"Worms, The Champion Composter"

  I had been wanting to investigate more on "worm composting". So as I was looking around one of the blogs I follow posted about a project they did! A Flock in the City has a great post on creating a worm compost bin. But what is "Worm composting"? Worm composting is using worms to recycle food scraps and other organic material into a valuable soil amendment called vermicompost, or worm compost. Worms eat food scraps, which become compost as they pass through the worm's body. Compost exits the worm through its' tail end. This compost can then be used to grow plants. To understand why vermicompost is good for plants, remember that the worms are eating nutrient-rich fruit and vegetable scraps, and turning them into nutrient-rich compost. So I'm thinking its worm poop, right? lol

  To get started you need worms, a container and "bedding." I have learned something interesting about worms. Growing up on the farm I always thought, "A worm is a worm is a worm" boy was I wrong, all worms aren't created equal. Don't try using your garden-variety night crawlers. They need to worm their way through dirt to eat and survive and they don't dine on organic waste. So what kind of warms do you need, for this you need red worms -- Eisenia foetida (also known as red wigglers) or Lumbricus rubellus (manure worm). I hope I spelled those right, lol!
   How many red worms does a person needs when starting? Some experts recommend a one-to-one ratio -- one pound of worms for one pound of garbage. But others recommended two pounds per pound of garbage, so I guess somewhere in between will do. The other thing you have to keep in mind is that worms multiply like rabbits, so they say! (Or maybe it's more like rabbits multiply like worms!) Anyway, if you give them adequate food and a good home they can double their populations every 90 days. So, you may want to start out slow and with fewer worms than you think you'll need and the resulting worm population explosion will take care of the rest. I found that to be really interesting!

   I guess the only real important thing left is, what about the environment? Ideally your worm compost bin should be in an environment where the temperature ranges between 40 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and red worms generally prefer temperatures in the 55 to 77 degree range. (Unlike backyard composting with bacteria who like it hotter than heck, worms are more like us.) Many people use a corner of their kitchen, or, if they have a worm bin outside and live in a place where it does get chilly in the winter, they move it inside for the cold months. So after you build your bin CLICK HERE! or buy a kit, you should be able to start pouring scraps in and before you know it have great "worm compost for you garden or house plants.

  Here are some good sites I found that you may want to look at as well. Most of this information came off them but they do have more for you!

  http://www.unclejimswormfarm.com/

  http://www.cityfarmer.org/wormcomp61.html

  http://www.redwormcomposting.com/

"I do think we have a responsibility to care for the environment – we ought to care for every resource God has provided for us."  John MacArthur

I am linked to"

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