Having a compost heap is a must for any gardener. Theconstant addition of organic material is the single best way to improve your garden's soil, and a compost heap will supply this material.
One of the issues with regular compost heaps, though, is that it takes a long time for the material to decompose. It can take anywhere from a couple months to up to a year, depending on the type of heap it is and the time of year.
One way to speed up the process is with worm composting (also known as vermicomposting). A compost heap that incorporates worms can break down a moderate amount of material in weeks, while a regular one may take months. Worm composting will speed up the compost process, and leave you with a high quality fertilizer.
BUILDING YOUR COMPOST CONTAINER
The first thing you’ll need to do is build a container to house your compost. Many worm composts are housed in plastic or rubber bins, but the problem with these is that they struggle with air flow, leading to a low quality fertilizer being produced.
We’re going to use a wooden container. It doesn’t have to be anything too advanced, simply a wooden box made of any type of wood. A little bit of space between the planks of wood is fine as well, to help with air flow. Wood containers will naturally breathe better, as well as absorb moisture, creating a much better environment for your compost and a higher quality fertilizer as a result.
You’ll need to keep your container covered (wood or a tarpis fine), and out of direct sunlight. This will help create a damp (but not wet) environment in the right temperature range (between 50-80 F).
COMPOSTABLE MATERIAL
First we need to differentiate between two kinds of compostable material: green and brown.
Green materials consist of kitchen scraps, egg shells, grass clippings, etc. They are high in nitrogen.
Brown materials consist of shredded cardboard or newspaper, dried leaves, wood shavings, etc. They are high in carbon and phosphate. It’s important to have a balance of these two for a healthy compost ecosystem.
Never put meat, eggs, dairy products or oil food into your compost. These will smell bad and attract scavengers.
FILLING YOUR COMPOST
Fill your bin up about 2/3rds of the way with brown material (shredded newspaper works very well). This will serve as bedding for your worms, creating a chemical balance, giving your worms a place to live, helping with air flow and absorbing moisture.
Put some soil on top, and sprinkle a bit of water over it. Let it sit for a few days, and then drop your worms into their new home.
You can add kitchen scraps daily, mixing things together as you see fit. Remember, the smaller the pieces the quicker they will be broken down, so consider chopping up large pieces before adding them to your compost.
Sprinkle water every couple days as needed. Remember, you want it to be moist, not wet- puddles should not be forming in your compost heap.
MUCH ADO ABOUT WORMS
You can’t just grab any old worms from the side walk during a rainy day and drop them in your compost. You’ll need a very specific type of worm. Eisenia foetida (Red Wigglers) are the breed most commonly used, as they are the most effective. Eisenia hortensis (EuropeanNight Crawlers) can also be used- they will breed slower, but they have the benefit of growing larger and making great fishing worms.
You’ll need 2lb of worms for very 1lb of kitchen scraps you expect to produce every day.
HOW TO HARVEST YOURCOMPOST
When most of your original brown material bedding has disappeared, you can harvest your fertilizer. Put on a pair of gloves, and shift the material in your container to one side. Fill the other side with brand new brown material, moisten it, and let sit for 2-3 days. The worms will naturally gravitate to the greener (browner?) pastures, and you can dig out the old, now composted material, and use it to fertilize your garden.
Good luck and stay prepared!
You can read more from RamboMoe at preparedforthat.com
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