More prepping for next year

I envision that each tote will have black plastic on it that can just be folded back when planting occurs, and then put again around the plants.  To soften my costs, I am using recycled 13-gallon black plastic bags that came from bagging up clothing and stuff in the recent bug problem.

These pictures show the process of applying the black plastic.  I'm doing so in the winter because 1) that's when I have the black plastic bags to use, and 2) to help the worms keep warm through the winter.

1.  Secure the totes with stakes in the ground.  As per my previous post, most of these are done, and I used 3'long dowel rods to do so.  They go through the side lip of the tote and into the ground.

2.  Secure the black plastic to the sides of the tote that is secured to the ground.  I did this putting holes for the plastic to slip over the dowels and pink duct tape.  For this tote, I used three plastic bags because the openings had been taped for the bug problem, so their full width wasn't available for their full length.

3.  This is the way the tote looks with the secured bags draped over the back to expose the contents of the tote, and also with the white plastic bag in as insulation.

4.  Then I secured all bags at the front of the tote using clothes pins.  The black plastic should provide some warmth for the worms and help the composting along.  The pink tape that you see on the bag is just leftover from the bug problem.