Worm Compost Bin
Anthony Tripodi
One of the best ways to improve your garden is to stop throwing
out your garbage. That's right, your used coffee grinds and
banana peels can help your tomato and cucumber plants grow
larger and stronger. When that same garbage is eaten and
digested by a worm it becomes a powerful plant supplement known
as worm castings. Starting a worm compost bin is a great way to
create a steady supply of worm castings for your flower and
vegetable gardens.
First thing you'll need is a bin. You can buy a commercially
made worm bin but where's the fun in that. Those plastic or
rubber storage bins make great worm bins. Drill a few holes in
the bin so your worms get plenty of air. Just be sure to cover
those holes with small pieces of window screen or something
else that will keep the fruit flies out. And if you have any
plumbing experience, why not add a hose spigot near the bottom
of the bin to take advantage of worm tea. Worm tea is even
better than compost tea for your plants. All you have to do is
add a cup or two to a large watering can and fill the rest with
water. Then water as normal.
Next you'll need some worm bedding. Most commonly used worm
bedding for home bins is shredded newspapers. The bedding must
stay moist but not water logged. Use a spray bottle to keep the
bedding just right for your worms. When your order worms in the
mail they will usually ship in a container filled with peat
moss. Some people have stopped using peat moss as a political
statement. You see peat is not a replenishable resource. Peat
takes centuries to develop in swampy regions and it's just
being used up too quickly. Other's argue that Peat is now
created in a safe quick way and what's all the fuss about
anyway. The two sides contradict each other so it's up to you
to decide if you want to use it. Newspapers are readily
available and you probably have a stack of them in your house
already. So why not avoid the whole controversy and go with
what's on hand.
And don't forget to put some dirt in the bin too. Worms don't
have teeth, so they need some grit to help grind up their food.
You can also use rock dust or powdered limestone instead of dirt
if you like, but regular dirt from your yard will work fine.
And of course, let's not forget the worms. Digging up some
worms from your yard will not work in a worm bin. Worms that
come from the soil, like to live in the soil. For worm bins,
you'll need red wigglers. They'll love the environment that
you've created in your worm bin. How many should you buy, that
depends on the size of your bin. Let's assume that you've
created your worm bin for the worm castings and not to have
tons of worms for your weekends fishing. That means that you're
going to leave the worms in the bin until they've turned most of
the bedding and food waste into vermicompost. The worm to
garbage ratio is usually 2:1. That means that if you're going
to put a half pound of garbage into the bin on a daily basis,
then you should start with a pound of worms.
Check your bin everyday to ensure that you get off to a good
start. Keep the bedding moist and the bin should stay in a spot
that's about 60 to 70 degrees. Leaving the bin outside in the
summer sun is a good way to cook all of your worms. And
remember if the worm bin starts to smell, then you probably
need more bedding.
Starting a worm bin is a fun project for everyone in the
family. Get your kids involved, they'll love watching those
little worms wiggle around your bin. And if you're lucky, you
may see one of the kids chase your mother in law around the
house with a handful of worms. Like I said, worm bins are good
times for the whole family and great for your garden too.
About The Author: Anthony Tripodi is the webmaster of
http://WatchItRot.com. For more information about starting a
Worm Composting Bin, visit
http://www.watchitrot.com
See Also:
All About Organic Gardening
Index of Gardens & Gardening
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