Ok, I have entered the world of vermicomposting. I was sent a Worm Factory 360 last year to try out and I never quite got around to setting it up (ok, I was reluctant to invite thousands of worms into my house). This year, with the help of my son, we have set it up and so far it all seems to be working beautifully, and I'm not grossed out at all. We've put it in the garage, protected from the sun and rain. No smell, no flies--it's just sitting there very peacefully while the worms do their thing.
The system seems very well designed and the worms do all the work. All I have to do is keep them moist and dump some kitchen scraps in every once in awhile. There are many do it yourself worm composters, but this seems to be the Cadillac. It is well made from food-grade plastic and comes with lots of documentation and instructions.
The primary reason I'm worm composting is for fertilizer. I have two regular composters that do the trick in terms of re-cycling food scraps, but friends of mine have been worm composting for years and have shared the byproduct of their efforts, which is worm tea--a kick-butt organic fertilizer.
My friend Colleen Vanderlinden, Guide to Organic Gardening at About.com knows all about worm composting, so I will be visiting her site often for advice and virtual hand holding.
Here's Colleen's advice:
I'll let you know later in the season how my worms are doing. Funny, I never thought I would be writing about the well-being of my worms.
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