I'm pretty comfortable with muddy shoes, grass stained knees and sharing my yard with assorted bugs, but I've always shied away from worm composting. I think I just didn't want to be reminded that a colony of worms living was living under my sink. Silly, I know. Especially since my compost heap is currently hard as a rock and I am loathe to waste a winter's worth of raw material.
I'm a pretty frugal gardener, so I'm duly chastised that it took a co-worker, Melissa Sandoval, who writes about saving money (Consejos para ahorrar) for our sister site About en Espaņol , to remind me that it's a really easy way to get free fertilizer. The worms do all the work and you have less to take to the dump. Yea! So one more thing to add to my "to do" list - Start a worm compost bin.
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I’ve had a worm bin for over three years and I’ve never had an escapee. I keep it in my basement rather than under the sink because it can get a little stinky if you load it up faster than the worms can decompose it. I also keep a plaster knife nearby to mix it up. The worms have an ability to flatten out the top as they compost it. There are a few things you can’t feed them, nothing too acidic, but otherwise I think they can handle a host of small, chopped up kitchen waste. Last year, I did a test and used the worm casting in one spot of the veg bed. It was shocking how much faster and stronger that plant was than the others.
my husband started a worm tub this past summer. when it got cold he wanted to put them in his closet–no way! they are living in the basement now. he goes down and feeds them and talks to them. i think hes even named them. he sure doesnt like to part with them to go fishing! im excited about getting some of the compost to try around some of my favorite flowers to see how much better they might do. its all in fun and keeps my husband happy growing something in the winter, even if its just worms. like you said,marie, we gardeners are a weird lot. lol!
I’d need a strong cover, if I kept it in my basement, or they would become cat toys. But now I’m really tempted to try it, just to see the difference it would make in my plants. I don’t think I’d name them, though. But you never know.
Even when my compost heap is hard as a rock, I still collect the kitchen waste and take it out to the compost pile. I make sure to cover it with snow and usually some black plastic to attract the sun. Even when the winters are harsh, it composts very quickly in the spring.
I’m intrigued by the worm idea, but this winter has been so mild, I’ve actually seen worms close to the top of my outdoor pile.
Frozen produce does disintegrate quickly when it thaws, doesn’t it. I’m just leery of attracting too many critters. I don’t want them coming to my compost out of habit. I already share enough with them.
Nanes (?)! How about slick wiggler, Union Jack, or decomposer? But definitely not Harry.
I’ve had a few critters get into my outdoor compost before I reinforced the bottom with flagstones and chicken wire, but I’ve never had any, besides the worms, get into the worm. My 2 normally curious cats, couldn’t care less about the bin. To them it’s just one more storage bin. I’m thinking of expanding the operation to 2 bins, because I’d like a lot more of that worm juice on my plants this year.
Good to know. Although I do have the cat from hell. If it can be damaged, he will do it.
I use a plastic garbage can to compost and have for 2 yrs. We have had a warm winter until this week, but before this week I would stir the compost bin once a week. Now there’s snow and ice. I mentioned to my spouse I was going to get some worms, and then I realized they would freeze to death, so I have to wait until April or May. Can’t wait to garden hard.