Want to add some nutrients to your garden soil? Try vermicompost Now here is an idea that I came across recently that I plan on using in my garden this year. Since I have a couple of months before I will actually plant anything, I can begin now and will have some lovely rich compost for my vegetables.Vermicomposting is accomplished by using worms to break down food and organic waste to create compost. This method can be done indoors in a tub and you don't have to have your neighbors complaining about your smelly outdoor compost. Here are the nine steps to beginning your own vermicomposting project: 1. Choose the location for your vermicomposting bin. Vermicompost worms typically do well between 60 and 80 degrees, although they can live in temperatures just above freezing up to about 90 degrees. You can place your bin in your basement, under your sink, or anywhere it is convenient for the amount of compost you want to create. 2. Prepare your vermicomposting bin. I decided to use a Rubbermaid tub with a snap on lid for my project. You have to think about both ventilation and moisture for your worms to be able to do their work. Drill holes about 2" apart around the top of the lid. Also drill holes around the sides of the tub about 1" to 2" apart starting 3" from the top if you are using a tub with a fitted lid. Finally, drill some holes in the bottom of the tub for drainage. You can place a piece of cardboard on the bottom of the bin to slow down the drainage and retain moisture that is critical to the lives of the worms. Elevate the bin on a couple of bricks or concrete blocks to help with ventilation and drainage. I am using a shallow cake pan underneath my bin to catch any moisture that drains. If you don't have a container with a lid, try using a burlap sack to cover your bin. Worms avoid light so make sure the bin is covered with something. 3. Prepare the bedding for your vermicomposting worms. After preparing the bin itself, you can make the bedding for your little worker worms. You can use shredded newspaper (not the glossy stuff), dried cut grass or straw, shredded dried leaves or even shredded up cardboard. The bedding gives the worms a way to stay moist, get away from heat generated from their composting activity. Fill the bin about 3/4 full with loosely packed bedding and then water lightly so the bedding is moist but not SOGGY. (you don't want to drown your worms!) Toss a couple handfuls of unfertilized soil on top of the bedding to add some roughage for the worms to help them grind up the food as well as add helpful micro-organisms to your bin. 4. Start saving food scraps for your vermicomposting worms. If you begin ahead of getting your worms, you will have some food ready for them start eating. Remember that worms don't eat anything until it starts to decompose. You can use leftover scraps from vegetables and fruits (avoid citrus fruits), coffee grounds and used coffee filters, grass clippings, tea bags with staple removed, cereal, breads and other grains, leaves and crushed egg shells. 5. Start adding food for the worms to your bin. Bury 3-4 cups of the foods mentioned above in one corner of your bin a few days before adding the worms and cover it with the moist bedding. The worms will then have some food available when they are placed in the bin to start their work for your garden compost. 6. Select and order your vermicomposting worms. The two species of worms most suited for vermicomposting are Red Wigglers, sometimes sold in bait stores as trout worms, and European Night Crawlers. 7. Add the worms to your composting bin as soon as they arrive. Since you have prepared the new environment, don't delay putting your worms into your vermicomposting bin. They will be stressed from the travel and are eager to begin their work. Gently remove the worms from the box they came in and gently spread them on the moistened bedding in your bin. They will burrow under the bedding immediately. Keep the worms out of direct sunlight. Place the lid or other covering on your bin. 8. Maintain the food and moisture level in your vermicomposting bin. If you start to notice that the worms are leaving a lot of food unprocessed, you may want to cut back a little on the amount you give them, or add more worms to the bin. On the other hand, if the bedding is disappearing along with the food you are giving, you want to increase the food you give the worms. Remember to maintain the moisture in your bin by lightly spraying the bedding with water. Don't make it soggy, only moist. 9. When your bin is full of compost, it is time to start harvesting it or your worms will run out of space and food. Try scraping the top 1" off and separate any straggler worms or cocoons and put them back in the tub. Or, you can move the compost to one side and bury food on the other under some bedding. The worms will move themselves around the food, then you will have an easier time removing the compost. There you have 9 easy steps to creating a rich, dark fertilizer for your plants. The best thing is, it probably didn't cost you much at all for this project since you can start with any type of container that suits your needs as long as you provide drainage, moisture and a cover to keep the light out. Food for the worms is free since it is waste from your yard and kitchen, so all you have to do is buy some worms. I am going to try the local bait shop for some Red Wigglers! Expert Page: Freelance native English writing services, proofreading and editing | 
