From Gardeners of
Southwest Florida
by Steve Cole
Vermiculture:
The benefits of using worms for composting and organic gardening
Fig. 1 
Concerned
Florida gardeners can use the Earth's natural methods to create
beautiful lawns, flowers, shrubs, fruits and vegetables by avoiding
commercial chemicals that can damage our planet's endangered
environment. Ordinary worms have proved to be very useful in converting
kitchen scraps, grass clippings and other organic materials into rich
chemical-free garden loam.
Fig. 2
Garden
group member Steve Cole will teach us (in the group leaders' garden
patio in Naples) the many benefits of using worms in our landscapes and
compost bins, as well as for fishing, or feeding pets and livestock.
Worm castings (their droppings) can be used as a natural fertilizer to
enrich Florida's nutrient-poor sandy soil.
Fig. 3
Steve
has studied vermiculture (worm-farming) for years at various companies,
and has found simpler methods to efficiently breed and harvest these
beneficial helpers for gardeners and farmers. Now he's the owner of his
own firm, Vitalis Industries, providing various species of worms and
castings by mail from his breeding facility in Fort Myers.
Fig. 4
At
this free class, we'll learn how to construct our own compost bins in
which worms can breed and multiply while devouring material that would
normally be thrown out as landfill. Dead leaves and other garden trash,
coffee grounds, tea bags, potato peelings, old vegetables, shredded
paper and cardboard, horse manure and other waste (but no meat, fish,
onions or grease) can all be converted to soil ideal for organic
gardening.
Fig. 5
Back
To
Fruit
General Page
Vegetable
General Page
Compost Page
|
|
