Sadly, we have come to our third and final blog of the Wonderful World of Worms. Hopefully you are well on your way to making your own worm composting bin and will soon reap the benefits in your garden!
A few more pointers…
Preventing problems
■ Store food scraps in a sealed container to prevent flies or roaches from laying eggs in them.
Refrigerate them, if possible.
■ Add food scraps in small amounts, especially at first, or your bin may get smelly or heat up.
■ Keep your bin in a shaded and sheltered location where the bedding can stay below 90°F.
■ Don’t let the bedding become soaking wet. Add dry paper as needed to soak up excess water.
■ Keep the bedding damp. Old, dry bedding can harbor pests.
■ Handle the worms gently and with gloved hands or a garden fork (not a shovel).
■ Wash your hands thoroughly after you have handled fresh compost.
Tips
■ It’s easier to tear cardboard into strips for bedding if you soak it in water first.
■ If you cut or mash your food scraps and keep them damp while you store them, your worms will eat them faster.
■ Composting worms can thrive under a thick, moist layer of mulch in gardens or landscaping.
■ With plenty of food and a good environment, worms can double their populations every 90 days.
Additional Information
To order this and other publications about composting and yard care from the TCEQ, call 512/239-0028. For more information on composting, or to order additional composting publications, visit the TCEQ web site at www.tceq.state.tx.us. Go to the Subject Index and search for “composting.” Sources: The TCEQ; Jay Mertz, Rabbit Hill Farms, Corsicana, Texas; Larry Wilhelm,The Earthworm Institute (a program of the city of Grapevine, Texas); Mary Appelhof, Worms Eat My Garbage, Flower Press.
Earthworm Fun Fact:
There are 4,400 species of worms – 2,700 different kinds of earthworms to be exact!
Importance of Earthworms:
Worms as natures recyclers!
Mold and bacteria and higher level organisms like beetles, centipedes and, of course, earthworms are all busy recyclers. By breaking down organic matter — stuff like dead plants, poop, and decaying animals — they create valuable nutrients necessary for rich and fertile soil. Take it from me, a worm who knows, we are doing you a big favor. http://yucky.discovery.com/flash/worm/pg000222.html
What Worms do
Without the help of worms, every plant and animal that died and fell to the ground would stay right where it fell. Trees, leaves, fruit, nuts, dead animals and food would just keep piling up (you’d be living underground like us!). http://yucky.discovery.com/flash/worm/pg000222.html