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Over the weekend I was able to start prepping my raised beds to grow out some heirloom vegetables (Chackbay peas, white mirlitons, cowhorn okra, and more!). For me, this means digging up wheelbarrow loads of vermicompost- a rich, dark-colored compost made by the Red Wiggler breed of worms. These little worms can eat half to one-third of their weight in organic matter each day. I have them established in beds underneath my rabbit hutches, where they convert spilled feed, hay, and droppings along with my kitchen scraps and garden waste into black gold known as vermicompost or worm castings. Gardeners love to add worm castings to the soil to improve tilth and fertility. Worm castings have also been shown to increase plant growth and yield, as well as work to suppress key pests and diseases of plants when incorporated into the soil. Worm castings/ vermicompost can be bought at local garden centers, but this material is usually pricey. It’s very easy to get a vermicompost bin going in our area since we have mild winters and as long as they are in the shade, long summers where worms thrive, and soon you will have a source of vermicompost free of charge. The Red Wiggler worm is the most efficient type of worm for composting systems because they reproduce quickly and are voracious eaters.Youcanpurchasecontainers full of Red Wigglers at some of the local garden centers, or via mail order from retailers online. Red Wigglers are happiest where they can have access to new organic matter on a regular basis. This can include lawn clippings, leaves, coffee grounds, kitchen scraps, garden waste, and animal manures. They don’t enjoy living in bins where citrus rinds, meat, dairy, or oily material are added to the mix. Many prefabricated worm bin systems are out there on the market, or you can choose to make a simple worm bin yourself. I use treated wood to construct beds that when full, reach 18 inches in depth. A Rubbermaid tote bin also can be made into a sturdy bin to keep worms in. Choose an opaque solid-colored bin with a solid-colored lid. You want the interior of the bin to remain dark as the worms do not appreciate sunlight. Add some ventilation holes about one inch from the top of the bin. I usually use a handheld drill with a half-inch bit to do this. Add a hole to the bin roughly every six inches along the rim.
