Is vermicomposting or worm farming part of your hobby farm
yet? I hope so, but if it is not, I’ll
let you in on a wonderful way to spin your food scraps into black gold – Rumpelstiltskin
not required!
If you remember your fairy
tales, you know that Rumpelstiltskin could spin straw into gold. You have the power to do almost the same
thing in a worm bin at your own home but the outcome will be a beautifully rich, black compost to support your gardening efforts. Nutrient rich soil provides a healthy medium
to grow food with the highest levels of nutrition for you, your family and
friends and to donate to your local food pantry.
In my opinion, the best resource for information on starting
a worm bin at your own homestead is the book:
Worms Eat My Garbage by Mary Appelhof.
It is a complete resource for how to set up your bins, which worms to
purchase, proper feeding and harvesting the vermicompost and worm castings to
use in your garden. I highly recommend
it.
There are several options outlined
in the book for types of bins so you can decide which works best for you. My choice is the Worm Factory 360 from UncleJim’s Worm Farm. I chose this because it
is easy to stack bins one atop another and it has a spigot to allow the excess
moisture to drain away.
I started with one pound of red wigglers and they are
thriving. I have harvested two bins of
the vermicompost and castings so far and top dressed my perennial beds this
year. Castings are worm poop. Vermicompost is the mixture of castings,
bedding and other organic matter in stages of breaking down. Worm castings and vermicompost won’t burn
tender seedlings or transplants like traditional chemical fertilizers can. In fact, sometimes seeds even sprout right in
the worm bin. LOL (Here is a hint: if you want your avocado pits to grow, put them in your bin instead of in a cup of water - they sprout perfectly in that environment.)
Here are some answers to questions you may have:
Why should I become a worm farmer?
|
·
You want to compost your kitchen food wastes
·
You have a garden and want to add nutrition to
support healthy plants
·
You cannot have a traditional compost bin
where you live
|
How many worms should I start with?
|
·
Generally, one pound is a good starting point
·
Worms will multiply quickly but will
self-limit reproduction according to environmental factors (you will not be
over-run with worms!)
|
What do I feed worms?
|
·
Fruit or vegetable trimmings or waste (citrus
in only limited quantities, please)
·
Coffee grounds, coffee filters, tea bags
·
Plate scrapings including grains
·
Egg shells
|
What should I not feed worms?
|
·
I do not feed meat or bones since I want to be
sure to avoid odors
·
No pet waste
·
Nothing that is non-biodegradable (like wire
twist ties or rubber bands)
|
How often should I feed my worms?
|
·
1 pound of worms may eat up to a half pound of
kitchen waste per day
·
I generally feed twice a week but sometimes
more often– I keep a compost pail in the kitchen to collect the scraps and
when it needs emptied, they get fed
|
Can you over feed the worms?
|
·
Yes, overloading the bin can cause odors
·
If, for example, you have an extra-large
amount of kitchen waste – like during harvest or canning season—you can start
a temporary bin in a separate container with a couple handfuls of worms from
your main bin
|
How much time does caring for the
worms take?
|
·
Daily care is not necessary
·
Feed about twice weekly
·
Offer a new bin with fresh bedding about every
2 months
|
What do I do with the vermicompost
and castings?
|
·
Put some in your soil mix to start seedlings
·
Transplants also benefit from the addition to
your soil mix
·
Top dress your houseplants and flower or
garden beds
·
The liquid that drains from the worm bin is
also a great fertilizer
|
I look forward to hearing from you if you already are a worm
farmer or want to become one. Please
email me if you have any questions.
For my MaryJanesFarm
Sisters, you can earn a beginner merit badge in Garden Gate: Gaining Ground by starting your own worm farm
– I have named mine Rumpelstiltskin’s Ranch of Black Gold. J
Tomorrow, I’ll discuss starting your 2015 garden by the
Winter Sown method.
Peace be with you,
Star Schipp
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