Composting with worms may sound disgusting, but has many health benefits for people and the environment.
According to the EPA, Americans generated 254 million tons of trash in 2013. This number has been on the rise for decades and seems that it will only continue to do so, but composting can help to greatly reduce it.
Worm composting is using worms to recycle food scraps and organic material into a compost additive called vermicompost, or worm compost. This is good for plants because the worms are turning nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables into nutrient-rich soil.
Ryan Shaeffer, manager at Oakland Nursery in New Albany, says worm castings produced from worm composting can be a great additive to compost to create richer soil.
“A lot of gardeners will make their own compost and add these worm castings to it,” Shaeffer says.
To start worm composting, you’ll need redworms, not the worms commonly found digging around New Albany. These worms can be found in manure piles for those who have access to one, but for those who aren’t interested in diving elbow-deep into manure, Shaeffer says, redworms are also available for purchase online.
The worms start off being fed newspaper clippings, says Shaeffer. Then, feeding the worms table scraps begins the composting process and allows worms to produce castings.
“It’s best to avoid meat types of foods scraps,” says Shaeffer. “Usually, it’s more vegetable scraps, but it’s a great way of composting.”
Using this compost additive in gardens can greatly increase quality, whether flowers, fruits or vegetables are being grown. This is especially true in areas that, like New Albany, are rich in clay soils, says Shaeffer.
“Compost is almost a must when planting vegetable gardens,” he says.
“It’s best to avoid meat types of foods scraps,” says Shaeffer. “Usually, it’s more vegetable scraps, but it’s a great way of composting.”
Many nurseries carry compost that gardeners can purchase to which to add their worm castings, but Shaeffer says that many gardeners choose to make their own. This can also help to reduce landfill growth by providing a way to recycle landscape waste such as grass clippings.
Shaeffer says that composting can take about six months before it is able to be used in the garden, but it is something that can be done year-round to prepare for the next season’s gardening. However, summer provides the most lawn waste, which can be very valuable in a compost pile.
It may seem icky at first, but a combination of compost and vermicompost is sure to sprout the tastiest home-picked vegetables.
Emily Hetterscheidt is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at adeperro@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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