Winter Gardener's Delight - Worm Farm Facts

As Fall approaches those of us who are Northern gardeners begin to go into withdrawal. Soon the frost will hit, our lovely flowers and lush foliage will turn to brown mush and the gardens will go to sleep for several months. What's a gardener to do with all that time? Browsing garden books, planning out next years beds, seed shopping and eventually seed starting are all on most gardeners' lists of winter activities. A more progressive and novel winter task for those of us who can't stand all those months with our hands out of the dirt is generating compost with a worm farm. Worm farm?? Yes, it is true. Whether you are a city dweller in an apartment or live on a sprawling country estate you can have your very own worm farm and generate fabulous compost for the coming season. It is economical, environmentally responsible, oderless and your plants will love you.

A worm farm does not take a lot or space or effort and European nightcrawlers (also known as giant redworms) will eat your garbage and shredded newspapers, consuming their own weight in organic material each day. A small bin these babies will make you pounds sweet smelling compost in just 2-3 months. Over the course of the winter you can easily generate enough rich vermicompost (compost made with worms) for your beds when they awake famished from their long winter hibernation. The compost is also good mixed into soil for repotting, as part of a seed starting base, top dressing your lawn and as a fertilizer for your veggie garden and shrubs

Here's what you need to proceed:

Red worms in Compost Bin

Credit: Jessica Greene

Copyright: Jessica Greene