Cold Weather Composting Clinic

F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine St., Brunswick, will host a talk by founder Fred Horch and Brett Thompson, Master Gardener Volunteer, titled "Cold Weather Composting," on Thursday, December 10th, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. The talk is free and open to the public.

"Promote global worming," says Brett Thompson. "Worms work inside when everything outside is frozen solid, and they make the best compost."

Worm composting is one of several systems for cold weather composting that will be discussed. The goal of the workshop is to help people understand their options for keeping food waste out of the local landfill all year round.

Worm composting (or "vermiculture") is an indoor technique for year-round composting of paper waste and kitchen scraps. Thompson will demonstrate how worm bins work, and answer common questions. Worms and worm bins will be available for sale.

In addition to worm bins, automatic NatureMill composters, anaerobic bokashi buckets, and insulated outdoor composters will be demonstrated. Free informational handouts will be provided. Seating is limited, so those interested in attending are encouraged to call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

The talk is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly talk is held at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick at 7:00 pm on the second Thursday of the month. January's talk will be a workshop on making interior storm windows.

For more information, please call 729-4050.

Compost and Castings

When starting seeds, use 1 part finished compost or worm castings to 3 parts potting mix to give your little plants a healthy head start without synthetic fertilizers.

More Facts About Compost and Castings

1. It's easy to make your own compost or worm castings from kitchen scraps.
2. When micro-organisms decompose organic matter, the result is called "compost". Finished compost is dark brown or black, crumbly, and has a mild organic aroma like mushrooms.
3. When worms process organic matter, the result is called "castings". Castings look like wet coffee grounds and smell like healthy soil.
   
4. Both compost and castings provide essential nutrients for growing plants.
   
5. Most families can produce enough compost or castings to provide a rich mix for starting their seeds.
6. You'll need to add some dry materials like shredded paper, leaves, or clean sawdust to your kitchen scraps. Adding these materials helps the decomposing process go faster without nasty odors.
   
7. A plug-in kitchen composter like the NatureMill reliably produces compost in two weeks by maintaining the perfect conditions for hot composting by microbial cultures. The compost it produces is ready to use right away, or can be stored for later use.
   
8. Worm bins generally take a little longer to produce results--about six weeks start to finish--depending on temperature, the type of food scraps, and the appetite of your worms. Worm castings can be used as is, but if you plan to store them for later use, you'll probably want to dry them first.
   
9. Worms like the same temperatures as we do, but will tolerate cool temperatures down to the mid-50s and high temperatures into the mid-80s. They work best in the low-70s.
10. If you put a worm bin in your basement, use a portable thermometer to determine the temperature range. Near the boiler is often a convenient and relatively warm location.
    
11. Keeping your kitchen scraps out of your garbage benefits you and your community; neither landfills nor incinerators need wet organic waste.
12. Whether you make compost or castings, most of your kitchen waste will literally vanish into thin air as the process creates water vapor and carbon dioxide.
    
13. Compost and castings improve the texture and health of soil, helping it retain moisture while allowing roots to penetrate.
14. Recycling organic nutrients back into the soil completes the cycle of life and allows new plant growth to occur without requiring exogenous synthetic chemical inputs.
15. Building healthy soil with compost and castings is an essential part of successful organic gardening.
16. Besides mixing compost or castings in your seed-starting medium, you can also use them as a top dressing periodically in your garden, around trees, or on your lawn.
17. A kitchen compost pail makes it easy to collect scraps. A tight-fitting lid with a charcoal filter controls odors and keeps everything contained until you're ready to add it to your composter or worm bin.
18. It's fine to toss your kitchen scraps in an outdoor compost pile all winter. They won't start composting outdoors until warmer temperature arrives, but there's no harm in letting your food waste freeze and thaw before it turns into compost.
19. Some people even store their kitchen waste in their freezer until spring. This isn't as crazy as it sounds. It actually helps your freezer's efficiency to be full rather than empty, and if you ever lose power, hunks of frozen garbage can keep your food cool. Just make sure you label everything carefully!
    
20. Composting equipment, information and supplies, including worms and worm bins, are available year round at F.W. Horch in Brunswick and online at www.FWHorch.com.

Earthworm Castings - Sustainable Living Tip for March 2008

Earthworm castings are a gentle, slow-release, natural fertilizer that works especially well for seedlings. Mix 1 part castings to 3 parts potting soil to start seeds, or line the bottom and sides of seed furrows with 1"-2" of castings to give your little plants a healthy head start.

More to know about Earthworm Castings

1. Unlike synthetic fertilizers, which require the unsustainable consumption of petroleum for their production, worm castings rely on worms and soil micro-organisms, resources that are plentiful and renewable.
2. You can make your own worm castings from kitchen scraps. In a few months, worms in a bin can turn twenty parts kitchen scraps into 1 part castings.
3. Worms eat about half their weight a day; the more worms you have, the more waste they can consume.
4. The best type of worms to use for indoor worms bins are red wigglers (Eisenia foetida).
5. In warmer weather, you can grow worms outside. They will multiply happily between 60 and 85 degrees, but most will not survive at temperatures below 40 degrees.
6. If you need worm castings sooner than you can make them, you can purchase them. A little goes a long way!
7. "Finished" worm castings that are ready for use as fertilizer have a pleasant, earthy smell.
8. For a highly effective liquid fertilizer, soak 1 part worm castings in 3 parts water for 24 hours. Stir well, then use to water fruiting, flowering, or difficult-to-access potted plants.
9. Unlike synthetic fertilizers, worm castings do not lead to run-off pollution because the nitrogen in them is mostly water insoluble.
10. In our store in Brunswick we sell worm castings, breeder packs of red wigglers, worm bins, and books about how to raise your own worms.

Interested in starting a worm bin to make your own worm castings? Worms Eat My Garbage is an essential resource.