at subsidized prices, in much the same way as they offer compost bins for sale. An environmental group in my city sells two models, the basic barrel (with childproof lid) for $20 and the deluxe model for $90.

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May 21, 2001

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Vermicomposting

Guest post by Claire Pfeiffer

Yes! A worm can be your friend, especially when it consumes your vegetable waste and turns it into yummy rich soil. Never mind that this wonderful black earth is actually worm poo, it can enrich your plants’ lives immeasurably, and keep them happy, not to mention your garden, too. Wouldn’t you like to witness the dazzling miracles of nature in your own cabinet, and reduce the amount of stuff in your garbage can? Well, you will soon learn that it is simple and fun.

First, you gotta get the worms. Not just any worm will do. The red wriggler is the little worker you need. These worms are specially sold for the purpose of vermicomposting. (‘vermi’ is worm in Latin, hence ‘vermicelli’ and vermicomposting.) Check out local environmental groups, maybe your campus Public Interest Research Group (PIRG or GRIP if you live in Quebec like me), or follow the links below to find out who can supply you with these beauties. They are extremely cheap, and people with their own vermicomposters will often just give you a whole bag full, because, as you could’ve guessed, these worms multiply.

Next, you’ll need to provide your little wigglers with a comfy work/live studio. A large container of some sort that’s not made of metal will suit them fine. Big Rubbermaid brand containers work well, especially because there needs to be holes in the lid of every worm’s home. Think width, not depth when looking for your container. Worms prefer to spread out a bit while they dine. Give them some room to move. Punch or drill some holes (in a Rubbermaid container that’s about one by two feet, punch about 12 holes) in the lid only.

Finally, you’ll need to furnish your worm palace. Rip up a bunch of newspaper into very fine strips, enough to cover the bottom of the container with an inch of paper, and sprinkle water on it to wet it, but not soak it. Too much water drowns worms: remember this to avoid disgusting mishaps, trust me. This paper will be the first stuff the worms eat.

Now the wrigglers can move into their new digs. Let them loose along with some regular dirt, or maybe the earth they came in. Put their lid on and put the worms in a cool, dry, and DARK place (they want to feel like they’re underground), for a day or two before feeding them.

Worms have refined palates. When you feed your worms, you must know what to give them, how much, and where. First of all, they can tolerate mushy and semi-mushy stuff like pear cores and carrot tops just fine, so long as they’re cut up into small pieces. (The size of their food is very very important.) Also, they can eat eggshells, but not an overwhelming amount, provided they are finely crushed. Worms don’t like to dine on banana peels, beans, tofu, or anything that’s bitter. They will munch coffee grounds, as long as they are pretty dry, but not every day: they’ll get a major buzz-on and not be able to function.

Okay, now for the how much, which ties-in with the where. Depending on how many worms you’ve got and how healthy and active they are, you can feed them about a third or a half of the vegetable waste one normal-sized vegetarian human who eats at home once a day can produce. That’s about how much a batch of worms in a Rubbermaid-sized container will like to eat. Play it by ear – (actually, you can hear worms chowing down when you bend down low) – start by putting about a cup or so of chopped up compost in one corner of the bin, not spread all over. The worms will go to it and eat. A few days later, put some more food in the adjacent corner, and see if they are ready to go there. By the time you put some compost into the fourth corner, the food from the first corner should be pretty much gone, assimilated into dirt by the worms. Keep up with the rotation so as not to clog the worms’ path, or confuse them. Also, it is necessary to bury the food, so that they will eat it (they hate light), and so that air doesn’t get to it and cause it to smell bad. So long as you bury your food, you will have no trouble with fruit flies or composty smells.

Back to the birds-and-bees part: in time, your worms will multiply. There is no avoiding this, because sex is as natural to a worm as is turning apples into dirt. Take a close look. You may notice worm eggs in your vermicomposter. They are small and white, and look like nothing you’ve stuck into the bin. You could pluck these out and flush them if you’re not completely horrified by such behaviour, or you could just let em hatch. You might have to expand production to a second container, or give some of your worms away. These worms like a warm climate. They won’t survive the winter outside. Putting them into your garden is not a good idea.

Before too long, it’ll be time for the harvest. To do this, you’ll need to separate the worms from the little black fruits of their labour. Don’t be squeamish. Mound the soil into cones, up toward the light your worms avoid. Skim the surface dirt from the cones until there’s nothing left but a few dirty worms wriggling around. When you use the rich black yummy earth or worm castings you’ve got in your worm-bin, be sure not to use too much. Don’t pot your plants in this alone. Instead, treat your plants to a couple of scoops placed on top of the potting soil. When you water, all the minerals and vitamins and such will trickle down through the plant’s roots. In your garden, the same principle applies. This dirt also makes a great gift, whether to people you know, or to the flowerbeds in your town. There are always creative ways to use dirt!

Step by Step

Get some red worms (Eisenia foetida)
Acquire a large, plastic bin. Either a Rubbermaid container or a pre-made vermicomposting bin.
Drill 12 or 13 1/4″ holes in the bottomof the container and 5 large holes in the lid.
Rip up newspaper into fine strips and loosely fill the container 1/2 way.
Spray the newspaper lightly with water to moisten, but not soak it.
Types of food that can go in the vermicomposter. Do not add veggies that
have been cooked in oil.
Place a cup of food waste in a corner of the bin and cover it with the newspaper bedding.
Bury the food in a different place everytime you feed the worms.
Harvest the nutrient rich castings and store in plastic or glass containers in a dark place.

This is by no means an exhaustive discussion of vermicomposting. Since you’re already on the web, I encourage you to do more research, and I hope you have fun with your worms.

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