Gardening is a year round activity even during the winter months when the garden itself is covered with snow. We’re not planting, weeding, or harvesting but we are planning, preparing, and composting. Or rather, the worms are composting and we’re harvesting said compost.
We’ve had the same colony of worms going on 11 years now. It’s kind of fun to think of that guy on my finger as the great-great-great-great grandkid of our first batch of worms all those years ago. The worms work hard for us, though I imagine it just seems like eating and digesting to them.
Over the weekend, we cleaned out the bin, gave the worms new bedding and re-ordered the trays giving them plenty of working space to begin anew. We have a more traditional compost bin outside, but in the winter it slows down quite a bit. The worm bin stays in the kitchen year round and they get fed pretty well. Recently, they’ve been dining on coffee grounds, tea leaves, lettuce cores, and bits of trimmed brussels sprouts.
We’re grateful for all that compost and know from experience that a little bit of compost goes a long way in getting those seeds off to a bang of start in a few months.
What’s happening in your garden or garden plans these days?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I would love to get into worm castings, maybe I’ll look for a book at my local library. I doubt DH would be OK with my keeping them in the kitchen, he has a fit over cardboard in the windows (heaven forbid we look as poor as we live), but maybe I could set them up in the basement.
I think a worm composter would be brilliant, but I can’t think of anywhere to put it in our cramped house–except maybe the basement–where it wouldn’t be in the way.
I love my worms so much! When we moved I (ahem) brought some along for the ride, and they lived in a little lunchbox cooler for almost a month. Only a dozen or so survived, but now we have two thriving bins. We put out our trash bin once every 3 weeks right now and it’s still only half full.
Luckily it’s rainy season here, so the few herbs left and the citrus trees are getting watered despite some benign neglect. We’re a little focused indoors these days.
I always wanted to worm compost and now I think I’m ready. Very valuable, useful information. Thanks.