Worms Eat our Garbage

In out effort to live green we vermicompost - worms eat our garbage! We currently use a storage tub purchased at Wal-Mart for about $5 we drilled holes in the bin for aeration, and holes in the bottom for excess liquid to drain into a tray or pot for collection. The worm tea that drains off is a wonderful fertilizer.

To start the bin we shredded cardboard and soaked it with water till damp but not dripping wet, added some soil, worms and kitchen scraps. Now on a weekly basis we add all our organic refuse to the bin and the worms are multiplying and making us some great compost. We purchased about 1,000 red wiggler worms to start our bin from an ad placed on Craig list.com but the are available on the internet!

Vermicomosting is well-suited to turn kitchen waste into high-quality soil amendments. Worms can decompose organic matter without the additional human physical effort (turning the bin) that bin composting requires.

There are few food wastes that vermicomposting cannot compost, although meat waste and dairy products are likely to putrefy, and in outdoor bins can attract vermin. Green waste such as grass clippings should be added in moderation to avoid heating the bin.

Worms love
All fruits and vegetables
Vegetable and fruit peels and ends
Coffee grounds and filters
Tea bags, paper towel
Plate scrapings, moldy bread
Eggs and eggshells
Leaves

Vermicompost has been shown to be richer in many nutrients than compost produced by other composting method. It also has outperformed a commercial plant medium with nutrients added, but needed adjustment for magnesium and pH.

Unlike other compost, worm castings also contain worm mucus which helps prevent nutrients from washing away with the first watering and holds moisture better than plain soil.

It is amazing the difference in the plants that we have feed worm tea to or used worm compost on. The plants are fuller and stronger. It is well worth the effort!

Click on the photo below to see the album

Vermicomposting