Showing posts with label composting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label composting. Show all posts

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Easy worm bin for vemicomposting

Vermicomposting has been on my list of things to try, but I will be honest in that I've been a bit reluctant to step foot into the world of composting with worms.

After an evening composting class where I saw a worm bin - created out of a file box - I figured it was worth a try. My oldest child is obsessed with worms, and after all, didn't they want a pet?

The owner parted with a cupful of worms, and armed with directions, we created our worm bin in about five minutes.

I reused a styrofoam cooler that was used to ship insulin to me. It's been collecting dust in my garage for a year, as I've never really known what to do with it. 

I poked holes for air in the lid.

Inside, we added the recommended mix of worm food: Shredded papers (newspapers and others), a banana (covered to deter fruit flies) and some dill and weeds. We mixed in the container of worms and, well, worm poop, and are letting them do their thing!



My little guy's job is to feed the worms - I learned that  a pound of worms might eat 1/2 pound of food each week, and they love banana peels and eggs. My oldest's job is to make sure the environment stays damp but not drippy.

It will be an interesting experiment to say the least!

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Mama made compost!

Composting may be nature's fertilizer, but I'll be the first to admit that I'd been a bit scared by the concept. Close neighbors and the possible smell of rotting produce put me off for years.

My husband finally pushed me over the edge with a gift of a compost bin two Christmases ago, and we discovered the results of our first attempt at composting this spring!

Today at the Green Phone Booth, I'm sharing my initial foray into composting. It's even easier than I'd thought...

Thursday, October 29, 2009

College kid catches composting buzz

Composting has been long on my to-do list, but the big hold-up is that it's just not practical for us. Unfortunately, we face an uphill battle regarding homeowner association rules, small lots, etc.

While I've heard there are actual indoor compost bins, I don't have hundreds to invest in one of those at this time.

Of course, today I read today's Star and had one of those "Why didn't I think about that?" moments. Inside was an article about a Butler University student who was inspired to start a composting business. He offers a weekly pickup of your compost pail to Broad Ripple area residents, and promises them some of "the goods" when gardening season's back in full swing.

Maybe this is an idea worth catching on!