Page 29 - Silver Lakes August Issue 2023

GARDENING

COMPOST WORMS

By Elize Malan

orms known as red wrigglers • Less waste will be generated for landfills chemicals that will kill red wrigglers.
digest kitchen scraps into fertile and your household carbon footprint will • Pineapple and pawpaw contain meat-
Wcastings for use as fertiliser. They decrease dramatically. tenderising enzymes, and this will digest
are capable of eating their own body weight • Very little time, effort and money are the worms.
in scraps every day. needed to be successful.
• The worms do not smell, and the Where to start:
This species is raised specifically in containers take up little space. Worms • Website tutorials offer all the information
containers for vermicomposting and want darkness and they function needed.
so cannot survive in our soils. Our own optimally at temperatures of between • Have the containers assembled and
indigenous earthworms prefer open soil 16°C and 28°C. During winter, the worms bedding and food added before getting
and do not do well in captivity. will digest less food. During a heatwave the worms.
it will benefit them if you cool the food
Fancy and expensive containers are offered scraps before adding them to the bin. Trouble shooting:
for sale to accommodate the red wrigglers • Midges that are visible when you open
and create the special environment they Suitable scraps would be a variety of the container could be due to excessive
require. These are useful for flat owners the following: moisture and food. A fine dusting with
who only need worm tea/compost for pot • Fruit scraps such as banana peels and diatomaceous earth will not kill the
plants. apple cores. worms but will get rid of midges.
• Vegetable peels such as pumpkin, carrot • If there’s a bad smell: too many scraps
Various tutorials are available with and sweet potato. were added, or the scraps were very wet.
directions to make your own inexpensive • Wilted leafy greens, crushed eggshells • If you’re going on vacation: the worms
worm containers. and even tomato can be added. can function up to a month without care.
Moisture is essential and adding moist,
These worms can be bought, but often a shredded cardboard to the bin before
neighbour or friend will be happy to share leaving will solve the problem.
their red wrigglers as a population can be • If you find seeds like pumpkin or tomatoes
expected to double every three months. germinating in the container: remove the
small plants, use in the garden, or add to
Why would a homeowner consider your compost heap.
composting with worms? • If the composting process seems very
• In nature, the recycling process breaks slow: run the scraps and eggshells
down and converts any once-living through your food processor to provide
material into the nutrient’s plant use. small pieces for the worms to digest.
Leaves and grass clippings can take up
to two years to decompose. A worm Unsuitable scraps: Start your worm bin this spring, and you
composter speeds up the process – • Cooked and baked food such as bread, could find it to be a very successful project
the compost is available within three meat and dairy products. for parents and children alike.
months. • The skins of citrus are treated with
References:
• Sourcing of writings by Ralph Rhoads, founder and
president of Nature’s Footprint, a small company in
the US that manufactures the innovative and time-
saving Worm Factory worm bin.
• https://www.planetnatural.com/worm-composting/
• https://www.redwormcomposting.com/
• https://www.wormfarmingsecrets.com/

Tel: 012 804 1807
Fax: 012 804 0278
Web: www.garden-group.co.za
Email: admin@garden-group.co.za

INTRAMUROS AUGUST 2023 | 27