| Almost every book you'll read on growing | | | | need to worry about being overrun by your wiggly |
| vegetables, fruits and herbs will talk about | | | | red friends - they'll regulate their reproduction |
| composting and compost as an absolutely necessary | | | | according to the amount of food and space available. |
| requirement for growing healthy organic produce. In | | | | Amazing, eh? It's no wonder red wrigglers are the |
| fact, most ANY gardening book, regardless of the | | | | stars of the composting world. |
| exact topic, will recommend using it instead of | | | | So how do you do it? Essentially, you need an |
| purchasing commercial fertilizers. But how exactly do | | | | appropriate sized bin, bedding (usually plain old |
| you make compost when you don't have a yard and | | | | shredded newspaper [printed with vegetable-based |
| are growing vegetables in containers on your deck, | | | | ink]), red wriggler worms (also known as 'redworms'), |
| patio or balcony? The answer is a little odd, but | | | | vegetable and fruit scraps and a protected location |
| intriguing: you do it with the help of some very small, | | | | to keep the bin (i.e., out of the sun and cold drafts - |
| very squirmy friends - red wriggler worms. | | | | even inside in a closet or under the sink, as they |
| Now before you get completely grossed out, know | | | | actually need darkness to thrive). It really is easy... |
| that these are the cleanest little critters you'll ever | | | | and if you need worms (i.e., you're unable to glean |
| meet - not your garden variety worm, or creepy | | | | any from your house-dwelling friends with compost |
| parasite. I've been involved with teaching people | | | | bins), there are a number of suppliers in Australia and |
| about composting with worms (or 'worm | | | | North America who would be more than happy to |
| composting', as we call it) for almost 10 years, and it | | | | share their supply and even pre-made bins (for a fee, |
| never ceases to amaze me how much these little | | | | of course): |
| critters can eat, and how much they give us back in | | | | Canada & the US - click here for listings |
| the process! Red wrigglers (who go under the | | | | AustraliaThe Worm Shed - Chittering Valley, WA ( |
| species name Einsenia foetida) are the worm most | | | | The Reln Worm Factory - Ingleburn, NSW( |
| commonly used for worm composting, as they have | | | | The Worm Man - Mount Colah, Sydney ( |
| voracious appetites (in optimal conditions, eating up | | | | There's an even wider variety of bins available at |
| to 150% of their body weight in food a day). In | | | | Depending on where you live, you'll probably pay |
| consuming so much of our own food waste | | | | more for shipping than buying from your local |
| (vegetable and fruit peelings, egg shells, etc.), they | | | | supplier, but you'll have access to more styles than |
| are able to create large volumes of 'worm castings' | | | | the 'little guy' may be carrying. |
| (a very special, nutrient-rich soil enricher) and 'worm | | | | So whether you build your own bin or buy one of |
| tea' (a highly beneficial 'fertilizer' for all your plants, | | | | the pre-built units, you'll be amazed at how much |
| edible and otherwise) - more than any other species | | | | worm composting will help your container vegetable |
| yet found for such applications. Not only that, but if | | | | garden grow the tastiest, healthiest and most prolific |
| all is well, they reproduce rapidly. In fact, many | | | | organic produce imaginable. Because produce is only |
| people who compost with worms find they are soon | | | | as good as the soil it's grown in, using the castings |
| supplying their friends and neighbors with the helpful | | | | and tea made by our wriggly friends will guarantee |
| critters, with the original population continuing to grow | | | | your home-grown produce will be as delicious and |
| to fill the void left by any that are removed. But if | | | | health-giving as any you'll find at the market or local |
| you don't want to start a worm farm, there's no | | | | organic grower... or maybe more so. |