old timers

kenr1963

13 years ago

My father who I think is one of the smartest man that I know is driving me up the wall.He absolutly hates the thought of worms in the garden.Says that they eat the roots off plants I've got about six tons of finished Dairy cow manure and other things and now he is refusing to let me put this on my garden because I put about ten lbs of worms in it last April.I'm about to go crazy and it does no good to try and show him any papers written on this subject.All he says is I cain't beleave that you go for that hippy hog wash go get a bag of 10-10-10 and be done with it.And then I point out that when he let me have this land to use for a garden it would'nt even grow weeds good (don't have that problem now)And last year I grew carrots which I've never seen grown on this land and growed okra that actually had pods on them also beans and as we say around here maters and did not use any 10-10-10 to do it.what can I do to convince him to let me put this years labor of compost on my garden BUT his land!! SORRY for the rant.

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Comments (6)

steamyb
13 years ago
IMO- It is his land. Since his opinions are unalterable at this point, drop it. Do you grow the garden for him or for yourself? For him- follow his directions. For yourself- get your own land. If this is not possible- out live him. :)
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equinoxequinox
13 years ago
I need a haircut. On second thought I'll get them all cut. In my driveway the SUV has vanished and in its place is a van with flowers painted on it.

In your dad's world it is 1973 and I'm a teenager again :-)

Paint the worms each a different color and call them magic worms.

Put an ad in the newspaper for the vermicompost and when you are selling the stuff he may reconsider.

Have a pretty girl call him up and ask for some of the worms for her garden.

If that does not work we are back to plan steamyb.
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eric30
13 years ago
Wait for him to go to bed then haul in the manure.

It's amazing how many old timers reach for the box of miracle grow. I got my dad started in tomato gardening a couple years ago (at age 73, can you believe that?). I had him add leaves and other organic mature, and he went to the farm to get manure early in the spring. I explained that worms and other creatures will break it down into good plant food. He had a friend that just passed away and ended up with a stash of gardening tools, including a giant box of miracle grow. After trying to convince him to put it down, here he was adding his "secret formula" every week. Oh well, what can you do? He had a good harvest and was excited about it.
pjames
13 years ago
I was harvesting castings and worms one day and my Dad stopped by. He did not realize I even had worms although he had heard me talk about them. He thought I was talking about the BSFL in my compost like he sees. (He is fascinated by how much they can eat..)

Anyway, he reached into my castings bucket at one point. His comment was "This feels like good soil". I just told him that was exactly what is was. I expect him to ask for some when he plants his tomatoes this year.
goudananda
13 years ago
You could always do a little of each. I don't let chemical fertilizer gardening but why not work something out with him to do a little of each? Let him do a plot with 10-10-10 and you do one of the same size organically with your worm castings and supplements.

People gotta learn one way or the other. Otherwise they grow old. :P
kenr1963
Original Author
13 years ago
What gets me folks is that he's so intelligent in so many things but he is also set in his ways too.When he let me have this little plot to use it wouldn't even grow weeds it was so wore out.I've got it now where it'll grow some beans and squash and okra but nothing compared to his new plot.But the only reason I got this is that it wouldn't grow anything even with 10-10-10.This is his old garden spot.