One of the most well known forms of indoor composting is composting with worms. Composting worms transform household waste into a wonderful soil conditioner rich in nutrients. This is ideal for adding to potting mix and indoor plants. The worms used in worm factories are called Red Wigglers. These worms are not the common garden variety of worm, however they are readily available for purchase online and in stores.
Worm factories are available commercially and are very easy to use. Worm composting is an ideal way to introduce children to composting. For a little more effort, but a cost savings why not have a go at making your own worm farm. It could be an ideal way to begin learning about the method.
Of the two techniques, my personal preference is for the commercially built worm farm as they are so simple to maintain.
Here are some do's and don'ts for successful worm composting
Do not use meat or dairy items
Stick to fruits and vegetables
Do use vacuum cleaner dust, coffee grounds and tea leaves
If the worm factory dries out too much, water spray to
dampen, but do not allow to become water-logged
In very cold weather, be sure to continue feeding the worms
Fruit flies can be satisfactorily combated by covering the uppermost layer with a piece of old carpet
Keep the lid on to prevent flies
To discourage ants climbing up the legs of the worm factory put the legs in small pots of water
A commercial worm farm is supplied with a spigot from where the juice can be collected. The juice is a wonderful liquid fertilizer when diluted with water. Worm Farming is a fantastic form of composting, and it is really simple to enjoy the rewards with minimal effort.
An alternative form of indoor composting is with a compost pail or bin. Most people think of the compost bin as the container used to gather the fruit and vegetable scraps which are then added to the compost, or even buried in the garden. This is, in fact what most people do and that's okay, but sometimes these bins can become very smelly and that is not acceptable in a kitchen.
