I have been looking for a composting solution for some time. We have to be careful near the city because of the presence of rats, so it has to be an enclosed system that they cannot easily access. Then I saw the composting worm tower at http://www.instructables.com/id/Worm-Cafe-Compost-with-earthworms-right-in-your/ and was intrigued.
The idea is that food scraps are placed in the tower which extends below soil level where worms can easily gain access. I had looked at worm based composting previously, but it sounded like it would be a hassle to maintain the correct environment for the worms to survive and reproduce. The advantage of this system is that the they can come and go from the tower at will and in doing so they will distribute their castings around the garden. So ideally, one places food scraps in the tower and the worms do the work of spreading it around the garden, so one never needs to think about the scraps after dropping them in the tower. Another big plus is that it is built with natural materials.
So, I built one with a 1x6 cedar plank that I bought for $12 from Home Depot and I also built one out of pine ($6). Over time, I will compare the difference in longevity of the different woods. Having one of these towers in each garden frame, will also provide a convenient place to recycle soil-laden roots from harvested veggies and weeds.
No comments:
Post a Comment