Worm Compost?!?!?!
eeeeeewwwwwwwwww...........

Ah, yes......'tis true that worm compost is not for the faint of heart....or the queezy of stomach! I have to say that I am sure that this method produces the most beneficial compost around, and that it can be added to both indoor and outdoor plants. Is it right for you, and will it be part of your backyard landscaping adventure? Let's talk about what's involved, and you can be the judge of that....

How does this worm compost process actually work? Well, the worms, which are a specifically selected variety designed to produce the highest quality "dung" imaginable, are not your average garden variety worms that are available in the soil. Nope! They are specific worms that are designed to munch away on certain types of kithen scraps.

Where does one produce worm compost? Well, a composting bin is made specifically to hold the worm composters. As approved kitchen scraps are added to their bin...they munch to completion....expell the brown gold...and prepare themselves for the next helping.

So, imagine a bin of worms ready to go to work for you. Think for a moment if you will, where one of these bins might need to be housed? Obviously they can't get too cold....or they'll die....and they can't get to hot....or they'll die. As Goldilocks once said, they need to be "just right"!

Now where in the world, would there be a good location, to keep those worms not too hot and not too cold???.........think about it......I'll give you a moment.....(imagine the tune from jeopardy playing here).....that's right, my friend! Those little buggers need to be kept nice and comfy in your home with you!! :) Under the kitchen sink? In the basement? It doesn't really matter as long as it's a moderately tempered environment - approximately 55-75 degrees.

I don't know about you, but if I could manage to get past the thought of those squishy, squiggly critters living under the same roof as me, I'm pretty sure I couldn't get my family to approve of it! I know that worm compost is seriously awesome fertilizer, but I have decided that it's just not a viable alternative for me (not yet anyways, although I have to say I'm warming to the idea - if I were going to embark on this adventure, I'd definitely use a specially designed composting bin as opposed to one I made myself). For those of you who think you'd like to try it, let's have a serious conversation about what's involved.

Worm compost, also referred to as "vermicompost", utilizes redworms to turn kitchen scraps into nutrient fertilizer. The worms are best kept in a dark, moist environment, such as a wood box that contains aeration holes in the bottom, or a predesigned composting bin, and a bed of slightly dampened shredded newspaper, cardboard or compost (yet another use for compost). Redworms can be purchased from a local fishing supplies store, and will reportedly stay in the box as long as they are fed. My advice to you? Don't let those babies go hungry?

Kitchen scraps that can be added to worm composters are similar to those that can be added to the compost outside: coffe grounds, the scraps or peelings of fruit and vegetables. As with outside compost, do not add meat, dairy or oil to worm bins.

When adding material to the bin, which should be done on a daily basis, alternate corners or sides of the bin in which the material is added. You will need to replace the bedding approximately once every 2 months as the worms will eat that as well.

When harvesting your completed compost, which will be dark brown, moist and rich, move the entire contents of the box to one side, place new bedding in the opposite side along with fresh kitchen scraps, and give the worms about 4-5 weeks to move from the finished pile to the new pile. Once the worms have moved, you can harvest the compost, and use on either indoor or outdoor plants. Due to the high nutrient content, and your efforts in obtaining this compost, I would suggest using it where you most highly desire it, such as around the roots of your newly planted vegetables or plants.

For those of you willing to attempt this method of composting....Hats off to you!

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