Composting
LGBALLU
I have to do a composting display at the local farmers market in the
fall. I have composted for years and have some beliefs which are
unsubstantiated. For example, with vermiculture in composting: I believe
in using the native worms which eventually appear in the compost heap.
During the winter, I have taken these worms into the house and raised them
until spring, then set them free in the compost in the spring. I believe
they will be more to benefit the the soil from which they originally came.
I also believe one should use the soil one wants to improve in as an
ingredient of the compost heap from the beginning, thinking that microbes
which break down the organic matter, having come from the soil one wants
to imporve, will be healthier and will give a genetic advantage in
improving the soil when the compost is mixed basck into the soil. My
theory is that microbes are genetically adapted to the soil and will be
more active in it . Is there anything to this, or is it just my concocted
theory?
Ron Lottermann
I don't know about scientifically proving your theories but they sound
reasonable to me.
___________________________________________________________
Ron Lottermann
Dere...@ix.netcom.com
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Waste rec
I can't answer your questions, but thought I'd mention the Annual
Conference of "The Composting Council" -- which is scheduled for November
13-15 in Arlington VA. I have some preliminary program info and they don't
seem to be doing anything on vermicomposting. But I understand that the
country's biggest experts in the overall field of composting are usually
there.
You can write or call for more information. They are:
The Composting Council
114 South Pitt St
Alexandria VA 22314
703/739-2401, fax 703/739-2407
also, e-mail them at comco...@aol.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
By the way, you mentioned raising the worms indoors during the winter then
freeing them into the compost heap outdoors in the spring. Have you tried
any wholly-indoor worm composting? I understand it is odor-free and just
as effective with vegetable food scraps as it is with yard waste.
Alan Krigman, Editor & Publisher
Waste Recovery Report
(http://www.nolimits.com/nolimits/recycle.html)
LGBALLU
In answer to the question about using worms to compost food left
overs. Yes, I did use worms from the compost heap, placing them in a
combination of soil, finished compost and shredded newspapers. . I
usually started them inside during Thanksgiving when I had time. By
Christmas it is evident they are eating more and more food and by spring,
they easily handle the kitchen food waste, The soil from this process is
especially good for two reasons: worm casting are the richest soil made,
and the food in your kitchen is the best nurished plant material you can
get and it is from around the world, bringing trace elements in rich
variety. I prefer this to any other potting soil because anyone can have
a green thumb using this stuff, Does it smell? It smells like newly
plowed loam soil. My wife says it stinks, I like the smell. Well, she
won. We don't compost inside anymore.
Waste rec
In article <4qakmf$2...@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, lgb...@aol.com (LGBALLU)
writes:
>
> In answer to the question about using worms to compost food left
>overs. Yes, I did use worms from the compost heap, placing them in a
>combination of soil, finished compost and shredded newspapers. . I
>usually started them inside during Thanksgiving when I had time. By
>Christmas it is evident they are eating more and more food and by spring,
>they easily handle the kitchen food waste
Interesting!!!!!!!!!!
Questions:
a) Did you use just fruit and vegetable waste, or did you also use meat
scraps? If the latter, did you remove the bones?
b) After you stopped doing this indoors, did you continue to compost
kitchen scraps outdoors? If so, was it separate from or mixed with the
yard waste compost?
PS: If you haven't contacted the Composting Council yet, they told me they
were having a vermicomposting expert on one of their panel discussions.
(For reference, their e-mail address is "comco...@aol.com"
LGBALLU
Composting inside I just used vegitable matter, sometimes
supplimenting it with corn meal when the worm population seemed to demand
it. I have used some animal materials in the outside compost heap, but
rarely because dogs, etc. can dig it our. When I have done this, I placed
it in the "hot" part of the heap to quicken decomposition. It then takes
about three days.
I have also placed meat and fish in a jar of water in the sun. It
breaks down quickly but has a terrific smell when the jar is opened.
However, when this is poured onto the compost heap the odor goes away very
quickly. These were just experiments. My normal proceedure is to place
all vegetable matter in the heap.