Worms seem to be the natural result of composting.

Whenever I dig out some compost from the bottom of the bin to use in the garden, it looks like it is alive - almost more worms than dirt.

So the idea that you would need more worms - or more worm poo, as it were - seems a little redundant.

That was true for Jennifer Jewell of Redding, Calif., too. She writes for Food for Thought: anewscafe.com, and reports that she had a conversion experience while listening to composting expert Ward Habriel talk.

Read more here on the benefits of using worm castings in your garden. You, too, can get past the "yuck factor."

Photo courtesy of goosmurf at Flickr

Posted by Susan Reimer at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Composting
        

In my garden column in The Baltimore Sun today, I talk about composting with a Q&A on the basics with Mike Ather, who teaches composting for Gardener's Supply in Vermont.

His colleague, Kathy LaLiberte, has been with Gardener's Supply since its start 25 years ago, and she writes an advice column on the Web site.

In this one on composting, she talks about "trench" composting and "sheet" composting, in which you skip the entire compost pile step and add material directly to your gardens. She says it is ideal for kitchen scraps but best suited to a vegetable garden.

On Sunday afternoons in the fall and winter, I can be found in my kitchen making soup from the farmer's market largesse and generating a ton of vegetable scraps. The same is true at the holidays.

This year, I am going to walk right past my compost bin and go straight to the garden.

Photo courtesy of Gardener's Supply

Posted by Susan Reimer at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Composting
        

For the first time ever, Baltimore County will host a two-day truckload compost bin sale on Saturday and Sunday,  from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

The Saturday sale will be held in the parking lot of IKEA Baltimore in White Marsh, 8352 Honeygo Boulevard (across from White Marsh Town Center).

The Sunday sale will be held in the parking lot of Franklin High School in Reisterstown, 12000 Reisterstown Road.

Both sales are rain or shine. The bins, valued at $100, will be available for the low price of $35 including tax. There is no limit on the number of bins you may purchase at this event and they will be sold on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. Both cash and checks are accepted (no credit or debit cards) and you do not need to be a Baltimore County resident to purchase a bin.

The bins come in two pieces and can fit in almost any vehicle. When assembled, the bins are 33 inches in diameter and 33 inches tall.

Continue reading "Composting bins for sale this weekend" »

Posted by Susan Reimer at 3:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Composting