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Urban Composting Article
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Composting Worms
from:Composting worms has become a great way to not only help the economy but also get some great fertilizer. In fact, composting worms will give you the some of the most effective fertilizer you've every used. Another term often referring to worm compost is vermicompost or worm castings. Composting worms is easy, fun and will help you have the healthiest plants you've ever raised. About the only items you'll need for composting worms are worms, bedding, worm food and a bin.
You don't need a large bin to begin composting worms, in fact, anything from 8" to 16" deep is sufficient. Many use a shipping crate, dish pan or old washtub. You can also buy a commercial worm bin. The important thing is to have a lid to keep out rodents and flies and also have holes in the bottom for drainage and ventilation. A good idea for an appropriate bin size is two square feet of space per person. The bin for composting worms should be in a shady space as worms like moderate temperatures. The patio, garage, laundry room or right outside the back door all makes good choices.
Newspaper torn into strips one inch wide will make excellent bedding. Moisten the newspaper so it's like a damp sponge. You can also put in horse or cow manure to absorb any excess moisture. Add a few handfuls of soil to the moist newspaper and you can add the worms and food. Every couple of months, it's a good idea to add crushed eggshells, soil and ground limestone for calcium and grit. This is how composting worms begin. As time passes, the worms will eat the food and bedding, turning it into worm compost.
Most people composting worms choose red wigglers or red worms, which can be purchased at a worm farm. You can also find them in old compost pile. Red wigglers and red worms both do very well in confinement and reproduce quickly. They also have a big appetite so always make sure they have sufficient food. In fact, on a daily basis, they'll eat more than their own weight. If you're just starting out with your composting worms' project, one pound of worms is more than enough. Worms are not picky eaters and enjoy the same things we enjoy. Some of the do's and don'ts include: no bones, meat, fats, dairy products or greasy foods. Do compost fruit peelings, vegetable scraps, tea bags, bread, coffee grounds and filters, grains, crushed eggshells and non-greasy leftovers. Start them off with just a small amount of food, increasing as they get older.
You'll need to harvest your worms at least two times a year and can start after you've been feeding them 3 to 6 months. A quick method of harvesting worms is to move all the contents to one side of the bin and put new bedding in the empty space. For the next month, put your food wastes in the new bedding. Once the worms have all moved to the new bedding, you can take out the worm compost. The compost you get from composting worms is great around plants, spread 1 to 2" thick.
Urban Composting Specific links
Urban Composting News
environmental groups host forum to promote recycling and composting - freshwatercleveland
 freshwatercleveland | environmental groups host forum to promote recycling and composting freshwatercleveland “The urban gardening and local food community in Cleveland creates hundreds of opportunities for the productive use of compost.” "We're hoping to bring in good ideas from other cities," adds Sandy Buchanan, Executive Director of Ohio Citizen Action, ... |
Our Voice: Neighbors of California Bio-Mass were warned - The Desert Sun
Our Voice: Neighbors of California Bio-Mass were warned The Desert Sun Santiago Payan operates a loader as piles of compost are run through sifting machinery at the California Bio-Mass. Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun As urban areas extend toward farmland, there are bound to be conflicts such as the one playing out now at the ... |
Officials warn of bear in urban areas - Lynchburg News and Advance
Officials warn of bear in urban areas Lynchburg News and Advance Bear are known to be attracted to bird feeders, garbage, compost piles, pet food, outdoor grills, livestock food, compost, fruit trees and beehives. - Do not store trash or anything that smells like food outside or in vehicles. |
The New Green Revolution: A Vision For Small-Scale Urban Farming - Forbes
 Forbes | The New Green Revolution: A Vision For Small-Scale Urban Farming Forbes Roundup Ready herbicides and nitrogen fertilizers replaced manure and compost. Small farmers were encouraged by President Nixon's agricultural secretary, Earl Butz, to “get big or get out.” This reliance on technology has had many benefits. Urban Oasis: Farming To Fight Black Obesity Meet America's Urban Farm Pioneer |
Turning food scraps into compost - Baltimore Sun
 Baltimore Sun | Turning food scraps into compost Baltimore Sun Another business does the actual composting, but Waste Neutral gives its clients credits so they can get some of the compost back for use wherever they like — in gardens, at urban farms or on other property. Those clients range from the Johns Hopkins ... |