Vermicomposting is actually a very simple process that uses worms for compost making. This compost can make a dramatic change in their output in the quality of the food gardeners are growing. Here are a few tips that you should know when you decide to use vermicompost with your garden.
Vermicomposting, or what is called composting with worms, is an excellent way to take your kitchen scraps and put them to good use. Some people do not like the idea of composting. They envision a better way to deal with their garbage which is to either throw it in the trash or send it down the garbage disposal.
If you are an organic gardener, you probably want to listen up because this can add so much to your organic gardening efforts all because you decided to set up one worm bin and add your organic waste to it.
Throughout our world, we are becoming a more wasteful society. Our landfills are overflowing and it has to do with the fact that our population continues to grow. What natural composting allows you to do is take some of that waste and divert it into your garden.
When you use red worms in an attempt to create a more organic and healthy situation in your garden, you are on the right track. There are three things that you should know before you start on this worm composting path.
The first thing you should consider is what not to add to your bin. Before you start saving every hamburger and meatloaf that you decided not to eat, you need to remember that worms cannot process meet. In fact, very fatty foods will cause them to suffocate and die because it will coat the outside of their flesh which is how they breathe.
Once you have a supply of organic food scraps such as coffee grounds, fruit rind, and other organic material, you are ready to create your very first vermicomposting bin.
You'll need to get several supplies before starting. You will need a plastic bin, a drill for drilling holes into the bin for aeration, bedding material such as peat moss or newspaper, a gallon of water, and of course worms. Once you have all of these, you will have been to the bin, place it into a warm and dry area, and allow the process to begin...
It is important not to have a lot of excess water in the bin so when adding your bedding, make sure that it has the consistency of a rung out sponge. Make sure that your food scraps are cut into small digestible chunks. This means they should be about one or 2 inches in diameter and varied slightly under the top-level of the soil.
Always let the worms finish what they are eating first. If you see extra food in the bin, do not add any more. Worms can only process so much material just as you can only eat so much food at one time. By adding too much food, the worms will never get to it and it will begin to rot and you will have a problem on your hands.
Other than that, and making sure that the worm bin lid is on tight to protect it from insects on the outside, you're ready to begin the process of vermicomposting by simply adding a few scraps and a little water every couple days to your brand-new composting bin. Worms for composting are easily found on Ebay and vermicomposting sites online.
