Compost is an excellent additive to the garden. Even better, it is completely free to make. This is because it is simply organic matter that has been allowed to decompose. This organic matter may include items such as kitchen scraps, garden waste, leaves, manure, straw, and grass clippings.
Compost is beneficial to your garden because it helps add microbial activity to your soil, it improves the soil’s structure, it helps suppress soil born disease, it attracts beneficial insects, and it holds its nutrients and releases them slowly. You can lay it on top of the garden, or you can till it in. Either way, it is useful throughout the entire growing season. In addition, it is truly impossible to add too much compost to your garden soil.
Worm Composting
There are several different ways to compost. Worm composting, also referred to as vermiculture, is a great way to compost vegetable peelings. This is because the kitchen waste is fed to worms, who help you create an excellent fertilizer for your garden.
To set up a worm composting bin, you only need a container, earthworms, and a type of bedding. The worms you need are called redworms, which are also referred to as brandling worms, manure worms, and red wigglers. Scientifically, they are called Eisenia foetida.
These are not the same worms you dig up in your backyard. Rather, you will need to order your worms from an organic garden supply company. You should be able to get 500 words for less than $20. Ideally, you should have about 2,000 worms for one pound of food waste per day. Another formula for determining how many worms you need is to use a one to one ration of one pound of worms for one pound of waste. Worms can, however, double their population in just 90 days. So, you might want to start with less worms than you actually need. If you are not sure how much waste you produce, keep track of it for one week and divide that number by seven to determine your average waste per day.
In addition to the worms, you will need a container for your worms to live in. You can purchase special worm bins from organic gardening supply stores. Or, you can simply purchase a plastic tub and poke holes in it so your worms can breathe. Make sure the container is at least eight to twelve inches deep. Since worms like it to be dark, make sure the container you select is colored so it remains dark inside when the lid is on.
Now, you need to create some bedding for your worms. Since worms like moist, but not wet, conditions, you will need bedding capable of maintaining the moisture inside your bin. Ideally, your worms will want an environment that is 75% water.
To create the bed for your worms, you will need to first soak a large amount of shredded cardboard or newspaper. It should only take a few minutes for newspaper to become adequately soaked.
Cardboard, however, should be soaked overnight. You should never use any form of manure or garden soil as bedding because these substances release gases that will cause the temperature inside your bin to rise. In turn, this will essentially cook your worms until they die.
Wring out your bedding matter so that it is moist but not dripping wet. Then, place it in the bid along with another gritty substance such as leaves, soil, fine sand, sawdust, cornstarch, or ground eggshells.
This gritty substance is necessary to help your worms grind up the food and the paper because they do not have teeth. To help your worms get established, dig a hold down the middle of the bedding and place them inside the hole. You should not simply place them on top of the bedding. Then, replace the lid and keep the bin in an area that will maintain a moderate temperature. This can be beneath your sink or outside, whatever you are more comfortable with. Keep in mind that the temperature should be anywhere from 40 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, with 55 to 77 being ideal.
In addition, keep your worms out of high traffic areas as excessive noise and vibrations can be harmful to them. Do not feed your worms for about a week after placing them inside your bin. During this time, they will get established and they will feed off the bedding. After this period of time is complete, you can begin feeding food scraps to your worms. Items that are appropriate include pulverized egg shells, peels from fruit and vegetables, coffee grounds, and tea bags. You should not place bones, meat scraps, fish, dairy products, or oil foods inside your compost bin. These items will cause your bin to become smelly and will attract rodents and flies.
In addition to avoiding placing certain foods in your worm compost bin, there are a few other things you can do to prevent your compost from becoming smelly. First of all, never feed your worms excessive amounts that they cannot process. If your compost becomes smelly, it will be from the rotting food your worms could not get to, not from the worms or the compost itself.
If your worms seem to eat too slowly, you might want to chop up the vegetable matter before placing it in the bin. This makes it easier for your worms to eat. If this still doesn’t seem to work, you may want to increase the number of worms in your bid or decrease the amount of food you feed to them.
After your bin becomes successfully established, it will become entirely self-sufficient. All you will need to do is add your kitchen scraps and occasionally scoop out the worm castings, which is the worm fecal matter. This doesn’t just keep your bin clean, it also serves as an outstanding fertilizer for your garden. You might also need to monitor the moisture within the bin. If it gets too wet, place some additional paper inside to soak up the moisture. If it seems to be dry, spray it with a bottle of water to help moisten it again.
To remove the castings your worms have left behind, you should occasionally move all of the contents of your bin to one side. This includes the worms, the bedding, the castings, and the food. Then, pick out any partially decomposed materials and move them to the other side. Place some new food on top of this material and close the bin again. When you return a couple weeks later, the worms should all be on the same side as the food.Then, put on a pair of gloves and remove everything from the side that does not contain the worms.
After removing the contents of your bin, place it in your garden to help fertilize your plants. Then, create a new bed for your worms and start all over again. To help get the cycle started, save a bit of the compost from the previous batch and place that with the new bed.
